WPC AWcwh1U֨I'\f¬.H}ڋ;dcQ^=+u+Ďz'Y5Ԟ9$CKl=#o&8s0慙N V⮌vs:LZ"@a >GRKoȔ <00 CVCMɈ&{{p v˭cC-̤unutY?IɆ*WCZyϼn5ef4ۊ,KWt0#J@-޺)4Lf EUE!SKT#%0[NE7RW?AkU,Mm9KMHZ [sVuv'S3l#-^|/o M4V |T jQ`i"Yrد4Eb\b>d̵ U(s7ܑjk)=i QTh_NO[>*ϐ ~& }YLb#\ % U#@# 0c UN 0D9 ^ } z  w 4      P mN-U:/NiEkmW z_b 0 B  0 D3_ D- 0K AS ] 0# 0D A HP LaserJet 40500(@ Z(Times New Roman (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular(%$  1  ~)  C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wptք^) 3|xLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5U,cAZ"Arial Regular  R)$      1  XX  _u XXu  uTwovocationalexpertstestifiedinthiscase.Thetrialjudgemadenocommentontheirtestimony.Neither  dowe#u  u##XX u~#.RXX t #XXR͉# C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt- -(|G2)$ !..8Rdd8         0  XX d(|3$ !..8Rdd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3$ !..8Rdd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8Rdd8     _R8XXdd8  XLRXLXL@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL & @@ATKNOXVILLE#RXL# L August2000Session "r XXR #RXX5#WilliamLongv._Homecrest_ԀCorporationXXR   p @@ DirectAppealfromtheAndersonCourtforCircuitCounty  p @@No.97LA0393JamesB.Scott,Judge  \ @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.E199902749_WC_ԄR3CVMailedNovember8,2000   #RXX#XXRFiled:December15,2000   AV) ` dE<` A         ThisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkersCompensation  AppealsPanelinaccordancewithTennesseeCodeAnnotated506225(e)(3)forhearingand v reportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Thisisanappealfrom b thejudgmentofthetrialcourtwhichawardedtheplaintiffseventypercentpermanentimpairment N totherightarm.Thedefendantcontendstheevidencepreponderatesagainstthisfinding.Weaffirm : thejudgmentofthetrialcourt. &v a   Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(1999)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourt N forAndersonCountyisAffirmed  :     JohnK.Byers,Sr.J.#RX#XX.R,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichE.RileyAnderson,C.J.and  RogerE.Thayer,S.J.,joined.  J.TimothyBobo,Knoxville,Tennessee,fortheappellant,_Homecrest_ԀCorporation,Inc.   RogerL._Ridenour_,Clinton,Tennessee,fortheappellee,WilliamD.Long. ^"!   MEMORANDUMOPINION #RXX #XXR "%r $     Reviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovoupontherecordofthe &J"& trialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefinding,unlessthe '6#' preponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Stonev.City ("$( of_McMinnville_,896S.W.2d548,550(Tenn.1995).Theapplicationofthisstandardrequires )%) thisCourttoweighinmoredepththefactualfindingsandconclusionsofthetrialcourtsin *%* workerscompensationcases.SeeCorcoranv.FosterAuto_GMC_,Inc.,746S.W.2d452,456 +&+ (Tenn.1988).#RXX7 #XXRX XXX ,', #XX XX##RXX#XXR n-(- _ԇ#RXXF#XXR     Facts     Theplaintiff,WilliamLong,attimeoftrialwasfiftyyearsofageandhadcompletedeight  yearsofschool.However,hismathandreadingabilityismuchbelowtheaverageforthenumber t ofschoolyearscompleted.Theplaintiffhasworkedatvariousjobsduringhislifeandwouldbe ` consideredalaborerwithnoparticularskills. L     `     h     Thereisnodisputetheplaintiffsufferedcarpaltunnelsyndromeinhisleftwristasaresult $ t ofhisworkasasander,whichhedidforthedefendant.  `   Theplaintifftestifiedattrialconcerningtheeffecttheinjuryhadonhisarm,includingpain  8  andtheinabilitytodoseveralactivitiessuchasmowingtheyard,etc. $    Dr.CliffordL.Posman,anorthopedicsurgeon,testifiedhesawtheplaintiffonseveral   occasions,andinitiallyhefoundtheplaintiffsufferedfromproblemswiththeradialsensorynerve   ofhisleftwrist.Dr.Posmanalsofoundtheplaintiffsufferedfromtenosynovitis!apainandmotion   problem.Dr.Posmandidsurgeryontheplaintifftocorrectthisproblem.Subsequently,theplaintiff p wasfoundtohavecarpeltunnelsyndrome,andsurgerywasdonetorelievethatproblem. \   Dr.Posmantestifiedtheplaintiffhasathreetofivepercentpermanentpartialimpairment 4 tohisupperleftextremity(arm)asaresultofhisinjury.Further,Dr.Posmanwasoftheopinionthe  p plaintiffsuffersafiftytosixtypercentstrengthdeficitinhislefthand. %  1        \    `   Discussion      ThedefendantassertsthetestimonyofDr.Posmandoesnotjustifytheawardofseventy  percenttothearm.Becausethetestimonywasgivenbydeposition,thedefendantasksustore  weighthattestimony,aswemaydo.SeeCooperv.Ins.Co.ofN.A.,884S.W.2d446(Tenn.1994);  Landersv.FiremansFundIns.Co.,775S.W.2d355,356(Tenn.1989).#RXX#XXRԀWehavereviewedthe l depositionofDr.Posmanandseenoreasontodiscredithistestimony. X    Further,indeterminingtheextentofdisability,acourtcanconsidertheclaimantsown 0"  assessmentofthedisability.Inthiscase,asinallworkerscompensationcases,theclaimant'sown #l! assessmentofhisphysicalconditionandresultingdisabilitiesiscompetenttestimonyandcannotbe $X" disregarded.TomStillTransferCo.v.Way,482S.W.2d775,777(Tenn.1972).Theclaimantin $D # thiscasetestifiedbeforethetrialjudge.Wherethetrialjudgehasmadeadeterminationbasedupon %0!$ thetestimonyofwitnesseswhomhehasseenandheard,greatdeferencemustbegiventothat &"% findingindeterminingwhethertheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialjudgesdetermination._ '#& SeeHumphreyv.David_Witherspoon_,Inc.,734S.W.2d315(Tenn.1987).#RXX #XXR    Basedupontheentirerecordbeforeus,wenotfindtheevidencedoesnotpreponderates  againstthefindingofthetrialcourt,andweaffirmthejudgment. t   Thecostsofthisappealaretaxedtothedefendant. L  #RXX#XXR   `     h     ___________________________________ $     `     h     JOHNK.BYERS,Sr.J.    RXX@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @ ATKNOXVILLE,TENNESSEE      WILLIAMLONGV._HOMECREST_ԀCORPORATION 6 #XXRX!#  "@  CircuitCourtforAndersonCountyCircuitCourt H @$No.97LA0393  4 @*AV) ` dE< ` A߈   @ No.E199902749_WC_ԄR3CVFiledDecember15,2000       `     h AV) ` dE<` A    RXX#XXRͻ$#@& JUDGMENT RXX#XXR%#Ԉ      ` ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferral N  totheSpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsmemorandumOpinionsetting : forthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; &v    ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthememorandumOpinionofthePanel b shouldbeacceptedandapproved;and N    ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactsandconclusionsoflaware : adoptedandaffirmedandthedecisionofthePanelismadetheJudgementoftheCourt. &    ` CostsonappealaretaxedtotheDefendant,_Homecrest_ԀCorporation,forwhich  executionissueifnecessary.  RXX#XXR[)#12/15/00  RXX#XXRͺ)#