WPC JA<_zC]/7p=様7 Fpf䳉r/q >43]WtX|+wbu(A3?D+ 9V>؆G-9uPjpxlM`@ӿ㈋D fz*TlPL2Π-ˏf"᧚dz2nN3dhZ%khǵ27=:e:?V;?~ 9?9?(MORRISTOWNDRIVERSSERVICE)  )9?9? p  $d  `     h     ) ` 9?9?Defendant/Appellee9?9?    ) p No.9?9?03S019806CV000649?9? 0  FortheAppellant:   h      p FortheAppellee: l  9?9?PhillipL.Boyd9?9?   h      p 9?9?RobertA.Crawford9?9? >~ 9?9?108SouthChurchSt.9?9? h      p 9?9?10thFloorFirstAmer.Center9?9? $d 9?9?P.O.Box298   h      p P.O.Box2485  J Rogersville,9?9?Tenn.9?9?378579?9? h 9?9?  9?9?   p 9?9?Knoxville,9?9?Tenn.9?9?379019?9? 0    MEMORANDUMOPINION  T$ $  MembersofPanel: &&f"& 9?9? FrankF.Drowota5?,5?6?6?III,9?9?9?9?Justice9?9? '>$( 9?9?JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudgeRoger9?9?E.Thayer,SpecialJudge5?5?L 9?9?AFFIRMED.9?9?    h      p   THAYER,SpecialJudge =9@9 Ї ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.9?9? ` Theemployee,C.DouglasGibson,hasappealedfromtheactionofthetrialcourtindismissinghisclaimforpermanentdisabilitybenefits. ` Thesoleissueonappealiswhethertheevidencepreponderatesagainsttheconclusionofthetrialcourt. ` Plaintiffwas47yearsofageandhadcompletedthe9thgrade.Hewasemployedbydefendant,WilliamGibson,asatruckdriver.OnAugust9,1995,hefellwhiledescendingfromhistruck.Hetestifiedhefeltimmediatepaininhislowbackandfeltitresultedmorefromthetwistingmovementofhisbodyratherthantheimpactwiththeground. ` Hereportedtheincidenttohisemployer,sawadoctorshortlythereafterandwaseventuallyseenbyseveraldoctorsbetweenthedateoftheaccidentandthetrialduringSeptember1997. ` Plaintiffswifeanddaughtertestifiedastohisphysicallimitationssincetheincidentandtherecordindicatesplaintiffneverreturnedtoworkfordefendant. ` Dr.ChristopherR.Morris,aphysicianspecializingininternalmedicineandrheumatology,firstsawplaintiffonOctober24,1995andfoundsometendernessinhisbackmusclesbutthoughthehadagoodrangeofmotion.Hesawhimonseveraloccasionsandtestifiedbydepositionstatingthatallstudies(xrayandC.T.Scan)werenormal.Hefelthisbackpainwasofachronicnatureandopinedhehadsomepermanentimpairmentbutdidnothaveanopinionastoanypercentageofimpairment. ` Dr.JohnM.Marshall,aphysicalmedicineandrehabilitationdoctor,firstsawplaintiffonDecember6,1995uponreferralbyDr.Morris.Hetestifiedbydepositionandstatedtherewerenopositivefindingsfromhisexaminationandthevariousstudiesperformed.Hewasoftheopinionheprobablyhadastrainwhichwouldeventuallyclearup.Hecouldnotrelateanyofhissymptomstotheincidentatwork andstatedtherewasnopermanentimpairment. 95<  ` DuringJanuary1996plaintiffhadM.R.I.studywhichindicatedabulgeofthe discattheL4L5levelintheback.Dr.Morrisstateditwaseitheradiscextrusionorannularbulgecausingmildnarrowingofthespinalcanalandthatitcouldhaveresultedfromtheincidentatwork.Dr.Marshalltestifiedthestudyindicatedosteoarthritisanddegenerativediscdiseaseandapossiblediscextrusionversusabulge;thatanextrusionorbulgecanbenormal;thatwhenheconsideredtheM.R.I.studyalongwiththehistoryandotherstudiesconducted,hethoughtitwaspossibletheconditionwasworkrelatedbuthecouldnotsayitprobablyresultedfromtheincidentatwork. ` ThetestimonyofDr.HarryW.Bachman,Jr.,anorthopaedicsurgeon,waspresentedbythefilingofhiswrittenreportdatedAugust13,1996.Heonlysawplaintiffonetimeandwasoftheopinionhedidnothaveanypermanentimpairment. ` ThetrialcourtalsoheardtheoraltestimonyofChrisHodge,aprivateinvestigator,whofollowedplaintifftoCincinnati,OhioduringAugust1996whereheengagedinbowlingactivities.Hetestifiedplaintiffwalked,carriedhisbagsintothemotelandbowledontwodifferentdayswithoutanyevidenceofphysicallimitations. ` TheCircuitJudgefoundplaintiffhadviolatedthemedicalrestrictionsimposedbythedoctorsandchosetoacceptthemedicaltestimonyofDr.MarshallandDr.BachmanoverthetestimonyofDr.Morris. ` Thecaseistoberevieweddenovoaccompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindingsoffactunlesswefindthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.T.C.A.5062258?7?7?8?(e)(2). ` Anemployeehastheburdenofprovingeveryelementofthecase,includingcausationandpermanencybyapreponderanceoftheevidence.Tindallv.Waring -T). ParkAssn,725S.W.2d935,937(Tenn.1987). .$+0  ` Inchoosingwhichmedicaltestimonytoaccept,thetrialcourtmayconsiderthequalificationsoftheexperts,thecircumstancesoftheirexamination,theinformationavailabletothemandtheevaluationoftheimportanceofthatinformationbyotherexperts.Ormanv.WilliamsSonoma,Inc.,803S.W.2d672,676(Tenn. 6X28  1991). 7(4:  ` Wehavereviewedthecaseundertheserulesandcannotsaytheevidencepreponderatesagainsttheconclusionofthetrialcourt.Therefore,thejudgmentisaffirmed.Costs9?9?oftheappealaretaxedto9?9?plaintiff.9?9? %   `     h     ___________________________________ `     h     RogerE.Thayer,SpecialJudgeCONCUR:________________________________  9?9?FrankF.DrowotaIII,9?9?9?9?Justice9?9?________________________________John9?9?K.Byers,9?9?9?9?S0?e0?1?0?h0?1?2?nio2?3?2?e2?3?4?r4?9?9?Judge:?  j :?;?;?;?`  XXXX(n*8($hxR `Ektt068n ` ` ` $` $@n n INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@##$ATKNOXVILLE    h      p      x     h      p  `        `   `     h      p   C.DOUGLASGIBSON,  )HAWKINSCIRCUIT @   ` $` $` `     h      p )  No.7810 0 p  HҀ PlaintiffAppellant,    ) p      x    `   XX    h     ) p No.03S019806CV00064  P  v.    h   0  )@ 8"8"     h     ) p      x  0  WILLIAMGIBSON h 0    ) p Hon.EarlH.Henley x   @  @  @  8"8" (MORRISTOWNDRIVERSSERVICE) p Chancellor   x     DefendantAppellee    ) p      x    Ѐ   .    h       h JUDGMENTORDER ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'smemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthememorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactsandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmedandthedecisionofthePanelismadetheJudgmentoftheCourt. Costsonappealaretaxedtotheplaintiff,C.DouglasGibsonandPhillipL.Boyd,Surety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.̀08/04/99#X(XX X##;? ,P(2 Ѐ