WPC UC +0b0R!.`w[hV7{vh61̇q$RM-'?0r`s9H^<s.«% 7_w ( <}~b` %" U$l1._rᓱOނY -C#Q\~c.^O+hv-x&>?B4x&pwfYJV؁LWy@35>'tTBA1EeE~֐9gbTEY\-PؗVhKX יȎ}o*Lp޴gW16zv s"!5 ]P 0(&TKLZ-QU,6qu_.Up>˶ϽXhʠ\򜝢ho,QɋvF5zDY i}Ӛ| RK\˧#  UN) %w 0} U Nxw4`tU:wUFU: B,,,,, D3III 0||||||||||||| D+ AO   0D D/ BFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF AYc 0FHP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nL(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX(3c$7|XXdXXd7  HTXXTR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT(Y Z 6Times New Roman RegularEE[DӀVVDPDPEUPEDDyj&Y  03|x  XXXX i,X X Ad   FILED  i,   March18,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk ,cAZ"Arial Regular  XXXX i,X X Ad   FILED# XX i,# X X   March18,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk <4 9Z .Courier New Regular XXXXi,XX Ad   FILEDi,   March18,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk ,cAZ"Arial Regular d%%%%'dxd(3$ 3c!7XXdd7  HDXXTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T  'dxd-C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd-:M << deUULevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(n$ (  1  ) 3c!7XXdd7  HXXTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T  ݛ  Ma7XdXXd7  INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELQn*8($hx `Ektt06nߛ $$@\ \ UATKNOXVILLE,JANUARY1999SESSION̜ l *6&"h 8 `Ex1 tt06* ll*6&"h 8 `Ex1 tt06* l #: #̛̛񛛛 $$ALLANROBERTKOTOUC,    ) p HAMILTON x   (#  h  h  h  h CHANCERY J   `     p  h      p ) ` 0Plaintiff/Appellee, h     ) p NO.03S01              9807CH00076 j   `     h     )v. `     h     ) p HON.HOWELLN.PEOPLES   `     h     ) p CHANCELLOR  STARKNITWEAR,INC.,and/or  )  STARKNITWEAR,LLC.,    )    `     h     ) ` Defendants/Appellants    ) *  FortheAppellants: h     FortheAppellee:  Z  G.DavidAllen,Jr. h     RichardA.Schulman &v Allen,Kopet&Boyd,PLLC    Patrick,Beard,Schulman 6 P.O.Box23583   h      p &Jacoway,P.C. F  МChattanooga,TN37422 h     537MarketStreet,Suite202 V!  `     h     Chattanooga,TN37402   MEMORANDUMOPINION *6&$ MembersofPanel: JusticeFrankF.Drowota,III /n*( SeniorJudgeJohnK.ByersSeniorJudgeWilliamH.Inman  ;.74 AFFIRMED.   h      p INMAN,SeniorJudge  Ma   ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'  CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.#Ma # D   ` TheplaintiffinjuredhisleftarminanindustrialaccidentonAugust4,1995.HewastreatedbyNeilH.Spitalny,orthopedicsurgeon,whodiagnosedtheproblemasapartialbicepsmuscletear.Conservativetreatmentwasrecommended,whichessentiallyinvolvedbriefimmobilityofthearm.Furthertreatmentwasindicatedbecausetheplaintiffcontinuedtocomplainofpainonrotationofhisarm.ExaminationsbyotherspecialistsconvincedDr.Spitalnythattheplaintiffwassufferingfromacompressionofanulnarnerve,forthecorrectionofwhichheperformedasurgicalreleaseonAugust27,1996. ` Thesurgicalprocedurewasonlypartiallysuccessful.Theplaintiffcontinuedtoexperiencepaincausedbycontractionsofmuscle,withsomediscomfortattributabletoacervicalproblemunrelatedtotheAugust4,1995problem.HereachedmaximummedicalimprovementonFebruary7,1997,withamedicalimpairmentratingoftenpercenttohisarm. ` TheChancellorfoundthattheplaintiffhadadisability withinthemeaningoftheworkerscompensationlawof75percenttohisleftarm.Theemployerappeals,insistingthattheawardof7.5timestheimpairmentratingisexcessiveandisnotsupportedbytheproof.EmployeralsocomplainsthattheChancellorfoundthatDr.SpitalnydidnotcorrectlyinterprettheAMAGuidelinesandrelieduponhis 2-+ personalanalysisoftheGuidelines. 40-  ` MaOurreviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovouponthe 6 2/ recordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthe 8L41 finding,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.  506225(e)(2);Stonev.CityofMcMinnville,896S.W.2d548,550(Tenn.1995). ,   ` TheChancellorcommentedthatDr.Spitalnytestifiedthathedidnotusea dynamometertomakehismeasurementsasfaraslossofstrength,lossofuse,whicharetheGuidelinescalledfor.TherewasnoelaborationbytheChancellor, `  andnoindication,thatweareabletodiscern,thattheChancellorbelievedDr.Spitalnysassessmentwouldhavebeenhigherhadheusedthedynamometer.TheemployerarguesthattheuseornonuseofadynamometerrequiresexperttestimonyandthattheChancellorimproperlyinjectedhispersonalviewsintotheissueofanatomicalimpairment.Thisargumentwouldfocusourattention,see, < Fullerv.Speight,571S.W.2d840(Tenn.App.1978),butwefindnothinginthe h recordwhichindicatesthattheobviouslyhighdisabilityratingawardedbytheChancellorwasbasedonhispersonalviewsoftheGuidelines.   ` Theappellantnextcomplainsoftheundueattributionofcredibilitytothe  < plaintiff,whowas59yearsoldatthetimeoftrialand,ahighschoolgraduate,withaworkhistoryoftruckdrivingandvariousjobsessentiallyinvolvingheavylabor.Hedroveatruckfor25yearsandquitbecausehewas partiallynightblind.HeworkedforWilbertVaultCompanyandquitbecauseof theweather.HebeganworkingforStarKnitwearin1989andworkedforaboutsixyearsbeforehisdescribedaccident.Hetestifiedthathecannotnowraisehisleftarmabovehishead,and hasproblemscarryingweight. ` FollowinghisreleasebyDr.Spitalny,hereturnedtoworkatStar,butquitbecausehewasunabletodothejob.HethensecuredemploymentataSears Store,theanatAmericanManufacturing,thenatKochFoodsasasecurityguard. 61.  ` Theplaintiffwasrequiredtofilloutanapplicationforemploymentforeach employerafterhequithisjobwithStar.Headmittedlymademanystatementstovariousemployersthatwerecontrarytohistestimony.TheChancellorcommented8 `  TheCourthasobservedtheplaintiffashetestifiedandissatisfiedthathistestimonyhereincourtistruthfulandthatwherehecontradictedanystatementsmadeonthejobapplications,thatthestatementsonthejobapplicationsare,infact,inaccurate. ` 8"` 8" 8 `  TheCourtissatisfiedwithhisexplanationthathemadethoserepresentationsinordertoobtainemploymenttoavoidthelossofhishomeandhisautomobile. ` 8"` 8"  ` EmployerarguesstrenuouslythatthisCourtshould,asamatterofprinciple,reviewthetrialcourtsdeterminationoftheplaintiffscredibility,becausetherecorddoesnotjustifythisfinding.Ononeoftheapplications,theplaintiffrepresentedthathecouldclimb,balance,stoop,kneel,crouch,crawl,bend,reach,etc.,i.ed.,thathehadnoproblemwithhisarm.Hisexplanationattrialwasthat hemisunderstoodthequestionsontheapplications.Hisexplanationforthefalseanswersonotherapplicationsforemploymentwasthat heneededthejob. ` InTennesseethetrialjudgeisthebestjudgeofthecredibilityofwitnessesbecauseofthepersontopersonconfrontation,andwecannotsubstituteourjudgmentonthisissueforthatoftheChancellor.,񛀜SSsSSSee,Humphreyv.David (#! МWitherspoon,Inc.,734S.W.2d315(Tenn.1987).Butwedonotwishtobe *&# understoodascondoningthedeliberatemisrepresentationofmaterialfactsbyalitigant;appellatereviewislimited,andtherulesmustbefollowed.ForthisreasonweareunabletofindthattheChancellorsfaithinthetruthfulnessoftheplaintiffstestimonyisnotsupportedbyapreponderanceofalltheevidence. ` Allofwhichleadsustotheprincipalissueforreview:whetherthe75 percentdisabilityisexcessive.Theemployerexpressessomeastonishmentabout 7 3/ thisaward,because,itisargues,theproofsimplydoesnotsupportafindingthattheplaintiffisdisabledtotheextentfound.  ` Dr.Spitalnywastheonlyexpertwhotestified,andheestimatedtheplaintiffsanatomicalimpairmentattenpercent,withaliftingrestrictionof30to40pounds.Whilethereisnoproofofdiminishedjobopportunities,theplaintiffisnow60yearsold,andweknowwhattheworldknows,thata60yearoldmanwithnoreadilymarketableskillswhohasanimpairmenttohisarmisnotaviablejobcandidate.Theawardisgenerousindeed,andwereiteratethatwecannotsubstituteourjudgmentforthatofthetrialjudge.Neithercanwefindthatthejudgmentpreponderatesagainsttheaward. ` Thejudgmentisaffirmedatthecostsoftheappellant.#Ma$# `     h      `     h     _______________________________ `     h     WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudgeCONCUR:_______________________________FrankF.Drowota,III,Justice_______________________________JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudge  t+&$  ` ӧ Ma   INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE#Ma ӧ+#Xi XMa  @.l *6&"h 8 `Extt06l $$ `     h   ATKNOXVILLE $$   @     H      P      @     H      P      @     @     H    8   8   8   8      @     H     (H ""   @  "" ALLANROBERTKOTOUC, H )  HAMILTONCHANCERY  L     @     H )  No.960696 8  (  PlaintiffAppellee,   H )     P    $     @     H )     P      X       @  H )No.03S019807CH00076     v. @     H )      @     H )̀STARKNITWEAR,INC.,and/or)  Hon.HowellN.Peoples X  p ЀSTARKNITWEAR,LLC.,   H )  Chancellor \ Ѐ   @     H )   H ЀDefendants/Appellants. H )   4    @       \    @       @    JUDGMENTORDER̀Xm, X XXi  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord, 2 ЀincludingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'πCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumπOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsπoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference;  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthememorandumπOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsofπfactsandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andπthedecisionofthePanelismadetheJudgmentoftheπCourt.  CostsonappealaretaxedtotheappellantsandDavidπAllen,Jr.,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.  ̀03/18/99#Xi X XXm,5##Ma XXi0,# l1,< MaԀ 2-> Ѐ#Ma#9#