ÿWPC¼ …U:V %–n­¦ 0(SU:{4µÉw@Ñ 0l 0D} 0JÁ 0T 0^_ 0h½ 0r% 0|— 0† 0™ 1u) 0dž U6U*8B)bDC‹ AMÎ B8v~SvÓÑ D3¤ 0@× AOÆf 0D, D/p BŸ<þ6X9`("Courier 10cpiX3|x «<þ6X9`("Courier 10cpiXôxþ6X@É“8Ç;X@($¡¡, øð AZ‹"Arial Regular·‚^!øð     D D P P V î Ó€((3þÝ$¤¤Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  Ýà  àòòÚ  Ú0Ú  Úóó(#Ã$òòÚ  Ú0Ú  Úóó2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ< Œ 9p`(Courier New< Œ 9p`(Arial% Line 7 d####7Border 1dd€-$Cþÿ << Gÿÿ d Ý ƒ!ÝÑ  ÑÑ#€d#ÑÔ€!ÔÝ  ÝÔ€"ÔÔ€"ÔÓ  ÓÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€"XÔÌÌò òDecember€19,€1996ÌÌCecil€Crowson,€Jr.ÌÔ€"ôÔAppellate€Court€Clerkó óPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHÚ(d'hStyl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÒ  h HD: Geneva ÒÒ  h HD: Geneva Ò&&&&'ÿÿdxd("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò€-‚ƒCþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó„„'÷ÿ dxdüÿP PdÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€!ÔÝ  Ý›Ñ  ÑÒ ° ÒÒ … ÒÒ  ÒÒ … ÒÑ\R AØ'\Ñò òÓ  ÓÑ\R AØ'\ÑÔ€"ÔÑ7€«¶XXdædÈ7ÑÑ  ќـ€ÙßR€%'$A1-j|` Å `€€@ÿRß›Þ ÞÌIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌSPECIAL€WORKERS'€COMPENSATION€PANELÌAT€KNOXVILLEÌÓ  Óó óÌÌÌJOHNNY€œOWNBY,›à àà àà àœà à)à à›Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àSEVIER€CIRCUITÌà àPlaintiff/Appelleeà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àHon.€Rex€Henry€Ogle,Ìv.à àà àà àà àà àà à)à àJudge€€€€€Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àÌNATIONAL€AMERICAN€INSURANCE€à à)à àNO.€€03S01„9604„CV„00037ÌCOMPANY,à àà àà àà àà à)à à(No.€95„183€Below)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àDefendant/Appellantà àà à)ÌÌÌÌò òòòFor€the€Appellantóó:à àà àòòà àà àà àFor€the€Appelleeóó:€Ìó óÌRockforde€D.€Kingà àà àà àà àà àRobert€L.€Ogle,€Jr.ÌEgerton,€McAfee,€Armistead€à àà àà àOgle€&€Wallace,€P.C.Ìà à&€Davis,€P.C.à àà àà àà à121€Court€Ave.Ì500€First€American€Ctr.à àà àà àà àSevierville,€TN€€37862Ì507€S.€Gay€St.ÌKnoxville,€TN€37901ÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌò òòòÓ  ÓMEMORANDUM€OPINIONÌÌÌÌMembers€of€Panel:ó óóóÌÌJustice€E.€Riley€AndersonÌSenior€Judge€John€K.€ByersÌSenior€Judge€William€H.€InmanÌÌÌÌÌò òÓ  ÓAFFIRMED€AS€MODIFIEDà àà àà àBYERS,€Senior€Judge€ÌAND€REMANDEDÌÑ  ÑòòÓÓà àó óóóThis€workers'€compensation€appeal€has€been€referred€to€the€SpecialÏWorkers'ÌCompensation€Appeals€Panel€of€the€Supreme€Court€in€accordance€with€òòTenn.ÏCode€Annóó.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(3)€for€hearing€and€reporting€to€the€Supreme€Court€ofÏfindings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law.Ìà àThe€trial€court€awarded€plaintiff€48%€permanent€partial€disability€to€the€bodyÏas€a€whole€at€a€compensation€rate€of€$266.66€per€week.€€Defendant€challenges€theÏamount€of€disability€awarded,€the€compensation€rate€applied€and€certainÏdiscretionary€costs€awarded.Ìà àPlaintiff,€37,€graduated€from€high€school.€€Most€of€his€work€experience€hasÏbeen€in€heavy€construction€labor.€€He€testified€that€he€injured€his€lower€back€onÏJuly€4,€1994,€while€digging€up€an€asphalt€driveway€and€loading€the€asphalt€chunksÏonto€a€truck€for€defendantððs€insured.€€He€worked€on€light€duty€until€October€but€hasÏnot€worked€since€October.1994.