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ÔÔ€#ÔÑ  ÑÒ  ÒÒ H ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ#€Xd#ÑÑ#€Xd#ÑÝ  Ý›ò òÓÓÓÓÓ  ÓÞ ÞÌIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEE̜ـ ÙßR€'(&A1-j|` à. `€€@ÿRß›SPECIAL€WORKERSðð€COMPENSATION€APPEALS€PANELÌKNOXVILLE,€FEBRUARY€1997€SESSIONÌÓÓÓ  ÓÌÌÓÓó óSTONE€CONTAINER€CORPORATION,à à)à àHAMILTON€CIRCUITÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àPlaintiff/Appellantà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìv.à àà àà àà àà àà à)à àHon.€William€L.€Brown,Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àCircuit€JudgeÌNEIL€GRIFFITH,à àà àà àà à)à àÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àDefendant/Appelleeà àà à)à àNO.€03S01„9609„CV„00094ÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌò òòòFor€the€Appellantà àà àà àà àà àFor€the€Appellee:ÌÌó óóóJ.€Bartlett€Quinnà àà àà àà àà àThomas€L.€WyattÌCynthia€D.€Hallà àà àà àà àà àSummers,€McCrea€&€WyattÌ800€Vine€Streetà àà àà àà àà à500€Lindsay€St.ÌChattanooga,€TN€€37403à àà àà àà àChattanooga,€TN€€37402ÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌò òòòÓ  ÓM€E€M€O€R€A€N€D€U€M€€€O€P€I€N€I€O€NÌÌÌÌÌMembers€of€Panel:ÌÌó óóóÌE.€Riley€Anderson,€JusticeÌJohn€K.€Byers,€œSenior›€JudgeÌRoger€E.€Thayer,€Special€JudgeÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌò òÓ  ÓAFFIRMEDà àà àà àà àà àà àà àTHAYER,€Special€Judgeó óÌÓÓà àThis€workers'€compensation€appeal€has€been€referred€to€the€SpecialÏWorkers'€Compensation€Appeals€Panel€of€the€Supreme€Court€in€accordance€withÏTenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(3)€for€hearing€and€reporting€to€the€Supreme€CourtÏof€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law.€Ìà àThe€employer,€Stone€Container€Corporation,€has€œperfected›€this€appeal€fromÏa€decision€of€the€trial€court€to€award€the€employee,€Neil€Griffith,€10%€permanentÏpartial€disability€benefits€to€the€body€as€a€whole.Ìà àTemporary€total€disability€benefits€were€paid€until€the€employee€returned€toÏwork€during€January,€1995,€and€the€payment€of€medical€expenses€is€also€not€anÏissue.€€The€employer€insists€the€evidence€preponderates€against€a€finding€ofÏpermanent€injury€œor›€disability.Ô% € ÔÌà àThe€short€record€contains€the€oral€testimony€of€the€employee,€and€theÏdepositions€of€three€orthopedic€surgeons.Ìà àEmployee€Griffith€had€worked€for€Stone€Container€Corporation€for€aboutÍtwenty„five€years€when€he€sustained€a€work„related€injury€on€November€28,€1994.€ÏOn€this€day€he€was€reaching€down€to€pick€up€a€heavy€pallet€when€he€felt€painÏacross€the€top€of€his€shoulder.€€The€next€morning€he€had€pain€in€his€left€arm€andÏwas€hospitalized€a€few€days€to€determine€if€he€was€having€or€had€a€heart€attack.€ÏTesting€for€this€condition€was€negative€and€he€was€released.Ìà àHe€first€came€under€the€care€of€Dr.€Lester€F.€Littell€III,€who€was€one€of€theÏthree€designated€physicians€of€the€employer.€€He€found€he€had€sustained€a€work„related€injury€but€was€of€the€opinion€it€would€eventually€clear€up.€€He€found€noÏpermanent€impairment€and€did€not€place€any€restrictions€on€the€patient.Ìà àBecoming€dissatisfied€with€Dr.€Littell,€employee€Griffith€requested€theÏcompany€to€furnish€another€physician€for€a€second€opinion.€€He€was€then€seen€byÏDr.€Neil€H.€Spitalny€who€found€mild€disc€bulging€at€several€levels€as€reported€on€aÏMRI€report€and€said€this€was€consistent€with€normal€degenerative€aging€process€ofÏthe€cervical€spine€and€discs.€€He€was€of€the€opinion€there€was€no€medicalÏimpairment.€€We€do€note€his€testimony€indicates€he€saw€him€again€on€January€22,Ï1996,€when€he€was€still€complaining€of€left€shoulder€pain€and€discomfort€in€the€neckÏmusculature.Ìà àGriffith€finally€œchose›€a€doctor€and€was€seen€by€Dr.€Richard€B.€Donaldson,Ïwho€said€he€had€read€the€medical€reports€of€the€other€two€physicians€and€wasÏaware€of€the€results€of€the€various€tests€which€had€been€performed.€€He€gave€aÏdiagnosis€of€a€strain€of€the€neck,€left€shoulder€girdle€and€left€arm.