WPC # VU:a % 04Y m | 0 0D w@  D3 0J= 0T 0^ 0h9 0r 0| 0 0 1uU, 0dFU,bU*B)DC1 AMt BWv~tv 0@ AOT 0D D/^ BHP LaserJet 4Si/4SiMX PS 600dpiPSCRIPT0 ,  AZ"Arial RegularX( 7$` ` TR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT} xxxxxx3|xV((3T6$  7!` TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T   `   0  (#$  0   BDCDD eEFGHDIJKӀHR****'dxd2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)<  9p`(ModernP 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(Monaco- -<  9p`(Arial% Line 7 d&&&&7Border 1dd-'C << G  !  #d#%    ` \RA'\  %   YYY FILED%X May24,1996CecilCrowson,Jr.%AppellateCourtClerk  dPtPtHH(FG(HH(d'@Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Monaco   BA Op Monaco  BA Op Monaco ("$    -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! . &##Xd&###Xd#%    ` \RA'\  p ћ$7XXdd7    L()';+'h|` . `LߛINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEESPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONPANELATKNOXVILLE  MARTHAG.MYERS,   )      ) BLOUNTCIRCUIT Plaintiff/Appellant   )      ) HON.W.DaleYoung,v.      ) Judge      )ALUMINUMCOMPANYOF  ) NO.03S019509CV00102AMERICA     ) (No.E16271Below)      ) Defendant/Appellee  )%  FortheAppellant:     FortheAppellee: WilliamO.Shults     DonelsonM.LeakeFrankQ.Vettori     RobertL.BowmanP.O.Box217     Kramer,Rayson,Leake,Knoxville,TN379010217     Rodgers&Morgan       P.O.Box629       Knoxville,TN379010629  MEMORANDUMOPINIONMembersofPanel: JusticePennyJ.WhiteSeniorJudgeWilliamH.InmanSpecialJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.  AFFIRMED       INMAN,SeniorJudge Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. TheplaintiffallegedthatonMay15,1983,sheinjuredmostofherbodyasaresultofajobrelatedaccident.ShereturnedtoworkinNovember1990andallegedlysustainedtwoadditionalinjurieswhichaggravatedherpreexistingconditionresultingintotaldisabilityforwhichsheseeksbenefits.Thedefendantgenerallydeniedthattheinjuriescomplainedofwereseriousanddeniedthattheplaintiffsufferedanydegreeofdisability.Thetrialjudgeruledthattheplaintifffailedtocarryherburdenofproofanddismissedhercase. Ourreviewisdenovoontherecordwiththepresumptionthatthefindingsoffactarecorrectunlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Hensonv.CityofLawrenceburg,851S.W.2d809,812(Tenn.1993). Theplaintiffis44yearsold.ShestartedworkatALCOAin1978,butfiveyearslatersufferedapulledmuscleinavaguelydefinedmannerwhichcausedsomecervicaldiscomfort,exacerbatedthefollowingdayinanothervaguelydefinedmanner.ShecomplainedofcontinuingdiscomfortandwasseenbyDr.Haralson,anorthopedicspecialist.Twodayslater,shereturnedtoworkforabriefperiod.Shethenleftworkforaboutsixmonths,returned,andleftagain.Thispatterncontinuedforelevenortwelveyears.InOctoberorNovember1990,shetestifiedthatshetrippedoversomecableswhich aggravatedmyproblem,andshortlyafterwardscaughtherfootinatablelegwhich hurtmylowbackrightinstantlythen.ShesaidthatinDecember, Ihadtoquit,goout,andneverreturnedtowork.Intheinterim,shewasinjuredinatrafficaccidentwhichseeminglycontributedtoherdiscomfort. Shereceivedworkerscompensationbenefitsin1983.AfterherdepartureinDecember1990,shereceivedSicknessandAccidentbenefitsfortwoyears,followingwhichshewaslaidoff.Hertreatmenthistoryisremarkable.Shewasseenby22physicians,includingDr.EdwardA.Dannelly,III,ofGalax,Virginia,who,afterseeingherononeoccasion,testifiedthat shecameforanotheropinionaboutherneckandthatshehada30%wholebodyimpairment.Dr.AlanWhiton,ofSevierville,Tennessee,sawtheplaintiffinMay1993forcomplaintsofneckandlowbackpains.HediagnosedadischerniationatC6,andlaterdidaonelevelfusionfromL5S1.Heexpressedtheopinionthattheplaintiffhada15%impairmentrating. Thecontraryproofconsistedof(1)thetestimonyofaphysicaltherapist,BaronP.Johnson,(2)thetestimonyofDr.EdwardS.Ellis,aninternist,and(3)thetestimonyofDr.Wm.K.Bailey,anorthopedicspecialist,whoelaboratedatlengthaboutplaintiffslackoffinesseinsymptommagnificationandtestifiedthatshewasabletoreturntoher normalworkactivities.Dr.EllisalsotestifiedthatjobswhichtheplaintiffwascapableofholdingwereavailableatALCOA,ifshewasproperlymotivated,andthatshehadnodisability. ThisrecordamplysupportstheargumentoftheappelleethatALCOAhasasubstantialnumberofjobswhichtheplaintiffiscapableofperforming.Therecordalsorevealsunusualemployerlargesseandpatience.Itsargumentthat theappellantsimplyrefusestogobacktoworkfindsconsiderablesupportintherecord.Andsuperimposeduponallthisisthecredibilityoftheplaintiffconcerningwhichthetrialcourtisthewellnighexclusivejudgeasignificantelementinthiscase. Weareunabletofindthattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthejudgment.Henson,851S.W.2dat812,whichisaffirmedatthecostoftheappellant.      򀀀      WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudgeCONCUR:򀀀PennyJ.White,Justice򀀀JoeC.Loser,Judge