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ÔÔ€ÔÔ€ôÔÔ€XÔÔ€ÔÓ  ÓÝ  ÝÑ\R AØ'\ÑÒ  ÒÒ ° ÒÒ  ÒÒ 8 ÒÖ€(ÖÑ  ÑÔ&  ÔÔ  ÔÔ  ÔÙ€€ÙÖ€,ÖÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓÑ\R AØ'\ÑÔ€¼ÔÔ€ÔßR€./+A1-j|` Å `€€@ÿRßÞ ÞÌIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌÌSPECIAL€WORKERS'€COMPENSATION€APPEALS€PANELÌÌAT€JACKSONÌ(November€27,€1996€Session)ÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓEVERLYN€HICKS,à àà àà à)€€€€€HARDEMAN€CHANCERYÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€XÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€€€€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Plaintiff„Appellant,Ô€ôÔà àÔ€¼Ô)€€€€€Hon.€Dewey€C.€Whitenton,Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€)€€€€€Chancellor.Ìv.€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€XÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€Ô€Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€)€€€€€No.€02S01„9607„CH„00067ÌLARRY€BRINTON,€JR.,€DIRECTOR€)ÌDIVISION€OF€WORKERS'€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)ÌCOMPENSATION,€DEPARTMENT€€)ÌOF€LABOR,€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€Ô€Ô€¼Ô€Ô€XÔ€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Defendant„Appellee.€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€)ÌÌÌÌòòFor€Appellantóó:€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€òòFor€Appellee:óóÌÌSteve€Taylor€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Charles€W.€BursonÌMemphis,€Tennessee€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Attorney€General€andÏReporterÌÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Dianne€Stamey€DycusÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Senior€CounselÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Nashville,€TennesseeòòÌóóÌÌÌòòÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓM€E€M€O€R€A€N€D€U€M€€€€O€P€I€N€I€O€NóóÌÌÌÌÌòòMembers€of€Panelóó:ÌÔ'  ÔÌLyle€Reid,€Associate€Justice,€Supreme€CourtÌJoe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€JudgeÌCornelia€A.€Clark,€Special€JudgeÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓÌÓ  ÓAFFIRMED€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Loser,ÏJudgeÓ ¹ ÓÌòòÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓMEMORANDUM€OPINIONóóÓ rAÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓà àà àThis€workers'€compensation€appeal€has€been€referred€to€theÏSpecial€Workers'€Compensation€Appeals€Panel€of€the€Supreme€Court€inÏaccordance€with€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€section€50„6„225(e)(3)€for€hearing€andÏreporting€of€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law.€€The€employee,€Hicks,Ïcontends€the€evidence€preponderates€against€the€trial€court's€finding€that€sheÏis€less€than€permanently€and€totally€disabled€from€her€work„related€accidentÏand€that€the€trial€court€erred€in€not€applying€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€section€50„6„208(a).€€As€discussed€below,€this€panel€concludes€the€trial€court€should€beÏaffirmed€in€both€respectsÌà àà àThe€employee€or€claimant€is€sixty„two€years€old€and€has€anÏeighth€grade€education.€€She€has€worked€for€the€employer,€HarmonÏAutomotive,€since€1973.€€In€1983,€she€injured€her€hand€at€work€andÏreceived€an€award€of€permanent€partial€disability€benefits.Ìà àà àHer€present€claim€grows€out€of€a€second€injury€suffered€by€herÏon€May€6,€1993,€when€she€injured€her€back€while€lifting€a€box€of€mirrorÏbases.€€As€a€result€of€this€injury,€she€received€back€surgery€and€was€releasedÏto€return€to€light€duty€work€in€January€of€1994.€€She€did€return€to€work€inÏMay€of€the€same€year,€when€light€duty€work€became€available.€€In€the€sameÏmonth,€she€again€injured€her€back.€€She€testified€that€she€is€no€longer€able€toÏwork.€€She€has€settled€with€her€employer€and€that€settlement€is€not€involvedÍin€this€appeal.Ìà àà àThe€chancellor€found€the€claimant€to€be€less€than€permanentlyÏand€totally€disabled€and€dismissed€her€claim€against€the€Second€Injury€Fund.€ÏAppellate€review€is€de€novo€upon€the€record€of€the€trial€court,€accompaniedÏby€a€presumption€of€correctness€of€the€findings€of€fact,€unless€theÏpreponderance€of€the€evidence€is€otherwise.€€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€section€50„6„225(e)(2).€€Conclusions€of€law€are€subject€to€de€novo€review€on€appealÏwithout€any€presumption€of€correctness.€€òòPresley€v.€Bennettóó,€€860€€S.W.2d€Ï857€(Tenn.€1993).€€Where€the€trial€judge€has€seen€and€heard€the€witnesses,Ïespecially€if€issues€of€credibility€and€weight€to€be€given€oral€testimony€areÏinvolved,€considerable€deference€must€be€accorded€those€circumstances€onÏreview.