ÿWPCõ 4U:è %"(n­8 0(åU: 4G[w@c D/£ 0lÒ 0D>‚ 0J‚ 0TÌ 0^  0h~ 0ræ 0|X 0†Ô 0Z 1uê 0d_ AQà Æ 0DÚ 0X 0Dv Bº AM× B$ D3A t U6… U*» B)å DC AMQžv~¤vÓ"<þ6X9`("Courier 10cpiX3|xŸ «<þ6X9`("Courier 10cpiXôxþ6X@É“8Ç;X@($¡¡, øð AZ‹"Arial Regular QL"( – D— ˜  ™ š P› Uœ Ó€ Už îŸ D(('÷ÿ dxd((3þÝ$¤¤Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  Ýà  àòòÚ  Ú0Ú  Úóó(#Ã$òòÚ  Ú0Ú  Úóó2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ!"#$ Cþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3¯$¢¢Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  Ý(0"ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  ÒÒ  ÒÒ  Ò($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó d!#.Cþÿ << GÿÿüÿP Pd&&&&'ÿÿdxd Ý ƒ!ÝÑ  ÑÑ#€d#ÑÔ€+ÔÝ  ÝÔ€,ÔÔ€,ÔÓ  Óò òÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€,XÔÌÌFebruary€21,€1997ÌÌCecil€W.€CrowsonÌAppellate€Court€ClerkÔ  Ôó ó< Œ 9p`(Courier New< Œ 9p`(Arial% Line 7 d----7Border 1dd!#.Cþÿ << Gÿÿ üÝ ƒ!ÝÑ#€d#ÑÔ€+ÔÝ  ÝÔ€,ÔÔ€,ÔÓ  Óò òÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€,XÔÌÌFebruary€21,€1997ÌÌCecil€W.€CrowsonÌAppellate€Court€ClerkÔ  Ôó óPtPtHHøHÿöÿòV,(ühhØ hd'0ÿÎÿºF ® Styl{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 ÒÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€+ÔÝ  Ý›Ñ  ÑÒ ° ÒÒ … ÒÒ  ÒÒ … ÒÑ\R AØ'\Ñò òÑ\R AØ'\ÑÒ ° ÒÒ … ÒÓ  ÓÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ\R AØ'\ÑÔ€,ÔÑ7€¾XXdædÈ7ÑÑ  ÑœßR€'*.A1-j|` ç `€€@ÿRß›Þ ÞÌIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌSPECIAL€WORKERS'€COMPENSATION€PANELÌAT€NASHVILLEÌÓ  Óó óÌÌÌDARIN€M.€POTTS,à àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àDAVIDSON€CHANCERYÌà àPlaintiff/Appelleeà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àHon.€Irvin€H.€Kilcrease,€Jr.,Ìv.à àà àà àà àà àà à)à àChancellorÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àÌBEAMAN€BOTTLING€COMPANY€andà à)à àNO.€€œ01S01„9605„CH„00108›ÌLUMBERMENS€MUTUAL€CASUALTYà à)à à(No.€94„3724„I€Below)€€€€€€ÌCOMPANY,à àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àDefendants/Appellantsà àà à)ÌÌÌÌò òòòFor€the€Appellantsóó:à àòòà àà àà àFor€the€Appelleeóó:€ÌÌó óRichard€C.€Mangelsdorf,€œJr.›à àà àà àœPhilip›€W.€KendrickÌœ2300›€First€American€Ctr.à àà àà àà à5115€Maryland€WayÌNashville,€TN€€37238„2300à àà àà àBrentwood,€TN€€œ37027›à àà àÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌò òòòÓ  ÓMEMORANDUM€OPINIONÌÌÌÌMembers€of€Panel:ó óóóÌÌChief€Justice€Adolpho€A.€BirchÌSenior€Judge€John€K.€ByersÌSpecial€Judge€William€S.€RussellÌÌÌÌÌÌÌò òÓ  ÓAFFIRMED€à àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àBYERS,€SeniorÏJudge€ÌAND€REMANDEDÌÑ  ÑòòÓÓà àó óóóThis€workers'€compensation€appeal€has€been€referred€to€the€Special€Workers'ÌCompensation€Appeals€Panel€of€the€Supreme€Court€in€accordance€with€òòTenn.€Code€Annóó.Ïðð€50„6„225(e)(3)€for€hearing€and€reporting€to€the€Supreme€Court€of€findings€of€fact€andÏconclusions€of€law.Ìà àThe€trial€judge€found€the€plaintiff€was€30%€permanently€partially€disabled€as€aÏresult€of€a€work„related€injury€occurring€on€March€4,€1994.€€The€trial€court€ordered€theÏpayment€of€temporary€total€disability€benefits€from€May€23,€1994€through€July€5,€1994.€ÏThe€trial€court€held€that€plaintiff€was€not€entitled€to€reimbursement€for€unauthorizedÏmedical€expenses.Ìà àAppellant€challenges€the€award€of€permanent€partial€disability€benefits€andÏtemporary€total€disability€benefits.€€Appellee€challenges€the€trial€courtððs€refusal€to€allowÏreimbursement€for€unauthorized€medical€expenses.Ìà àWe€affirm€the€trial€courtððs€judgment.