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("$    ($$   1  ((' dxd dP Pd'''''dxd<  9p`(Monaco<  9p`(&Times New Roman<  9p`(Arial<  9p`(Times% Line 7 d////7Border 1dd!#0C << G  !  #d#,    H \RA'\-#d#  ""  -   YYY FILED-XSeptember5,1996CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk  PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'@Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Monaco   BA Op Monaco  BA Op Monaco ! . &++Xd&#++Xd#,    H \RA'\-#..Xd##..Xd#    X %    ӛ  @ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL̜!!L120;+'h|/@` 81 `Lߛ@ ATNASHVILLE MARCH1996SESSION MARTE.KOBECK,   ) LAWRENCECIRCUIT      )  Plaintiff/Appellee   ) NO.01S019511CV00207      ) v.      ) HON.JAMESL.WEATHERFORD      ) JUDGEMURRAY,INC.,    )      ) Defendant/Appellant  )   FortheAppellant:    FortheAppellee: BenBoston     WayneF.HairrellChristopherV.Sockwell   Hairrell&JenningsBoston,Bates&Holt   P.O.DrawerHP.O.Box357    200MahrAvenueLawrenceburg,TN38464   Lawrenceburg,TN38464@ MEMORANDUMOPINION@ MembersofPanel: @ JusticeFrankF.Drowota,III@ SeniorJudgeJohnK.Byers@ SpecialJudgeRogerE.Thayer AFFIRMEDandREMANDED     BYERS,SeniorJudge  Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. PlaintiffinjuredhisneckatworkinOctoberof1991andsubsequentlyunderwentanteriorcervicaldiscremoval,dissectionandfusionafterwhichhedidnotrecover.Thetrialjudgefoundtheplaintifftobe80percentvocationallyimpairedasaresultofhisworkinjury. Weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt. PlaintiffhadworkedforMurray,Inc.for35yearswhen,onOctober21,1991,heinjuredhisneckonthejobwhileworkingoverheadrepairinglawnmowers.ThecompanysenthimtoseeDr.NormanHenderson,whothenreferredhimtoDr.RexArendall,neurosurgeon,onApril1,1992. Dr.Arendalldiagnosedcervicothoracicradiculopathyandprescribedphysicaltherapyandpainmedications,butplaintiffdidnotimprove.OnApril23,1992,Dr.Arendallperformedanteriorcervicaldiscectomy,anteriorcervicalfusionandmicroscopicdissectionatC45andC56.Postoperatively,plaintiffcontinuedtohaveincreasingpainandweaknessinhisrightarmandshoulder.Healsodevelopedlossofbalance.Dr.Arendallreadmittedplaintiffforinvestigationofthecontinuingsymptoms,andMRIofthebrainthenrevealedsmallareasofinfarction.Dr.Arendallreferredplaintifftohismedicalpracticepartnerandneurologist,Dr.MaryClinton,forasecondopinion,andthentoanotherneurologist,aDr.ϜRubinowicz.Neitherexaminercouldfindaneurologicalbasisforplaintiffsproblemsexceptforthebraininfarctions. Dr.Arendallstatedthatafterthesecondhospitalization,plaintiff seemedtogoprogressivelydownhill.Hisrightarmandhandatrophied.Dr.Arendallthoughtthatplaintiffmightbeexhibitingearlyonsetsymptomsofamyotrophiclateralsclerosisormultiplesclerosis,buttherewerenoobjectivefindingstoindicateeitherdisease.OnOctober21,1992,Dr.Arendallsawthepatientandopinedthathewastotallyandpermanentlydisabledasaresultofhismedicalproblems.Heopinedthat15percentofthedisabilitywas purelyforhisworkrelatedfindings. Plaintifftestifiedthatformanyyearspriortohisaccident,hehadworkedwithoutmissingadayandthathehadnopriormedicalproblemsthatrequiredhimtoseeadoctor.Hestatedthattwelveorfifteenyearsago,hewastreatedfor highsugar,andthathehadtakenmedicationforhighbloodpressureaboutfifteenyearsago.Priortothisinjuryhebaledhayandworkedhisgardenwithhisthreetractors.Healsocutandhauledwoodasamemberofthevolunteerfiredepartmentinadditiontohismanuallaborjob.Heneverhadanyphysicalproblemsuntilthisaccident. Plaintifffurthertestifiedthatsincetheaccident,hehasproblemsdressingandfeedinghimself.Hecannotusehisrightarmorhandatall.Hecanmowhisyardwitharidingmowerbuthastroublegettingonthemower.Hehaspainupanddownhisneckandhecannotturnhisneckinanydirection.Hecannotdrive.Hewakesupthreeorfourtimeseverynightandhastroublegoingbacktosleep.Hehaslostcontrolofhisbowelandurinaryfunctions. Plaintiffis57yearsoldwitheightyearsofformaleducation.Hestateshecannotreadandwritewellandhiswifedoesthewritingforthefamily.Hisworkexperienceconsistsof35yearswiththisemployer,atvariousmanuallaborfactoryjobs.Withoutregardtohismedicallyunexplainedpostsurgicallossofbalanceandmuscleatrophy,whichhastotallydisabledhim,hewouldstillbemedicallylimitedbythejobrelatedneckinjurytonorepetitivebending,stooping,lifting,pushingorpullingover25pounds. Thetrialjudgefoundthattheplaintiffwastotallydisabledandthat80percentofthatvocationaldisabilitywasduetohisworkinjury.Whileexpertevidenceisrequiredtoestablishpermanencyinmostcases,theextentofvocationaldisabilityisaquestionoffactforthetrialcourttodeterminefromalloftheevidenceincludinglayandexperttestimony;themedicalexpertsratingofanatomicaldisabilityismerelyoneofanumberofrelevantfactorsusedtomakethisdetermination.ForestProductsv.Collins,534S.W.2d306,3098(Tenn.1976).Theassessmentofpermanentdisabilityisbaseduponnumerousfactors,includingtheemployeesskillsandtraining,education,age,localjobopportunities,andhiscapacitytoworkatthekindsofemploymentavailableinhisdisabledcondition.Robertsonv.LorettoCasketCo.,722S.W.2d380,384(Tenn.1986.)Consideringplaintiffsage,education,workexperienceandmedicallimitations,wefindthatthetrialcourtdidnoterrinassessing80percentpermanentpartialvocationaldisabilityrelatedtohisjobinjury. Weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt.CostsareassessedtotheϜdefendantandthecaseisremanded.      _________________________________      JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudgeCONCUR:̜________________________________FrankF.Drowota,III,Justice________________________________RogerE.Thayer,SpecialJudge