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HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TXXXX7XXdd7  ݛ   †XXXXXX  @@  INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @@B B SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL@@ATKNOXVILLE JANUARY1999  , Jcl*6&"h 8 `Extt06lߛ $$c̜ @\\'\c v cccj uccc ccccccccccccccccc ccc(cccccccccccccFccccOcccc ccccoccccRccccrccccccPccccpccccUccccuccccBccccbccccLcccclccccIcccciccccCcccccccccAccccaccccTcccctccccIcccciccccOccccoccccNccccncccc)cccc cccccccccccccc#u j#ccc#  v#cMELISSAHATCHER, h     ) p  `   `     h     ) p BLOUNT v   $$CIRCUIT ` Plaintiff/Appellee h     ) p     `     h     ) p    v. `     h     ) p NO.03S019804CV00041    `     h     ) p  4 RUBBERMAID,etal., h     ) p  J  `     h     ) p HON.D.KELLYTHOMAS,JR., `  ` Defendants/Appellants    ) p JUDGE &v #p # FortheAppellant: h     FortheAppellee: h  MichaelJ.Mollenhour h     GeraldC.Russell  P.O.Box9299   h     125E.BroadwayAvenue  Knoxville,TN37940 h     Maryville,TN37804   7y   MEMORANDUMOPINION |*%# MembersofPanel: JusticeFrankF.Drowota,III .*' SeniorJudgeJohnK.ByersSeniorJudgeWilliamH.Inman  t;63 МAFFIRMED.# 7y # 7yԛ   h      p INMAN,SeniorJudge  # 7y4#   ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'  CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.## D   ` Attheoutsetwethinkitpardonabletoobservethatthebriefsinthiscaseareexceptionalandworthyofemulation. ` Theplaintiffisa26yearoldhighschoolgraduatewhoserightarmwascrushedinanindustrialaccidentonSeptember12,1994.Thearmwassurgicallyamputatedattheelbowarea. ` Respondingtothecomplaintforworkerscompensationbenefits,thedefendantadmittedtheoccurrenceandcompensabilityoftheinjury,andfiledaRule68OfferofJudgmentfor100percentlossofherarmtogetherwithallmedicalexpenses. ` Thetrialjudgeawarded75percentpermanent,partialdisabilitybenefitstothebodyasawhole.Thedefendantappeals,insistingthatrecoveryislimitedto200weeksbecausethestatutoryschedulecontrols. ` Ourreviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovouponthe (#! recordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefinding,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn. ,((% 506225(e)(2);Stonev.CityofMcMinnville,896S.W.2d548,550(Tenn.1995).## /T*'  ` T.C.A.506207prescribesbenefitsforthelossofascheduledmember.Thelossofanarmisworthonly200weeks.TheCodedoesnotaddresstheloss ofanupperextremity. 50-  †TR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT  c †TR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT   †TR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT   †TR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT   †TR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT  cc †TR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT  cc †TR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT  c ` ButtheAMAGuidelines,whicharecontainedintheCodebyreference,do  notassessimpairmenttothearm,butonlytotheupperextremity.Theanomalyc †TR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT   †TR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT   †TR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT   †TR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT  cc †TR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT  cc †TR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT  ctherebyposed,astheappellantobserves,isfrustrating.  ` InReaganv.Tenn.Mun.League,751S.W.2d842(Tenn.1988),the 4  SupremeCourtsquarelyheldthemerefactamedicalimpairmentmaytranslateforthepurposeoftheGuidesintoadisabilityratingtothebodyasawholedoesnot   altertherulethatifaninjuryistoascheduledmemberonly,thestatutoryschedulesmustcontrolthedisabilityaward. ` TheoperativelanguageinReaganis ifaninjuryistoascheduledmember ` only. ` ThemedicalproofconsistsonlyofthetestimonyofDr.EdwardJeffries,anorthopedicsurgeonof20yearsexperience.Hetestifiedthattheplaintiffsinjurywastoher entireupperextremity...totheupperpartofherarm,aboveherelbow,upintohershoulderregion,apparentlyfromthestretchingorpullingportionofthistypeofcrushinginjury...shehasweaknessaroundhershoulderandupperextremitythatare(sic)probablyapartofthatstretchinginjury...hershoulderisweakerthanIwouldexpectittobehadshenothadtheamputation. ` Dr.Jeffriesthenopinedthat,basedontheGuidelines,theplaintiffhada96 )$" percentimpairmenttoherrightupperextremity,which,usingtheComparisonGuide,translatesto58percentwholebodyimpairment. ` HetestifiedthattheGuidesdonotprovidearatingtothearm,butonlyto  0p+( theupperextremity,andthattheimpairmentratingtookintoconsiderationtheweaknessattributabletothelackofuseofherrightshoulder.ThenatureofthequestionspropoundedtoDr.Jeffrieswasclearonthepoint:that armand upperextremityarenotinterchangeableterms,buteachhasreferencetoadifferent 8 40 anatomicalportionofthehumanbody.In1976theSupremeCourt,inContinental  Ins.Co.v.Pruitt,541S.W.2d594(Tenn.1976),heldthatinjuriestotheupper , extremitywhichincludedtheshoulderwerenotequatabletothearm,withconcomitantbenefitsrestrictedtothelossofanarm.Thisrulinghasbeenconsistentlyappliedinalegionofcasesholdingthataninjurymaybeapportionedtothebodyasawholeiftheinjuryextendsbeyondthescheduledmember.See,   Wellsv.SentryIns.Co.,834S.W.2d935(Tenn.1992).    ` Wehavereviewedthedepositionaltestimonyofeachrehabilitationexpertandconcludethatneitherhassignificantprobativevalue. ` Giventheprerogativeofthetrialjudgetomakeanindependentassessmentofdisabilitybasedondiversefactors,see:Hillv.RoyalIns.Co.,937S.W.2d873 h (Tenn.1996),wecannotfindthattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthejudgment. ` Discretionarycostsinaminimalamountwereawardedtotheplaintiff.ThedefendantcomplainsofthisbecauseitmadeanOfferofJudgmentfor200weeksandshouldnotbeoneratedwithdiscretionarycosts.Wecannotsay,becausetherecordonlyreveals that$511.00wouldbethecorrectamountofallowablecosts,whicharenotfurtheridentified. ` Affirmed,withcostsassessedtotheappellant.cc 7y `     h      p _______________________________ `     h      p WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudgeCONCUR:̜_______________________FrankF.Drowota,III,Justice_______________________________JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudge# 7y{8#Ԁ#):#c  941 cccc` cccccc@&& INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@+ATKNOXVILLE    h      p      x      h      p  4        `   `     h      p   MELISSAHATCHER,    )0 p BLOUNTCIRCUIT` p$p$     h     ) p No.L10931 v  HҀ PlaintiffAppellee,   p )     x      XX 0  0h8"8"0h8"h8"08"8")0p8"8"No.03S019804CV00041 @!  p8"p8" v.    h   0  ) 8"8"     h     ) p HonD.KellyThomas,Jr.       h     ) p Judge 4 RUBBERMAID,etal.    )0 p      x   @ Jp8"p8"     h     )ccccccl*6&"h 8 `E")tt06Z&l ` Z` Z` 8"` 8"cc Defendants/Appellants,  ) &v  ccc    ccc񀀀   h   ccc p    p ccc񀀀 R     h     @AA ]JUDGMENTORDER ` 8"` 8"` Z` Z ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'smemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthememorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactsandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadetheJudgmentoftheCourt.ccccc 505 ccc CostsonappealaretaxedtotheAppellants,Rubbermaid,etalandMichaelJ.Mollenhour,surety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.ccc 8 49 ccccc񀀀06/28/99c