ÿWPCÌ 0# °U:» %õ 0ûû4ö  0J 0Tc R· 0^ g RoÁ 0hÁ 0r) 0|› 0† U, wÉ 0å 1uu 0dê U,N U*z B)¤ DCÍ AM 0X] D3µ Bè D+ AM0 ¥} v~" AO ÆïvÓµ 0Dˆ˜HP LaserJet 4 Plus/4M PlusHPPCL5E,,,,0†, øð AZ‹"Arial RegularX(ÓH=$¡¡Ñ  ÑÒH°ÒÒ°ÒÑTR[  AØ'ÿ Legal[  AØ'ÿ Legal AØ'ÿ Legal AØ'ÿ LegalTÑÔ€XÎ_XXXÔÑ7€¾úXXdðXXdð7ÑdO˜ ddBN8d3|xÛ2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  ÔH2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  ÔHÔHLÔôXüH@üôøð AZ‹"Arial Regular26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô< Œ 9p`(ModernËÓ€ÖÚÛ2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô  ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ< Œ 9p`(Monaco< Œ 9p`(Arial% Line 7 d""""7Border 1dd-%#Cþÿ << Gÿÿ(0"ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  ÒÒ  ÒÒ  Ò'''''ÿÿdxd d'ÈÈÈÈdxd-%#Cþÿ << Gÿÿ ›Ý ƒ!ÝÑ  ÑÑ#€d#ÑÔ€ÔÔ€!ÔÑ  ÑÒ  ÒÒ H ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ#€d#ÑÝ  ÝÔ€!ÔÔ YYY ÔÓ  ÓFILEDÔ€!XÔÌÌò òAprilÏ26,Ï1996ÌÌCecilÏCrowson,ÏJr.ÌAppellateÏCourtÏClerkó óPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHÚ(d'@-%/(Cþÿ` << CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Styl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑMonacoÑÑ ÑÒ  BA Op Monaco ÒÒ  BA Op Monaco Ò($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó óÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€ÔÓ&€  X„d&ÓÑ#€  Xd#ÑÔ€!ÔÑ  ÑÒ  ÒÒ H ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ#€Xd#ÑÑ#€Xd#ÑÝ  ÝÔ% € Ôà@ àò òIN€THEÏSUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àSPECIALÏWORKERS'€COMPENSATION€APPEALSÏPANELÌà@ àATÏNASHVILLEó ó€ò ò€JANUARY€1996€SESSIONó óÌÌÌÌÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àÌVERA€JANEÏKING,à àà àà àà à)à àMACONÏCHANCERYÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àÌà àPlaintiff/Appelleeà àà àà à)à àNO.€01S01„9509„„CH„00155Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àÌv.à àà àà àà àà àà à)à àHON.€C.€K.€SMITH,Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àCHANCELLORà àÌTRAVELERS€INSURANCE€à àà à)ÌßL€)*#;+'h|¿ý3` à. `€€LßCOMPANY€and€CARTERà àà àà à)ÌAUTOMOTIVE€PRODUCTS,€INC.,à à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àDefendants/Appellantsà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àÌÌÌÌÌÌò òòòFor€theÏAppellant:à àà àà àà àFor€theÏAppellee:ÌÌó óóóErnest€D.€Bennett,€IIIà àà àà àWilliamÏButlerÔ% € ÔÌOne€Union€Streetà àà àà àà àFrank€D.ÏFarrarÌP.€O.€Box€198169à àà àà àà à102ÍScottsville€Hwy.ÌNashville,€TN€€37219à àà àà àP.€O.€Box€280Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àLafayette,€TN€€37083ÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌà@ àò òòòM€E€M€O€R€A€N€D€U€M€€€O€P€I€N€I€O€NÌÌó óóóà@ àJustice€Frank€F.€Drowota,€IIIÌà@ àSenior€Judge€John€K.€ByersÌà@ àSpecial€Judge€Robert€L.€ChildersÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌò òAFFIRMED€as€MODIFIEDó óÌò òand€REMANDEDà àà àà àà àà àà àBYERS,€Senior€JudgeÌÑ  ÑÓÓó óà 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 àPlaintiff€injured€her€right€arm€while€using€an€air€screwdriver€on€the€assemblyÏline€at€defendant's€automotive€products€plant.€€The€trial€judge€awarded€her€90Ïpercent€permanent€partial€disability€to€the€right€arm€and€modified€the€averageÏweekly€wage€and€compensation€rate.Ìà à€€We€find€the€evidence€preponderates€against€an€award€of€90€percent€and€inÏfavor€of€an€award€of€50€percent€€permanent€partial€disability€to€the€right€arm€andÏaffirm€the€judgment€of€the€trial€court€as€so€modified.Ìà àThe€plaintiff€is€56€years€old€with€a€tenth€grade€education€and€a€GEDÏcertificate.€€She€had€worked€in€factory€assembly€with€defendant€for€17€years€at€theÏtime€she€was€injured.€Ìà àOn€July€13,€1992,€while€using€an€air€screwdriver€to€build€fuel€pumps,€sheÏexperienced€severe€pain.€€Her€family€practice€physician€diagnosed€acute€lateralÏepicondylitis€caused€by€repetitive€motion.€€He€recommended€that€she€change€jobsÏso€that€she€would€not€have€to€apply€pressure€with€her€arms.€€He€placed€her€on€lightÏduty€and€prescribed€physical€therapy.€€Her€pain€complaints€did€not€improve.Ìà àDr.€Fonda€J.€Bondurant,€orthopedic€surgeon,€treated€plaintiff€for€three€monthsÏwith€cortisone€injections.€€When€plaintiff's€complaints€of€pain€still€did€not€improve,€heÏperformed€surgical€release€of€the€elbow€in€November€of€1992.