ÿWPCo& Æ# ä UNï %= 0ûC U:>4xŒ ›Æ¡gw@o 0?¯ 0DîÆ2ÆøƾÆ„ 0JJ 0T” 0^è 0hF 0r® 0|  0†œ 0" 1u² 0d' B‹U>¨U*æU* D3:B)mDC– 0@Ù 0K AOd¸³v~kvÓé D+¼$ AOç$ 0D6% D/z% B©% A©Æ%˜HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,ü,,,,,ü0nLlÎ(ÈhH  Z ‹6Times New Roman RegularX(ÓH=$¡¡Ñ  ÑÒH°ÒÒ°ÒÑTR[  AØ'ÿ Legal[  AØ'ÿ Legal AØ'ÿ Legal AØ'ÿ LegalTÑÔ€XÎ_XXXÔÑ7€¾úXXdðXXdð7Ñ, øð AZ‹"Arial RegularR¦"3|xe HLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5 Q R DS T U DV W X VY îZ Ó€(ï(3\s$¤¤Ý ƒH=!ÝÑ  ÑÒH°ÒÒ°ÒÑTR[  AØ'ÿ Legal3Ø' AØ'ÿ Legalÿ3Ø'TÑÔ€XبXXXÔÑ7€%ZXXdìXXdð7ÑÝ  Ýà ` àòòÚ  Ú0Ú  Úóó(#Ã$òòÚ  Ú0Ú  Úóó‚Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5ƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5„Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5…Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 52 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 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  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ d< Œ 9p`(&Times New Roman< Œ 9p`(Arial< Œ 9p`(Times$$$$'ÿÿdxd% Line 7 d++++7Border 1dd("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò( ±þ$’’ò òFigure€Ú  Ú1Ú  Úó ó-.,Cþÿ << Gÿÿ ®Ý ƒ!ÝÑ  ÑÑ#€d#ÑÔ€'ÔÑ  ÑÒ  ÒÒ H ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑÔ€(ÔÑ#€d#ÑÝ  ÝÔ€(ÔÓ  ÓÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€(XÔÌÌò òJuneÏ3,Ï1997ÌÌCecilÏCrowson,ÏJr.ÌÔ€(ôÔAppellateÏCourtÏClerkó óPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHÚ(d'hStyl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÒ  h HD: Geneva ÒÒ  h HD: Geneva Ò'ÈÈÈÈdxd-‚ƒCþÿ<< Cÿÿ($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó„„'÷ÿ dxdüÿP Pd -.:›&OLE 2.0 Box <=8ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿCÿÿ HKKKKÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€'ÔÑ  ÑÒ  ÒÒ H ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑÔ€(ÔÑ#€))Xd#ÑÑ#€))Xd#ÑÝ  ÝÑ À ÑÑ X ÑÙ€ÙßR€/0,A1-j|` 81 `€€@ÿRß›Þ ÞÌà@ àò òIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àSPECIAL€WORKERS'€COMPENSATION€APPEALS€PANELÌà@ àAT€KNOXVILLE€FEBRUARY€1997€SESSIONó óÌÌÌÌÌÌÌWALTER€L.€œLOWE,›à àà àà à)à àJEFFERSON€CIRCUITÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àÌà àPlaintiff/Appelleeà àà àà à)à àÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àHon.€Ben€W.€Hooper€II,Ìv.à àà àà àà àà àà à)à àCircuit€JudgeÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌJEFFERSON€CITY€ZINC,à àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àNO.€03S01„9605„CV„00060Ìà àDefendant/Appellantà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìandà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌDINA€TOBIN,€DIRECTOR€OF€THEà à)ÌSECOND€INJURY€FUND,à àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àDefendant/Appelleeà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àÌò òòòÌó óóóÌÌò òòòFor€the€Appellant:à àà àà àà àFor€the€Appellees:Ìó óóóDaniel€H.€Rader€III€à àà àà àà àDavid€H.€DunawayÌP.O.€Box€3347à àà àà àà àP.O.€Box€231ÌCookeville,€TN€€œ38502›à àà àà àLaFollette,€TN€€37766ÌÌA.