ÿWPC& …# VUNa %¯ 0ûµU:° 4ê þ   w@ 0J[ 0T¥ 0^ù 0hW 0r¿ 0|1 0†­ 03 1uà 0d8U>œU*ÚU*B).DCW AMš Bç¹v~½vÓ; D3 0@A AOÆÐ 0D– D/Ú B ˜HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MSÈðððÈð0nLlÎ(ÈhH  Z ‹6Times New Roman RegularX(ÓH=$¡¡Ñ  ÑÒH°ÒÒ°ÒÑTR[  AØ'ÿ Legal[  AØ'ÿ Legal AØ'ÿ Legal AØ'ÿ LegalTÑÔ€XÎ_XXXÔÑ7€¾úXXdðXXdð7Ñ, øð AZ‹"Arial RegularÚƒç"3|x$H  DDÊÊVÓ€"2 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`(&Times New Roman< Œ 9p`(Arial< Œ 9p`(Times% Line 7 d""""7Border 1dd€-#Cþÿ << Gÿÿ d ¯Ý ƒ!ÝÑ  ÑÑ#€d#ÑÔ€ÔÑ  ÑÒ  ÒÒ H ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑÔ€ ÔÑ#€d#ÑÝ  ÝÔ€ ÔÓ  ÓÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€ XÔÌÌò òJulyÏ14,Ï1997ÌÌCecilÏCrowson,ÏJr.ÌÔ€ ôÔAppellateÏCourtÏClerkó óPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHÚ(d'hStyl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÒ  h HD: Geneva ÒÒ  h HD: Geneva Ò%%%%'ÿÿdxd("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò€-‚ƒCþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó„„'÷ÿ dxdüÿP PdÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€ÔÑ  ÑÒ  ÒÒ H ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑÔ€ ÔÑ#€!!Xd#ÑÑ#€!!Xd#ÑÝ  Ý›ò òÑ  ÑÓ  ÓÞ ÞÌÌÓ  Óó óà@ àò òIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEE̜ـ€ÙßR€$&#A1-j|` à. `€€@ÿRß›à@ àSPECIAL€WORKERS'€COMPENSATION€APPEALS€PANELÌà@ àAT€KNOXVILLEó óÌÌÌÌÌSANDRA€KAY€PEMBERTON,à àà à)à àCAMPBELL€CHANCERYÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àÌà àPlaintiff/Appelleeà àà àà à)à àNO.€03S01„9604„„CH„00044Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àÌv.à àà àà àà àà àà à)à àHON.€€BILLY€JOE€WHITE,Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àJUDGEÌCAMPBELL€COUNTY€BOARD€OF€à à)ÌEDUCATION,€SUE€ANN€HEAD,à àà à)ÌDIRECTOR€OF€THE€DIVISION€OF€à à)ÌWORKERSðð€COMPENSATION,à àà à)ÌTENNESSEE€DEPARTMENT€OF€à à)ÌLABOR,€SECOND€INJURY€FUND,à à)ÌSTATE€OF€TENNESSEE€andà àà à)ÌCHARLES€BURSON,€ATTORNEYà à)ÌGENERAL,à àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àDefendants/Appellantsà àà à)Ìà àÌÌÌÌò òòòFor€the€Appellants:à àà àà àà àFor€the€Appellee:Ìó óóóÌœJohn€Knox€Walcupà àà à›à àà àà àDavid€H.€DunawayÌAttorney€General€&€Reporterà àà àà àDavid€H.€Dunaway€&€AssociatesÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà à100€S.€Fifth€St.ÌDianne€Stamey€Dycusà àà àà àà àP.€O.€Box€231Ì1510€Parkway€Towersà àà àà àà àœLaFollette›,€TN€€37766Ì404€James€Robertson€PkwyÌNashville,€TN€€37243„0499ÌÌElizabeth€A.€TownsendÌGerald€L.€Gulley,€Jr.ÌBaker,€McReynolds,€Byrne,€BrackettÌà àOððkane€&€SheaÌP.O.€Box€1708ÌKnoxville,€TN€€37901„1708ÌÌÌœ›ÌÌÌò òòòÓ  ÓM€E€M€O€R€A€N€D€U€M€€€O€P€I€N€I€O€NÌÌÌMembers€of€Panel:Ìóóó óÌFrank€F.€Drowota,€III,€JusticeÌWilliam€H.€Inman,€Senior€JudgeÌJoseph€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€JudgeÌÓ  ÓÌÌò òMODIFIEDà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àINMAN,€SeniorÏJudgeÌÓÓó 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 àThe€plaintiff€was€awarded€lifetime€benefits€based€on€a€finding€of€total,Ïpermanent€vocational€disability,€with€the€employer€and€Second€Injury€Fund€orderedÏòòde€novoóó€concurrent,€òòpro€rataóó€payments€for€permanent€disability€until€the€plaintiffÏreaches€age€65.