€Ìà àPlaintiff€was€treated€by€Alan€L.€Whiton,€M.D.,€an€orthopedist,€who€testified€inÏthis€case€by€deposition.€€He€opined€that€plaintiff€had€a€disruption€or€internalÏcracking€of€L4„L5€based€upon€the€results€of€a€discogram.€€He€assigned€plaintiff€aÏfive€percent€permanent€impairment€rating€to€the€body€as€a€whole€according€to€theÏAMA€Guides.Ìà àGeorge€B.€Brooks,€D.O.,€a€family€practitioner,€examined€the€plaintiff€at€theÏrequest€of€his€attorney.€€He€diagnosed€degenerative€disc€disease€withÏradiculopathy€at€L4„5€by€history.€€He€assigned€a€ten€percent€impairment€ratingÏaccording€to€the€American€Orthopedic€Academy€guidelines.€€He€testified€that€heÏwould€not€disagree€with€Dr.€Whitonððs€five€percent€impairment€rating€but€that€he€alsoÏconsidered€that€plaintiff€had€over€six€months€of€subjective€complaints€of€pain.€€HeÏfurther€testified€that€some€portion€of€his€impairment€rating€was€attributable€toÏdegenerative€changes€that€predated€plaintiffððs€work„related€injury,€but€he€could€notÏapportion€it.Ìà àFred€A.€Killefer,€M.D.,€neurosurgeon,€examined€plaintiff€at€the€request€of€theÏdefendant.€€He€found€no€objective€signs€of€a€permanent€injury€and€opined€thatÏplaintiff€had€a€normal€spine€with€subjective€complaints€of€pain.€€He€further€opinedÏthat€plaintiff€was€overweight€and€deconditioned€and€that€an€appropriateÏconditioning€regime€might€help€him.€€He€opined€that€plaintiff€had€no€permanentÏimpairment.Ìà àThe€trial€judge€based€his€assignment€of€plaintiffððs€workersðð€compensationÏrate€upon€plaintiffððs€testimony€that€he€made€$10.00€per€hour€and€generally€workedÍ40€hours€per€week.€€Both€parties€stipulated€to€the€admissibility€of€an€affidavit€ofÏSherry€Haney„Brandow,€workersðð€compensation€claims€adjuster€at€NationalÏAmerican€Insurance€Company.€€She€testified€that€plaintiffððs€average€weekly€wageÏwas€$334.14€and€attached€a€schedule€of€plaintiffððs€wages€from€August€19,€1993€toÏJuly€4,€1994.Ìà àThe€trial€judge€awarded€plaintiff€the€following€discretionary€costs:ÌÓÓÌà0 àà0 àDr.€Wade€Pennyà àà àà àà à$€€€10.00Ìà0 àà0 àBrown€&€Wingo€Court€Reporterà àà à€€€€€59.40Ìà àà àVelda€Seagle,€Court€Reporterà àà à€€€€€95.75Ìà àà àAlan€Whiton,€M.D.€(Deposition)à àà à€€€250.00Ìà àà àGeorge€Brooks,€M.D.€(Deposition)à à€€€500.00Ìà àà àVelda€Seagle,€Court€Reporterà àà à€€€120.00Ìà àà àDonna€M.€Winn,€M.D.à àà àà à€€€421.00Ìà àà àPrescriptionsà àà àà àà à€€€302.75Ìà àà àBrown€&€Wingo€Court€Reporterà àà à€€€€€20.25Ìà àà à„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„„Ìà àà àTotalà àà àà àà àà à€€€€€€€€$€1,779.15ÌÓÓÌà àOur€review€is€òòde€novoóó€on€the€œrecord,›€accompanied€by€the€presumption€ofÏcorrectness€of€the€findings€of€fact€of€the€trial€œcourt,›€unless€the€œpreponderance€of€theÏevidence›€œis€otherwise.›€€òòT.C.A.óó€ðð€50„6„225(e)(2).Ìà àWe€have€reviewed€the€evidence€in€this€case,€including€the€transcript€of€theÏproceedings€and€the€medical€depositions,€and€we€cannot€find€that€the€evidenceÏpreponderates€against€the€trial€courtððs€award€of€48%€permanent€partial€disability€toÏthe€body€as€a€whole.Ìà àWe€find€the€evidence€does€preponderate€against€the€trial€courtððs€finding€thatÏthe€appropriate€workersðð€compensation€rate€is€$266.66€per€week.