WPC 4U#B %*U .0r^ 0 0C] 0Jn 0r p w@p 4 0T 0^ 0hv 0r 0|P 0 0R 1uU,W 0dU,. 0@A D3 B D+B)DC% AMh AO( 0D6v~v \  `*Times New RomanTT"AArialTT'    0 .   (e2F$ !XXX`XXX   ($    2 0Indent123  3|x1\  `*Times New RomanTTC\  P6QP"AArialTTomanTTXXaptQXp\  `*Times New RomanTT^\  P6QP\  `*Times New RomanTT,,)\  P6Q,P\  `*Times New RomanTTRAn\  P6QRP\  `*Times New RomanTTXXP\  P6QXP(J$XXX`XXX  (E)P*D+D,P-D.P/D0D1DdO #'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 $ !X         ` ` X    @      A     ` X("$    '''''dxd d'dxd% Line 7 d))))7Border 1dd-%*C << G-%/(C` << CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5  !  X    YYY   FILEDX July8,1996CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk ($$   1   v ! X       ` X  R    XԀTheclaimanthadanothersurgeryin1994byadifferentsurgeon.  ! X         ` XR        XԀThetrialjudgedidawardmedicalandhospitalbenefitsfortheAugustinjury,fromwhichnoissuehasbeenraisedinthisappeal.PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Monaco   BA Op Monaco  BA Op Monaco ! . &##Xd&###Xd#X      $         ` ` X\RA'\&  INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEESPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATNASHVILLE(March14,1996Session)  ` XpXMARYCHARMAGNEPERDUE, )MAURYCHANCERỲ,ԀԀ )̀PlaintiffAppellant, )Hon.JimT.Hamilton,̀,ԀԀ )Judgev.,ԀԀ )̀,ԀԀ )No.01S019508CH00142-L+.*;+'h|h`  `LNATIONALHEALTHCORP,L.P.,or )NATIONALHEALTHCORPORATION, )orNHC,INC.,and/orCOLUMBIA )HEALTHCARE,,ԀԀ )̀,ԀԀ )̀DefendantAppellee. )ForAppellant:ForAppellee:DebraA.WallBillyC.JackClarksville,TennesseeColumbia,TennesseeGaryA.GoberNashville,Tennessee   ` ` XMEMORANDUMOPINIONMembersofPanel:'  AdolphoA.Birch,Jr.,AssociateJustice,SupremeCourtBenH.Cantrell,SpecialJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge   ` X   ` ` X   ` XAFFIRMEDLoser,Judge    Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Inthisappeal,theemployeeorclaimant,Perdue,contends(1)thattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialjudge'sfindingthatshefailedtogivetherequirednoticeofaclaimedinjurybyaccidentoccurringonJanuary23,1993,(2)thatthesaidinjurywassufferedwithinthecourseandscopeofemploymentwiththedefendant,and(3)thatsheisentitledtocompensationforaninjuryonApril3,1994.Thepanelconcludesthatthejudgmentawardingbenefitsforaninjurybyaccidentarisingoutofandinthecourseoftheclaimant'semploymentinAugustof1994shouldbeaffirmed. rA  Theclaimantistwentynineyearsoldandhasanassociatesdegreeinnursing.Atallmaterialtimesshewasemployedbytheemployer,Columbia,asaregisterednurse.  SheclaimstohavestrainedherlowerbackinJanuaryof1993atworkbutcontinuedtowork.Shedidnotgiveanywrittennoticeoftheinjurytotheemployerandthereisconflictingevidenceastowhethersheverballyreportedit.  InAprilof1993shesawachiropractor.OnApril17,1993,shenoticednumbnessinherhipandlegandbeganseeingDr.JeffreyAdams,whodiagnosedaherniatedlumbardisk.Shedidnottellthedoctorthattheconditionwasaresultofaninjuryatwork,accordingtothedoctor,whoperformedcorrectivesurgery.  OnAugust5,1993,theclaimantwasgrabbedaroundtheneckbyapatientandpulleddowntothepatient'sbed.Dr.Adamsdiagnosedaherniateddiskatthesamelocationasthepreviousoneandperformedasecondcorrectivesurgery.Shehasnotreturnedtowork.     ) u`  0     Thetrialjudgefoundthat,astotheclaimedJanuaryinjury,theclaimanthadfailedtocarrytheburdenofproofthathersuperiorsatworkhadactualnoticeofherinjuryorthataworkrelatedinjuryhadoccurredonthatdate. 1   ׀Appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(2).Wherethetrialjudgehasseenandheardthewitnesses,especiallyifissuesofcredibilityandweighttobegivenoraltestimonyareinvolved,considerabledeferencemustbeaccordedthosecircumstancesonreview.McCalebv.SaturnCorp.,910S.W.2d412(Tenn.1995).  Immediatelyupontheoccurrenceofaninjury,orassoonthereafterasisreasonableandpracticable,aninjuredemployeemust,unlesstheemployerhasactualknowledgeoftheaccident,givewrittennoticeoftheinjurytoheremployer.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506201.Wheretheemployerdeniesthataclaimanthasgiventherequiredwrittennotice,theclaimanthastheburdenofshowingthattheemployerhadactualnotice,orthattheemployeehaseithercompliedwiththerequirementorhasareasonableexcuseforherfailuretodoso,fornoticeisanessentialelementofherclaim.Mastersv.IndustrialGarmentsMfg.Co.Inc.,595S.W.2d811(Tenn.1980).  Inthiscase,thetrialjudgewasfacedwithconflictingoraltestimonyconcerningnoticeandtheemployer'spositionwassupportedbythedepositionofDr.Adams.Theevidencefailstopreponderateagainstthetrialjudge'sfindingwithrespecttonotice.Forthesamereasonandbecausetheclaimanthasapparentlymadeconflictingoutofcourtstatementsabouttheoriginofherinjury,theevidencealsofailstopreponderateagainstthetrialjudge'sfindingsastotheotherissues.  Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaccordinglyaffirmed.Costsonappealaretaxedtotheplaintiffappellee. *b   ` ` X_______________________________   ӀJoeC.Loser,Jr.,Judge   ` XCONCUR:_________________________________AdolphoA.Birch,Jr.,AssociateJustice_________________________________BenH.Cantrell,SpecialJudge