Ìà àBecause€we€find€that€the€preponderance€of€the€evidence€does€not€support€aÏfinding€of€total€and€permanent€disability,€but€supports€a€finding€of€75%€permanentÏpartial€disability€to€her€whole€body,€the€judgment€is€modified€to€award€the€plaintiffÏweekly€benefits€for€300€weeks.Ìà àOur€review€is€òòde€novoóó€on€the€record,€accompanied€by€the€presumption€thatÏthe€trial€courtððs€findings€of€fact€are€correct€unless€the€evidence€preponderatesÍotherwise.€€T.C.A.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(2).€€òòSeiber€v.€Greenbrier€Ind.óó,€906€S.W.2d€œ444,€446›Ï(Tenn.€1995).Ìà àThe€plaintiff€injured€her€neck€and€shoulders€on€September€15,€1992,Ïrupturing€a€cervical€disc.€€Dr.€Bernhard€Kliefoth€performed€surgery€and€released€theÏplaintiff€to€return€to€work€with€no€restrictions€on€October€7,€1992.€€She€wasÏemployed€as€a€teacherððs€aide€and€suffered€the€injury€while€lifting€a€child.€€She€wasÏthen€37€years€old.Ìà àOn€April€1,€1991,€she€had€injured€her€neck€but€had€not€pursued€a€claim;€inÏthis€connection,€the€orthopedic€surgeon,€Dr.€William€Kennedy,€testified€that€aboutÏone„half€of€the€plaintiffððs€impairment€was€attributable€to€the€former€injury.Ìà àBecause€of€ongoing€shoulder€pain,€the€plaintiff€saw€Dr.€David€Hauge,€whoÏperformed€surgery€on€July€7,€1994€for€suprascapular€nerve€entrapment€and€testifiedÏthat€the€plaintiff€had€a€9%€impairment€for€the€cervical€injury€and€a€15%€impairmentÏfor€the€nerve€entrapment,€for€a€total€of€17%€impairment€to€her€whole€body.Ìà àDr.€Kennedy€evaluated€the€plaintiff€on€May€5,€1993€and€testified€that€she€hadÏa€20%€impairment€due€to€neck€problems.€€As€noted,€he€attributed€one„half€of€theÏimpairment€to€the€1991€injury.Ìà àAfter€the€plaintiff€was€released€by€Dr.€Hauge,€who€believed€she€tended€toÏamplify€her€pain€symptoms,€she€requested€a€referral€to€Dr.€œKelley›€Walker,€aÏpsychiatrist,€who€evaluated€her€for€about€one€hour.€€She€relied€œexclusively›€onÏstatements€by€the€plaintiff€and€reviewed€no€records€nor€consulted€with€otherÏexperts.Ìà àAt€no€time€did€the€plaintiff€ever€complain€of€depression€to€Dr.€Hauge€or€to€anyÏtreating€physician€until€after€she€was€released€by€Dr.€Hauge€to€return€to€work.€ÏWhen€she€met€with€Dr.€Walker,€however,€she€told€the€psychiatrist€that€she€œhad€had›Ïproblems€with€depression€since€October€1992.Ìà àDr.€Walker€admitted€that€much€of€the€information€related€by€the€plaintiff€wasÏuntrue€or€exaggerated.€€She€did€not€testify€that€the€plaintiffððs€condition€wasÏpermanent€and€admitted€that€permanency€of€impairment€could€not€be€determinedÏuntil€a€psychiatric€condition€has€stabilized.Ìà àThe€plaintiff€also€selected€Dr.€Lane€Cook€from€a€panel€of€three€psychiatrists.€ÏDr.€Cook€noted€that€the€plaintiff€ð ðdoes€appear€to€have€genuine€symptoms€of€majorÏdepression€and€it€does€appear€likely€to€be€secondary€to€the€work„related€injury€ofÏ1992.ðð€€He€could€not€state€within€a€reasonable€degree€of€medical€certainty€that€theÏplaintiff€either€had€any€permanent€psychiatric€impairment€or,€if€so,€whether€theÏplaintiff€had€reached€her€maximum€medical€improvement.