Ìà àPlaintiff,€30€at€the€time€of€trial,€has€a€tenth„grade€education.€€He€has€worked€mostlyÏin€construction€and€as€a€sales€clerk€in€retail€and€convenience€stores.€€On€March€4,€1994,Ïhe€felt€pain€in€his€right€shoulder€as€he€was€lifting€cases€of€three„liter€Pepsi€bottles.€€He€toldÏhis€supervisor,€who€told€him€to€go€to€the€hospital€if€he€œneeded€to€do€so.›€€He€went€to€BaptistÏConvenient€Care€the€next€morning,€and€they€referred€him€to€Dr.€œRobert€Stein,€anÏorthopedic€surgeon.›€€Plaintiff€worked€sporadically€for€defendant€on€light„duty€tasks€untilÏJune€27,€1994,€when€Dr.€Stein€released€him€to€full€duty.€€He€worked€for€a€portion€of€oneÏday€at€full€duty€and€then€voluntarily€quit€working€for€defendant.€€Plaintiff€began€working€forÏBurlington€Coat€Factory€in€June€1994.Ìà àAt€trial,€plaintiff€testified€that€he€has€constant€pain€and€limited€range€of€motion€in€hisÏshoulders€and€neck.€€The€employer€put€on€various€witnesses€who€testified€to€eventsÏwhich€raised€doubts€as€to€the€plaintiffððs€honesty€in€general,€œin›€a€previous€workersððÏcompensation€claim,€and€in€this€particular€workersðð€compensation€claim.€€The€partiesÏsubmitted€the€deposition€testimony€of€four€physicians.Ìà àDr.€Stein€opined€that€the€plaintiff€did€not€suffer€any€permanent€impairment€as€aÏresult€of€a€work„related€injury.€€He€opined€plaintiff€reached€maximum€medicalÏimprovement€on€July€5,€1994.€€He€testified€that€an€MRI€revealed€a€fusion€of€C3„4,€œwhichÏhe€described€as€a›€congenital€defect,€and€degenerative€disc€disease,€œwhich€he€alsoÏdescribed€as€unrelated›€to€trauma€in€his€opinion.Ìœà àPlaintiff€went€to€see€Dr.€Winston€Griner,€a€family€practitioner€and€pain€managementÏspecialist,€on€his€own€while€he€was€being€treated€by€Dr.€Stein.€€Dr.€Griner€performed€aÏneuroselective€clinical€evaluation€and€ordered€an€EMG.€€The€EMG€revealed€C6„C7Íradiculopathy.€€He€assigned€plaintiff€a€15%€impairment€rating€based€on€the€AMA€Guides.€ÏHe€also€assigned€him€permanent€restrictions:€€no€lifting€more€than€15€pounds€with€hisÏright€arm€or€more€than€15€pounds€frequently;€no€repetitive€bending;€no€working€above€hisÏhead;€etc.€€Dr.€Griner€testified€that€the€myelogram€and€MRI€of€plaintiff€show€no€structuralÏabnormalities€in€the€C6„7€region.Ì›à àDr.€Stein€referred€plaintiff€to€Dr.€Weiss,€a€neurosurgeon,€for€neurologicalÏevaluation.€€He€also€opined€that€plaintiff€had€no€permanent€work„related€impairment.€€TwoÏœEMGs›€taken€subsequent€to€the€one€ordered€by€Dr.€œGriner›€do€not€reveal€any€abnormalities.€ÏHe€opined€that€the€EMG€ordered€by€Dr.€Griner€contains€nonspecific€ð ðsoftðð€findings€whichÏmight€not€be€found€by€another€doctor.€€He€testified€that,€under€the€AMA€Guides,€continuedÏcomplaints€of€pain€after€six€months€would€support€an€assessment€of€five€percentÏimpairment.Ìà àDr.€Benjamin€Johnson,€a€pain€management€specialist,€saw€plaintiff€on€referral€fromÏDr.€Griner.€€He€also€assigned€him€a€15%€impairment€rating€based€on€the€AMA€Guides.€ÏHe€based€this€impairment€rating€on€the€EMG€report€ordered€by€Dr.€Griner€and€hisÏobjective€findings€of€trigger€œpoints„„palpable›€areas€of€muscle€œspasm„„in›€plaintiffððsÏshoulders€and€neck.€€He€testified,€upon€seeing€the€subsequent€EMG€results,€that€they€didÏnot€change€his€opinion.Ìà àOur€review€is€òòde€novoóó€on€the€record,€accompanied€by€the€presumption€ofÏcorrectness€of€the€findings€of€fact€of€the€trial€court,€unless€the€preponderance€of€theÏevidence€is€otherwise.€€òòT.C.A.óó€ðð€50„6„225(e)(2).€€€This€tribunal€is€equally€well„situated€withÏthe€trial€judge€to€gauge€the€weight,€worth€and€significance€of€deposition€testimony.