€Benjamin€Strandà àà àà àà àSandra€E.€KeithÌP.O.€Box€219à àà àà àà à1510€Parkway€TowersÌDandridge,€TN€€37725à àà àà à404€James€Robertson€ParkwayÌà àà àà àà àà àà àNashville,€TN€€37243„0499ÌÌÌÌ̛̜ÌÌÌÌò òòòÓ  ÓM€E€M€O€R€A€N€D€U€M€€€O€P€I€N€I€O€NÌÌÌÌÌMembers€of€Panel:Ìó óóóÌE.€Riley€Anderson,€JusticeÌJohn€K.€Byers,€Senior€JudgeÌRoger€E.€Thayer,€Special€JudgeÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌò òÓ  ÓAFFIRMEDà àà àà àà àà àà àà àTHAYER,€Special€JudgeÌÓÓó 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 àThis€appeal€has€been€perfected€by€the€employer,€Jefferson€City€Zinc,€laterÏidentified€by€stipulation€as€Savage,€Inc.,€from€a€ruling€by€the€trial€court€that€theÏemployee,€Walter€P.€Lowe,€was€totally€and€permanently€disabled€as€a€result€of€aÏwork„related€accident€which€occurred€on€October€22,€1992.Ìà àOn€appeal€there€are€only€two€issues.€€First,€the€employer€questions€the€trialÏcourtððs€determination€of€total€disability€and€ordering€benefits€payable€under€T.C.A.€ððÏ50„6„207(4)€until€the€employee€becomes€sixty„five€years€of€age.€€In€the€secondÏissue,€the€employer€contends€the€court€was€in€error€in€apportioning€the€award€ofÏbenefits€under€T.C.A.€ðð€50„6„208(a)€causing€the€employer€to€be€liable€for€65%€of€theÏaward€and€the€state€Second€Injury€Fund€to€be€liable€for€35%€of€the€award.Ìà àAs€to€the€first€question,€the€employer€concedes€employee€Lowe€is€totallyÏdisabled€but€argues€the€award€should€not€be€fixed€at€100%€disability€because€theÍmedical€impairment€does€not€exceed€12%€for€the€last€injury€and€that€T.C.A.€ðð€50„6„241€limits€disability€awards€to€six€times€the€medical€impairment,€which€would€be€aÏ72%€award.€€In€support€of€this€reasoning,€it€also€contends€employee€Lowe€meetsÏthree€out€of€the€four€factors€set€out€in€T.C.A..€ðð€50„6„242€and,€therefore,€the€award€ofÏbenefits€would€be€payable€for€a€period€of€four€hundred€weeks.Ìà àœThe›€trial€court€heard€conflicting€evidence€from€several€expert€medicalÏwitnesses.€€All€of€this€testimony€was€œby›€deposition.€€Dr.€Robert€E.€Finelli,€aÏneurosurgeon€who€had€treated€the€employee€for€the€last€injury€and€several€priorÏinjuries,€gave€a€12%€medical€impairment€for€the€last€injury.€€Dr.€Mark€McQuainÏtestified€to€a€11%€impairment.€€Dr.€William€E.€Kennedy,€an€orthopedic€surgeon,€gaveÏa€20%€impairment.Ìà àIn€addition€to€this€evidence,€the€court€heard€testimony€from€Dr.€Kelley€Walker,Ïa€psychiatrist,€who€was€of€the€opinion€the€employee€was€suffering€from€aÏdepressive€disorder€due€to€his€last€injury.€€She€assessed€his€permanent€disabilityÏas€a€Class€3,€Moderate€Impairment,€which€means€his€impairment€level€isÏcompatible€with€some€but€not€all€useful€functioning.€€She€told€the€court€the€Third€andÏFourth€Editions€of€AMA€Guides€to€Evaluation€of€Permanent€Impairment€œcaution›Ïagainst€giving€numerical€ratings€as€far€as€mental€disorders;€that€Mr.€Lowe€would€notÏbe€able€to€work€on€a€regular€basis;€that€he€could€not€maintain€concentration€on€anyÏparticular€assigned€work€duties;€and€he€could€not€tolerate€ordinary€work€stress€orÏpressure.Ìà àDr.