€€He€said€since€hisÏpain€complaints€had€lasted€longer€than€seven€months,€he€had€chronic€painÏsyndrome.€€Under€the€AMA€Guidelines,€this€resulted€in€a€4%€medical€impairmentÍrating.€€He€recommended€some€therapy€from€time€to€time€and€medication€asÏneeded.Ìà àIn€rendering€a€decision,€the€trial€court€made€specific€findings€that€theÏemployee€was€a€very€credible€witness€concerning€his€complaints€of€pain€andÏcommended€him€for€his€long€employment€service.Ìà àThe€review€of€the€case€is€òòde€novoóó€accompanied€by€a€presumption€of€theÏcorrectness€of€the€findings€of€fact€unless€we€find€the€preponderance€is€otherwise.€ÏT.C.A.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(2).Ìà àIn€choosing€which€medical€testimony€to€accept,€the€trial€court€may€considerÏthe€qualifications€of€the€experts,€the€circumstances€of€their€examination,€theÏinformation€available€to€them€and€the€evaluation€of€the€importance€of€thatÏinformation€by€other€experts.€€òòOrman€v.€Williams„Sonoma,€Inc.óó,€803€S.W.2d€672,Ï676€(Tenn.€1991).Ìà àWhere€the€trial€court€has€seen€and€heard€witnesses€and€issues€of€credibilityÏand€the€weight€of€oral€testimony€are€involved,€the€trial€court€is€in€a€better€position€toÏjudge€credibility€and€weigh€evidence€and€considerable€deference€must€beÏaccorded€to€those€circumstances.€€On€the€other€hand,€where€evidence€is€introducedÏby€deposition,€the€appellate€court€is€in€as€good€a€position€as€the€trial€court€inÏreviewing€and€weighing€testimony.€€òòLanders€v.€Firemanððs€Fund€Ins.€Co.óó,€775€S.W.2dÏ355,€356€(Tenn.€1989).Ìà àIn€reviewing€the€record€concerning€the€trial€courtððs€acceptance€of€testimonyÏindicating€a€medical€impairment€based€on€a€chronic€pain€syndrome,€we€find€that€Dr.ÏLittell€only€saw€the€employee€from€December€12,€1994€to€February€6,€1995,€andÍwas€never€in€a€position€to€diagnose€this€type€of€condition€because€of€the€shortÏperiod€of€time€involved.Ìà àDr.€Spitalny€apparently€did€not€consider€a€chronic€pain€syndrome€diagnosisÏas€there€is€no€mention€of€it€in€his€testimony.€€We€cannot€say€the€evidenceÏpreponderates€against€the€findings€of€the€trial€court.€€Therefore,€the€judgmentÏentered€below€is€affirmed.€€Costs€of€the€appeal€are€taxed€to€plaintiff„employer€andÏsureties.ÌÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà àà à________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àRoger€E.€Thayer,€Special€JudgeÌÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌE.€Riley€Anderson,€JusticeÌÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌJohn€K.€Byers,€Senior€œJudgeÇÒ  ÒÒ H Òà àà àà àÌà àà àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌà à€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ìà àà à€à à€€€€€€€€€AT€KNOXVILLEÌÌÌÌÒ S ÒÒ H ÒSTONE€CONTAINER€CORPORATION,€€€€€€)€€€€HAMILTON€CIRCUITÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)€€€€€€No.95LA0079€€€€€€à à€€€€€€à àÏà àà àPlaintiff/Appellant,à àà à€)à àà à€à àÌà àà àà àà àà àà à€)Ìvs.€€à àà àà àà àà àà à€)€€€€€€€Hon.€William€L.€Brown€€à àà à€€€€€€€€Ïà àà àà àà àà à€)€€€€€€€€Judgeà àÌà àà àà àà àà àà à€)€€€€€Ìà àà à€à àà àà àà à€)à àÌNEIL€GRIFFITH,€INC.à àà àà à€)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à€)Ìà àDefendant/Appellee.à àà àà à€)à à03S01„9609„CV„00094ÌÔ€#îÔÌÌÓffÓà àà àà à€€€€€€€€€€€òòJUDGMENT€ORDERóóÌà àà àThis€case€is€before€the€Court€upon€the€entire€record,Ïincluding€the€order€of€referral€to€the€Special€WorkerððÏCompensation€Panel,€and€the€Panelððs€Memorandum€OpinionÏsetting€forth€its€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law,€which€areÏincorporated€herein€by€reference;Ìà àÌà àWhereupon,€it€appears€to€the€Court€that€the€MemorandumÏOpinion€of€the€Panel€should€be€accepted€and€approved€;€andÌÌà àIt€is,€therefore,€ordered€that€the€Panelððs€findings€of€act€andÏconclusions€of€law€are€adopted€and€affirmed,€and€the€decision€ofÏthe€Panel€is€made€the€Judgment€of€the€Court.ÌÌà àCosts€on€appeal€are€taxed€€to€the€plaintiff„appellant€andÏsurety,€J.€Bartlett€Quinn,€for€which€execution€may€issue€ifÍnecessary.€€Ì€04/23/97à àà àà àà àà àà àÌÌÌÌÔ€#XÔà à›