€€Dr.€Cook€did€note€thatÏthe€plaintiffððs€testing€on€the€Minnesota€Multiphasic€Personality€Inventory€(II)€ð ðwas€anÏinvalid€profileðð€and€òòð ðœrepresent[ed›]€an€intentional€attempt€to€appear€to€show€just€howÏbadly€she€feels.ððóóÌà àThe€plaintiff€was€examined€by€two€vocational€experts.€€The€first,€Dr.€NormanÏHankins,€testified€that,€based€on€an€evaluation€of€the€plaintiff€that€he€had€performedÏin€March€1993,€the€plaintiff€had€an€I.Q.€of€108;€could€read€and€spell€above€the€12thÏgrade€level€and€above€the€median€when€compared€with€female€bank€clerks.€€Dr.ÏHankins€also€admitted€that€his€vocational€history€of€the€plaintiff€did€not€reflect€thatÏthe€plaintiff€had€performed€such€employment€as€the€city€recorder€of€Jacksboro,ÍTennessee,€or€as€a€bookkeeper€or€as€a€model;€the€plaintiff€admitted€at€trial€that€sheÏhad€not€relayed€her€full€previous€employment€history€to€Dr.€Hankins,€who€opinedÏthat€the€plaintiff€was€one€hundred€percent€vocationally€disabled.Ìà àThe€second€vocational€expert,€Dr.€Ronald€Caldwell,€examined€the€plaintiff€onÏJuly€18,€1995.€€He€related€that,€based€upon€medical€restrictions,€the€ð ðworst„caseÏscenarioðð€of€the€plaintiffððs€vocational€impairment€would€be€eighty€percent;€Dr.ÏCaldwell€testified€that€the€additional€limitations€imposed€by€Dr.€Walker€wereÏcontradictory,€because€those€restrictions€were€ð ðinconsistent€with€a€person€whoððsÏmaking€satisfactory€progress€towards€a€masterððs€degree€.€.€.€.ðð€€Dr.€CaldwellÏelaborated€on€this€opinion€by€noting€thatÌÓÓÌà8 àa€personððs€ability€to€satisfactorily€complete€requirements€for€a€masterððsÏdegree€requires€a€person€to€concentrate,€to€work€independently,€toÏrelate€effectively€to€advisors,€teachers,€other€students,€to€tolerate€theÏstress€necessary€to€meet€deadlines,€.€.€.€testing€situations,€and€itÏrequires€a€person€to€maintain€enthusiasm€and€interest€in€the€work€thatÏtheyððre€doing.ÌÌà8 àà à.€.€.€[œi]t›€requires€a€significant€amount€of€confidence€and€self„esteem€to€.€.€.€maintain€that€kind€of€work€.€.€.€.€[œI]t›€requires€sustainedÏactivity€to€do€that.€€The€„„€Ms.€Pembertonððs€transcript€from€LincolnÏMemorial€University€indicates€that€as€she€progressed€towards€herÏbachelorððs€degree,€in€the€spring€of€1993€she€took€seventeen€hours,€fallÏof€1993€eighteen€hours,€and€her€final€semester€she€took€eleven€hours,Ïand€she€received€her€degree€that€semester,€that€spring€semester€ofÏ1994.€€And€in€the€fall€of€1994,€she€took€nine€hours,€spring€of€1994,Ïnine€hours.€€Thatððs€a€pretty€full€load€for€a€masterððs€degree€student.€€AÏmasterððs€degree€student€will€not€normally€take,€you€know,€a€fifteen€toÏeighteen€hour€load,€thatððs€too€much.ÌÓÓÌà àDr.€Caldwell€noted€that€the€plaintiff€had€a€grade€point€average€in€the€currentÏterm€of€3.67€on€a€scale€of€4.00,€and€a€fall€semester€1994€grade€point€average€ofÍ3.50.€€He€then€concluded€that€the€plaintiff€was€employable€in€the€open€job€market€inÏthe€six„county€area€in€various€clerical€and€administrative€jobs,€as€well€as€obviousÏopportunities€in€the€educational€field€including€private€tutoring.