€Norman€Hankins,€a€vocational€assessment€witness,€was€of€the€opinionÏMr.€Lowe€was€100%€vocationally€impaired.Ìà àIn€rendering€a€decision,€the€trial€court€found€the€employee€was€totallyÏdisabled€as€a€result€of€the€last€injury€but€did€not€make€a€specific€finding€as€to€theÍmedical€impairment€rating€which€resulted€from€the€last€injury€during€October€1992.Ìà àThe€case€is€to€be€reviewed€on€appeal€òòde€novoóó€accompanied€by€aÏpresumption€of€the€correctness€of€the€findings€of€fact€unless€the€preponderance€ofÏthe€evidence€is€otherwise.€€T.C.A.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(2).Ìà àIn€resolving€disputes€in€medical€testimony,€the€trial€court€may€choose€whichÏmedical€testimony€to€accept.€€In€doing€this,€the€court€may€consider€the€qualificationsÏof€the€experts,€the€circumstances€of€their€examination,€the€information€available€toÏthem€and€the€evaluation€of€the€importance€of€that€information€by€other€experts.€ÏòòOrman€v.€Williams„Sonoma,€Inc.óó,€803€S.W.2d€672,€676€(Tenn.€1991).Ìà àWhere€evidence€is€introduced€by€deposition,€the€appellate€court€is€in€as€goodÏa€position€as€the€trial€court€in€reviewing€and€weighing€testimony.€€òòLanders€v.ÏFiremanððs€Fund€Ins.€Co.óó,€775€S.W.2d€355,€356€(Tenn.€1989).Ìà àIn€reviewing€the€record,€we€are€of€the€opinion€that€when€the€lowest€medicalÏimpairment€rating€is€combined€with€the€testimony€of€Dr.€Walker€concerningÏpermanent€mental€impairment,€the€employeeððs€total€impairment€would€beÏsubstantial€enough€to€support€a€finding€of€total€disability€under€the€multiplier€statuteÏ(T.C.A.€ðð€50„6„241(b))€and€the€trial€court€was€correct€in€ordering€œthat€benefits›€shouldÏbe€œpaid›€pursuant€to€T.C.A.€ðð€50„6„207(4).Ìà àThe€second€issue€cites€error€in€the€apportionment€of€the€100%€award.€€TheÏemployer€argues€that€since€the€employee€had€considerable€impairment€prior€to€hisÏlast€injury,€the€court€should€have€held€it€only€liable€for€35%€of€the€award€rather€thanÏ65%.Ìà àEmployee€Lowe€had€sustained€several€work„related€injuries€prior€to€the€lastÏinjury€but€no€workersðð€compensation€claims€were€made€for€any€of€the€injuries.€€HisÏtreating€physician,€DÔ% € Ôr.€Finelli,€testified€in€1970€he€suffered€from€two€compressionÍfractures€of€the€spine€resulting€in€a€medical€impairment€of€8%€to€the€whole€body;€inÏ1989€he€had€a€cervical€laminectomy€resulting€in€a€medical€impairment€of€12%;€andÏin€1991€he€had€a€lumbar€laminectomy€with€a€15%€medical€impairment;€and€that€thisÏtotal€impairment€of€35%€preceded€his€last€injury€which€resulted€in€further€surgery€onÏhis€neck€and€a€fusion.€€Dr.€McQuain€was€of€the€opinion€that€the€prior€injuriesÏresulted€in€a€14%€medical€impairment€and€Dr.€Kennedy€allocated€30%€as€a€pre„existing€impairment.Ìà àSince€the€prior€injuries€did€not€result€in€approved€workersðð€compensationÏclaims,€the€apportionment€of€the€award€must€be€made€under€subsection€(a)€ofÏT.C.A.€ðð€50„6„208.€€This€subsection€requires€the€court€to€estimate€and€fix€the€legalÏdisability€of€the€employee€from€the€last€injury€without€consideration€of€the€priorÏinjuries€or€impairments.