€€The€plaintiffððsÏtestimony€as€to€his€average€weekly€wage€is€too€uncertain€and€nonspecific€to€be€theÏbasis€for€setting€his€workersðð€compensation€rate.€€The€affidavit€presented€by€theÏdefendant€is€more€specific€and€certain.€€We€find€the€evidence€preponderates€inÏfavor€of€a€workersðð€compensation€rate€of€$222.76€per€week,€which€is€66ðAð%€ofÏplaintiffððs€average€weekly€wage€of€$334.14.€€See€T.C.A.€ðð€50„6„207(3).€€We,Ïtherefore,€modify€the€judgment€to€reflect€a€workersðð€compensation€rate€of€$222.76Ïper€week.Ìà àAs€to€the€discretionary€costs,€the€transcript€clearly€reflects€the€partiesððÏagreement€that€the€payments€to€Dr.€Penny,€Dr.€Winn€and€for€prescriptionÏmedication€are€medical€costs€and€therefore€payable€by€the€defendant€as€medicalÏexpenses.€€The€remainder€of€the€discretionary€costs€were€appropriately€awarded€toÏplaintiff.Ìà àThe€judgment€is€affirmed€as€modified,€and€the€case€is€remanded€forÏassessment€of€costs€on€appeal,€which€are€taxed€to€defendant/appellant,€and€anyÏother€appropriate€orders.ÌÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà àà àòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌà àà àà àà àà àà àJohn€K.€Byers,€Senior€JudgeÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌÌòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌE.€Riley€Anderson,€JusticeÌÌÌÌòòÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌWilliam€H.€Inman,€Senior€œJudgeÔ€!ÔÇà àà àà àÌà àà àà àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌà à€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ìà àà àà àà à€€€€€€€€€€AT€KNOXVILLEÌÌÌÌÌJOHNNY€OWNBY,à à€€€€€€€€€€€€€à à€à à€)€€à àSEVIER€CIRCUITà àà àà àà àà àà à€à à€à àÏà à€)à àNo.€€95„183€€à àà à€€à àPlaintiff/Appellee,à àà àà à€€€€€€€€€€€€Ï)à à€Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à€)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à€)à àHon.€Rex€Henry€OgleÌvs.à àà àà àà àà àà à€)à àJudgeÌà àà àà àà àà àà à€)à àà à.Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à€)à àÌà àà àà àà àà àà à€)à à03S01„9604„„CV„00037ÌNATIONAL€AMERICAN€INSURANCà à€)€ÌCOMPANYà àà àà àà àà à€)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à€)Ìà à€Defendant/Appellantà àà àà à€)à àà àà àà à€Ô€!îÔÌÌÌÌÓffÓà àà àà àà à€€€€€€€€òòJUDGMENT€ORDERóóÌÌà àà àThis€case€is€before€the€Court€upon€theÏentire€record,€including€the€order€of€referral€toÏthe€Special€Workerðð€Compensation€Panel,€and€theÏPanelððs€Memorandum€Opinion€setting€forth€itsÏfindings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law,€whichÏare€incorporated€herein€by€reference;Ìà àÌà àWhereupon,€it€appears€to€the€Court€that€theÏMemorandum€Opinion€of€the€Panel€should€beÏaccepted€and€approved€;€andÌÌà àIt€is,€therefore,€ordered€that€the€PanelððsÏfindings€of€act€and€conclusions€of€law€areÏadopted€and€affirmed,€and€the€decision€of€theÏPanel€is€made€the€Judgment€of€the€Court.ÌÌà àCosts€on€appeal€are€taxed€to€theÏdefendant/appellant,€National€American€InsuranceÏCompany€€and€surety,€Rockforde€D.€King,€for€whichÏexecution€may€issue€if€necessary.€€Ì€Ì12/19/96à àà àà àà àà àà àÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌ€à àà à€€à àà àà àÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌ€à àà à€€Ô€!XÔ›