Ìà àThe€record€is€replete€with€evidence€that€the€plaintiff€is€able€to€work€at€severalÏtypes€of€employment.€€We€demonstrate:Ìà àShe€was€37€years€old€at€the€time€of€her€work„related€injury.€€She€had€an€I.Q.Ïof€108€and€had€been€working€on€a€bachelorððs€degree€at€Lincoln€MemorialÏUniversity€at€the€time€she€sustained€a€permanent€physical€impairment€in€SeptemberÏ1992€during€the€course€and€scope€of€her€employment.€€She€was€then€employed€asÏan€instructional€aide€for€the€Campbell€County€Board€of€Education€and€had€workedÏat€this€position€before€with€the€Campbell€County€Board€of€Education.€€PreviouslyÏshe€worked€at€several€radio€stations€as€news€director,€was€city€recorder€inÏJacksboro,€Tennessee€and€modeled€while€working€for€the€city.Ìà àAfter€the€September€1992€injury,€the€plaintiff€finished€her€undergraduateÏdegree€at€Lincoln€Memorial€University€and€enrolled€in€a€program€of€graduateÏstudies€at€Lincoln€Memorial€University,€completing€two€semesters€of€graduateÏschool€in€1994„95€with€grades€of€four€ð ðAððs,ðð€a€ð ðB,ðð€and€a€ð ðB„.ðð€€As€Dr.€CaldwellÏtestified,€the€plaintiffððs€work€in€finishing€her€undergraduate€and€graduate€degreesÏindicated€herÌÓÓÌà8 àability€to€satisfactorily€complete€requirements€for€a€masterððs€degreeÏrequires€a€person€to€concentrate,€to€work€independently,€to€relateÏeffectively€to€advisors,€teachers,€other€students,€to€tolerate€the€stressÏnecessary€to€meat€deadlines,€.€.€.€testing€situation,€and€it€requires€aÏperson€to€maintain€enthusiasm€and€interest€in€the€work€that€theyððreÏdoing.ÌÓÓÌà àAlthough€given€a€work„related€psychiatric€disability€by€Dr.€Walker,€theÏplaintiff,€significantly,€was€not€observed€by€any€of€her€treating€physicians€to€displayÏany€behavior€that€Do.€Walker€described€as€indicating€a€psychiatric€disability€untilÏòòafteróó€she€had€reached€maximum€medical€improvement.Ìà àWith€respect€to€the€testimony€of€Dr.€Hankins,€he€was€unaware€that€the€plaintiffÏhad€attained€a€bachelorððs€degree€and€had€largely€completed€the€requirements€for€aÏmasterððs€degree.€€We€think€the€significance€of€this€lack€of€information€is€obvious€andÏwill€not€belabor€the€point.Ìà àThe€plaintiff€was€also€seen€by€Dr.€Lane€Cook,€a€psychiatrist.,€at€her€request.€ÏSuffice€to€say€that€an€important€test€he€administered€was€invalid€due€to€a€ð ðfake€badððÏattitude,€according€to€his€testimony.Ìà àFrom€all€of€which€we€conclude€that€the€evidence€preponderates€against€aÏfinding€of€total€and€permanent€disability€and€preponderates€in€favor€of€a€finding€ofÏ75%€permanent€partial€disability€to€the€body€as€a€whole.€€The€judgment€isÏaccordingly€modified,€with€costs€œassessedÔ% € Ô€to›€the€appellee.ÌÌÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà àà àòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌà àà àà àà àà àà àWilliam€H.€Inman,€Senior€JudgeÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌFrank€F.€Drowota,€III,€JusticeÌÌÌÌòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌJoseph€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€Judgeà àœÇ›à àà à