òò€ÍSeiber€v.€Greenbrier€Industries,€Inc.óó,€906€S.W.2d€444,€446€(Tenn.€1995).€€However,€weÏdefer€to€the€trial€judge€on€issues€of€the€credibility€of€witnesses€seen€and€heard€at€trial.Ìà àMost€of€the€appellantððs€objections€to€revolve€around€the€plaintiffððs€lack€of€credibility;Ïhowever,€the€trial€court€impliedly€found€plaintiff€credible,€since€it€accepted€plaintiffððs€injuryÏhistory€after€a€clear€challenge€to€plaintiffððs€credibility.€€We€do€not€find€the€medical€evidenceÏpreponderates€against€the€trial€courtððs€finding€of€œ30%›€permanent€partial€disability.Ìà àWe€œfind›€that€the€evidence€does€not€preponderate€against€the€trial€courtððs€award€ofÏtemporary€total€disability€benefits€from€May€23,€1994€to€July€5,€1994,€the€date€upon€whichÏDr.€Stein€found€the€plaintiff€to€have€reached€maximum€medical€œimprovement.Ìà àWe€find€the€evidence€does€not€preponderate€against€the€trial€courtððs€finding€that€theÏplaintiffððs€medical€treatment€from€Drs.€Griner€and€Johnson€was€unauthorized€and,€thus,Ïplaintiff€is€not€entitled€to€reimbursement€from€the€defendants€for€such€treatment.€€TheÏplaintiff€could€not€specifically€recall€any€conversation€with€defendantððs€human€resourcesÏpersonnel€or€his€supervisor€in€which€he€complained€of€his€treatment€under€Dr.€Stein.€€Mr.ÏLonnie€Hillis,€who€was€the€defendantððs€human€resources€manager€at€the€material€times€inÏthis€case,€testified€that€plaintiff€did€not€complain€to€him€of€Dr.€Steinððs€treatment€or€ask€if€heÏcould€see€another€physician.›€œ›Ìà àWe€affirm€the€judgment€of€the€trial€court.€€Costs€are€assessed€to€the€appellants,ÏBeaman€Bottling€Company€and€Lumbermens€Mutual€Casualty€Company.ÌÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà àà àòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌà àà àà àà àà àà àJohn€K.€Byers,€Senior€JudgeÌÌœÌÌCONCUR:›ÌÌÌÌòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌAdolpho€A.€Birch,€Chief€JusticeÌÌÌÌòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌWilliam€S.€Russell,€Special€œJudgeÌÌÇÒ  ÒÒ … ÒÒ  ÒÒ £ ÒòòÔ€,¼Ôà@ àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌßJ€'1;+'b|Í` ç `€@ÿJßÌà@ àAT€NASHVILLEÌÌÌÌDARIN€M.€POTTS,à àà àà à}à àDAVIDSON€CHANCERYÌà àà àà àà àà àà à}à àNo.€94„3724„I€BelowÌà àPlaintiff/Appelleeà àà àà à}Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à}à àHon.€Irvin€H.€Kilcrease,€Jr.,Ìvs.à àà àà àà àà àà à}à àChancellorÌà àà àà àà àà àà à}ÌBEAMAN€BOTTLING€COMPANYà à}à àNo.€01S01„9605„CH„00108Ìand€LUMBERMENS€MUTUALà àà à}ÌCASUALTY€COMPANY,à àà àà à}Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à}Ìà àDefendants/Appellantsà àà à}à àAFFIRMED€AND€REMANDED.ÌÌÌà@ àJUDGMENT€ORDERÌÌÌÓ€Óà àà àThis€case€is€before€the€Court€upon€the€entire€record,€includingÏthe€order€of€referral€to€the€Special€Workers'€Compensation€Appeals€Panel,Ïand€the€Panel's€Memorandum€Opinion€setting€forth€its€findings€of€fact€andÏconclusions€of€law,€which€are€incorporated€herein€by€reference.Ìà àà àWhereupon,€it€appears€to€the€Court€that€the€MemorandumÏOpinion€of€the€Panel€should€be€accepted€and€approved;€andÌà àà àIt€is,€therefore,€ordered€that€the€Panel's€findings€of€fact€andÏconclusions€of€law€are€adopted€and€affirmed,€and€the€decision€of€the€PanelÏis€made€the€judgment€of€the€Court.ÌÓ ` ` šXÓà àà àCosts€will€be€paid€by€Defendants/Appellants€and€Surety,€forÏwhich€execution€may€issue€if€necessary.ÌÓÓà àà àIT€IS€SO€ORDERED€on€February€21,€1997.ÌÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà àPER€CURIAMÌóóÌÌÔ€+ÔÔ€+XÔ›