€€The€Second€Injury€Fund€then€is€liable€for€the€remainder€ofÏthe€award.€€òòSmith€v.€Liberty€Mut.€Ins.€Co.óó,€762€S.W.2d€883,€885€(Tenn.€1988).Ìà àEven€though€employee€Lowe€had€several€prior€injuries€resulting€in€a€totalÏmedical€impairment€of€a€14%€to€35%€range,€there€was€never€a€judicialÏdetermination€of€his€prior€legal€or€vocational€disability€from€these€impairments.€€WeÏalso€take€notice€that€the€record€indicates€he€returned€to€work€after€each€injury€andÏtestified€before€the€trial€court€he€would€be€working€today€except€for€the€last€injury.Ìà àThe€determination€of€legal€disability€resulting€from€the€last€injury€is€primarilyÏfor€resolution€œby›€the€trial€court.€€On€appeal€that€determination€must€stand€unless€weÏfind€the€evidence€preponderates€œagainst€the›€conclusion.€€From€our€review,€weÏcannot€say€the€evidence€preponderates€against€the€65%„35%€allocation€made€byÏthe€trial€court.€€Therefore,€the€judgment€entered€below€is€affirmed.€€Costs€of€theÏappeal€are€taxed€to€the€defendant„employer€and€sureties.ÌÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà àà à________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àRoger€E.€Thayer,€Special€JudgeÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌE.€Riley€Anderson,€JusticeÌÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌJohn€K.€Byers,€Senior€JudgeÌœÇÒ  ÒÒ H Òà àà àà àÌà àà àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌà à€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ìà àà à€à à€€€€€€€€€AT€KNOXVILLEÌÌÌÒ S ÒÒ H ÒWALTER€L.€LOWE,€à àà àà à€)€€€€JEFFERSON€CIRCUIT€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ïà àà àà à€)€€€€€€No.€12,857€€à à€€€€€€à à€à à€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Plaintiff/Appellee,à àà à€€€€€€€€€€€Ïà à€)à àà à€à àÌvs.€€à àà àà àà àà àà à€)€€€€€€€Hon.€Ben€W.€Hooper€,€II.,à à€€€€€€€€€à àà àà àà àà à€€€€€€€€€€€€Ï)€€€€€€€JudgeÌJEFFERSON€CITY€ZINCà à€à àà à€)Ì€€€€à àà àà àà àà àà à€)Ì€€€€€Defendant/Appellant,à àà àà à€)à àNo.€03S01„9605„CV„00060€€€€€Ìà àà àà àà àà à€à à€)à àÌÓ ì ÓDINA€TOBIN,€DIRECTOR,€DIRECTORà à€)ÌOF€THE€SECOND€INJURY€FUND.à àà à€)ÌÓ  Óà àà àà àà àà àà à€)Ì€€€€€€€Defendant/appellee€à àà à€à à€)à àÌÌÌÓffÓà àà àà à€€€€€€€€€€€òòJUDGMENT€ORDERóóÌà àÌà àThis€case€is€before€the€Court€upon€the€entire€record,€including€the€order€ofÏreferral€to€the€Special€Workerðð€Compensation€Panel,€and€the€PanelððsÏMemorandum€Opinion€setting€forth€its€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law,€whichÏare€incorporated€herein€by€reference;Ìà àÌà àWhereupon,€it€appears€to€the€Court€that€the€Memorandum€Opinion€of€theÏPanel€should€be€accepted€and€approved;€andÌÌà àIt€is,€therefore,€ordered€that€the€Panelððs€findings€of€act€and€conclusions€ofÏlaw€are€adopted€and€affirmed,€and€the€decision€of€the€Panel€is€made€the€JudgmentÏof€the€Court.ÌÌà àCosts€on€appeal€are€taxed€€to€the€defendant„employer,€Jefferson€City€ZincÏandÌA.€Benjamin€Strand,€Jr.€surety,€for€which€execution€may€issue€if€necessary.€€ÌÌ06/03//97à àà àà àà àà àà àÌÌÌÌà à›Ì