€€òòHumphrey€v.€David€Witherspoon,€Inc.óó,€734€€S.W.2d€€315€(Tenn.Ï1987).Ìà àà àAn€employee€who€has€previously€become€disabled€from€anyÏcause€and€who,€as€a€result€of€a€later€compensable€injury,€becomesÏpermanently€and€totally€disabled,€may€receive€disability€benefits€from€his€orÏher€employer€only€for€the€disability€that€would€have€resulted€from€theÏsubsequent€injury.€€Tenn.€Code€50„6„208,€€òòCameron€v.€Kite€Painting€Co.óó,Ï860€€S.W.2d€€41€(Tenn.€1993).€€However,€such€employee€may€be€entitled€toÏrecover€the€remainder€of€the€benefits€allowable€for€permanent€totalÏdisability€from€the€Second€Injury€Fund.€€òòIdóó.Ìà àà àIf€the€injured€employee€has€one€or€more€prior€awards€under€theÏWorkers'€Compensation€Act,€and€the€combination€of€all€such€awards€equalsÏor€exceeds€one€hundred€percent€permanent€partial€disability€to€the€body€as€aÏwhole,€then€the€Second€Injury€Fund€will€pay€the€benefits€due€the€employeeÏin€excess€of€one€hundred€percent.€€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€section€50„6„208(b).€ÏSubsection€(a)€has€no€application€in€such€cases,€and€the€chancellor€wasÏcorrect€in€not€applying€it€to€the€facts€and€circumstances€of€this€case,€thereÏhaving€been€a€prior€award.Ìà àà àWhen€an€injury,€not€otherwise€specifically€provided€for€in€theÏAct,€totally€incapacitates€a€covered€employee€from€working€at€an€occupationÍwhich€brings€him€or€her€an€income,€such€employee€is€considered€totallyÏdisabled.€€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€section€50„6„207(4)(B).Ìà àà àFour€doctors€testified€in€this€case€about€the€claimant's€medicalÏimpairment€as€a€result€of€her€injury.€€The€operating€surgeon€released€her€toÏreturn€to€work€after€surgery€and€a€recovery€period€and€estimated€herÏimpairment€from€the€injury€in€question€at€seven€to€eight€percent€to€theÏwhole€body,€and€from€her€combination€of€injuries€at€fifteen€to€sixteenÏpercent.€€Three€others€assigned€a€permanent€medical€impairment€rating€ofÏten€percent€to€the€whole€body.€€The€record€contains€conflicting€expertÏmedical€testimony€as€to€the€extent€of€the€claimant's€industrial€disability.€ÏFrom€our€independent€examination€of€the€record,€we€do€not€find€theÏevidence€to€preponderate€against€the€finding€of€the€trial€judge€that€theÏclaimant€is€not€permanently€and€totally€disabled€as€defined€by€the€Act.Ìà àà àThe€judgment€of€the€trial€court€is€consequently€affirmed.€€CostsÏon€appeal€are€taxed€to€the€plaintiff„appellant.Ó *bÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓ_______________________________Ó ÓÌÓ  Ó€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Joe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€JudgeÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌLyle€Reid,€Associate€JusticeÌÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌCornelia€A.€Clark,€JudgeÌÑ€0ÑÇÑ ` ÑÒ  ÒÒ X ÒÔ€1ÔÔ€1XÔÌà@ àà@ àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌÌà@ àAT€JACKSONÌÌÌEVERLYN€HICKS,à àà à€€à àà à)Hardeman€ChanceryÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)No.€€10028Ìà àPlaintiff/Appellant,à à)à àÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)Hon.€Dewey€C.€WhitentonÌV.à àà àà àà àà àà à)€€€€Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)€€ÌßJ€.2;+'b|Ý®` Å `€@ÿJßà àà àà àà àà àà à)S.€Ct.€No.€02„S„01„9607„CH„00067ÌLARRY€BRINTON,€JR.,€DIRECTOR€€)ÌDIVISION€OF€WORKERSðð€à àà à)ÌCOMPENSATION,€DEPARTMENT€OF€à à)ÌLABOR,à àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àDefendant/Appellee.à àà à)Affirmed.ÌÓÓÌÓÓà@ àòòJUDGMENT€ORDERóóÌÓÓÌà àà àThis€case€is€before€the€Court€upon€motion€for€reviewÏpursuant€to€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(5)(B),€the€entireÏrecord,€including€the€order€of€referral€to€the€Special€Workers'ÏCompensation€Appeals€Panel,€and€the€Panel's€Memorandum€OpinionÏsetting€forth€its€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law,€whichÏare€incorporated€herein€by€reference;ÌÌà àà àWhereupon,€it€appears€to€the€Court€that€the€motion€forÏreview€is€not€well„taken€and€should€be€denied;€andÌÌà àà àIt€is,€therefore,€ordered€that€the€Panel's€findings€ofÍfact€and€conclusions€of€law€are€adopted€and€affirmed,€and€theÏdecision€of€the€Panel€is€made€the€judgment€of€the€Court.ÌÌà àà àCost€will€be€paid€by€plaintiff/appellant,€and€surety,Ïfor€which€execution€may€issue€if€necessary.ÌÌà àà àIt€is€so€ordered€this€_____€day€of€_____________,€1997.ÌÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà àà àà àPER€CURIAMÌÌÓÓReid,€J.,€not€participatingÔ€ÔÔ€¼Ô