€€She€was€able€toÏreturn€to€work€in€January€of€1993,€but€worked€long€days€and€experienced€recurrentÏpain.€€She€was€placed€on€a€reduced€work€schedule€of€four€hours€per€day.Ìà àPlaintiff€reached€maximum€medical€improvement€on€April€19,€1993,€and€Dr.ÏBondurant€opined€she€would€continue€to€have€pain€and€would€be€restricted€to€workÏthat€did€not€require€repetitive€motion.€€He€found€no€loss€of€grip€strength,€no€sensoryÏchanges,€full€range€of€elbow€motion,€and€3€percent€permanent€partial€disability€toÏthe€body€as€a€whole€according€to€AMA€Guidelines€as€a€result€of€her€residual€pain.ÌÑ  Ñà àDr.€Robert€Paul€Landsberg,€orthopedic€surgeon,€conducted€an€independentÏmedical€examination€for€plaintiff's€counsel€on€October€20,€1994.€€He€diagnosedÍcontinuing€right€lateral€epicondylitis€and€bursitis€in€the€right€shoulder€with€mildÏcervical€strain.€€He€found€mild€decreased€range€of€motion€and€grip€strength€deficit€ofÏ14.7€percent.€€He€assessed€an€11€percent€upper€extremity€impairment€according€toÏAMA€Guidelines.€€He€further€stated€she€would€have€work€restrictions€againstÏrepetitive€flexion€or€extension€of€the€wrist€or€elbow,€use€of€the€arm€above€theÏshoulder€level,€or€lifting€more€than€5€pounds€frequently€or€10€pounds€occasionally.€ÏHe€also€limited€her€to€no€repetitive€gripping€or€squeezing€with€the€right€hand.Ìà àGordon€Doss,€Ph.D.,€Certified€Rehabilitation€Counselor,€saw€plaintiff€andÏreviewed€her€medical€records€at€her€counsel's€request€on€November€14,€1994.€€He€Ìassessed€70€„€75€percent€vocational€disability€in€the€open€labor€market,€and€opinedÏthat€her€restrictions€would€eliminate€all€of€the€jobs€plaintiff€has€done€in€the€past.Ìà àPlaintiff€testified€that€she€continues€to€take€pain€medication€and€is€unable€toÏdo€most€of€her€prior€activities€which€require€the€use€of€her€right€arm.€€She€is€unableÏto€lift€anything€with€her€right€arm,€cannot€cook€with€it€and€cannot€do€any€of€herÏformer€jobs€because€they€required€use€of€both€arms.€€However,€she€is€able€to€doÏlight€housekeeping,€wash€dishes€and€drive€a€car.Ìà àThe€trial€judge€awarded€plaintiff€90€percent€permanent€partial€disability€to€theÏright€arm.€€Our€review€is€òòde€novo€óóon€the€record€accompanied€by€a€presumption€thatÏthe€findings€of€fact€of€the€trial€judge€are€correct€unless€the€preponderance€of€theÏevidence€is€otherwise.€€òòTenn.€Code€Ann.€ððóó€50„6„225(e)(2).€€In€reviewing€theÏevidence,€we€note€that€plaintiff's€treating€physician€assessed€3€percent€permanentÏpartial€disability€to€the€body€as€a€whole€as€a€result€of€pain.€€The€independentÏmedical€examiner€assessed€11€percent€upper€extremity€impairment.€€Plaintiff€has€atÍmost€a€mild€decreased€range€of€motion€and€a€grip€strength€deficit€of€less€than€15Ïpercent.€€We€find€the€evidence€preponderates€against€an€award€of€90€percent€andÏin€favor€of€an€award€of€50€percent€permanent€partial€disability€to€the€right€arm€andÏwe€so€modify€the€trial€court's€award.Ìà àThe€defendant€filed€a€Motion€to€Alter€or€Amend€Judgment€asking€that€theÏoriginal€compensation€rate€of€$276.78€be€amended€to€either€$216.55€or€$260.35.€ÏThere€were€obvious€computational€errors€in€the€original€$276.78€rate€which€wereÏcaused€by€counting€vacation€time€as€time€worked.€€The€trial€court€grantedÏappellant's€motion€and€reduced€the€compensation€rate€to€$256.36.€€Appellant€nowÏargues€that€the€correct€rate€should€be€$216.55,€contending€no€credit€should€beÏgiven€for€work€missed€due€to€illness€because€plaintiff€has€not€met€her€burden€ofÏproving€entitlement.€€However,€plaintiff€testified€at€trial€that€she€missed€no€time€fromÏwork€other€than€for€sickness.€€Her€credibility€was€not€at€issue.Ìà àWe€find€the€trial€court€correctly€modified€the€compensation€rate€and€affirm€theÏjudgment€on€this€issue.Ìà àAs€modified,€we€affirm€the€judgment€of€the€trial€court,€and€tax€costs€to€theÏappellee.€€€The€case€is€remanded€to€the€trial€court€for€entry€of€any€orders€necessaryÏto€carry€out€this€judgment.ÌÓÓÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà à______________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àJohn€K.€Byers,€Senior€JudgeÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌ_______________________________ÌFrank€F.€Drowota,€III,€JusticeÌÌÌÌ_______________________________ÌRobert€L.€Childers,€Special€Judge