WPCd ?ofvZ~\|֘-$4 mchwb _}i\ xR͎2)W-Y ~҃wAÀQ@ِP6 ):2Nto D!][K}xGEy%zOjoİodZTTpO n0~&x]ʕELy&u#XA[ Zh" c5gB-zE1 X 2$PKl=~p:O@cvmjj5IӛxYt!M$aU0:eg_~:R.UзbZ zQDAr{6'ӶZLX)dT@)UB> %U.rk& 0 n. 0r1  w 4 @ AQ d l t |         U:  U:6 0D 0D@ 0D D/ B B D31\  `*Times New RomanTT"AArialTT'    0 .    a u)XOXXXXXO   8  <( ` hp x (#X<  @    1  A      ?+ ` hp x (#` X?(e2u$  !XOXXXXXO   3|x\  `*Times New RomanTTC\  P6QP"AArialTTomanTTXXaptQXp\  `*Times New RomanTT^\  P6QP(J$XXX7XXX  VӀ Ӏyk&(c:\office\wpwin\template\jo.wpt !"#%C<< Ci1i2i3i4i5i6i7i8i9i10i11 !"   r     Ad FILEDXQ X r  April12,1999CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,kAZ"Arial Regular !"   r     Ad FILEDXQ X r  April12,1999CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,kAZ"Arial RegularLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$  !  (3$  !  ($$   1  ''' dxd dP Pd&&&&'dxd  !XOXXXXXO   TR[A'3'A' Legal3'T8  &    <( ` hp x (#X<XXg  r(<,(j 8` `@E@` 8ttxPx  rINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATNASHVILLE(January19,1999Session)  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?VALERIEPARHAM, h     ) p ROBERTSONCIRCUIT    `     h     ) ` PlaintiffAppellant,    ) p Hon.JamesE.Walton,    `     h     ) p Judge.   v. `     h     ) 4  `     h     ) p No.01S019804CV00069 J CONWOODCOMPANY,L.P.,  ) `  `     h     ) ` DefendantAppellee.    ) < ForAppellant:   h      p ForAppellee:  WilliamL.Underhill h      p RandolphA.Veazey & Madison,Tennessee h      p JamesR.Tomkins  <  `     h      p Glasgow&Veazey `     h      p Nashville,Tennessee #h   <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION (#! MembersofPanel: -D)& AdolphoA.Birch,Jr.,AssociateJusticeJamesL.Weatherford,SeniorJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?  <( ` hp x (#X<  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?:L62   AFFIRMED   h      p      x  Loser,  Judge {  <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION'    ?+ ` hp x (#` X? ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Theemployeeorclaimant,Parham,arguesthattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialcourt'sfindingthatshedidnotsufferacompensablepermanentinjury. { `  ` Theemployeeinitiatedthisactionforbenefitsforclaimedcarpaltunnelsyndrome.Afteratrialonthemerits,thetrialjudgedismissedtheclaimuponafindingthatshedidnotsufferacompensableinjury.Appellatereviewisde Z novoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionof p correctnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(2);Hensonv.Cityof  Lawrenceburg,851S.W.2d809(Tenn.1993).   `  ` Theclaimant'sdutiesatConwoodincludedmonitoringasmallconveyorcarryingloosetobaccousedinproducingchewingtobaccoandremovingstemsandforeignmaterialfromloosetobacco.Althoughtheworkdoesinvolvecontinuouslywatchingthematerialpassbyontheconveyor,itdoesnotinvolvecontinuousorrepetitiveuseofthehands.Themajorityofthestemsareremovedinanearlierprocess. `  ` Theclaimanthasseenanumberofphysicians.Dr.DouglasWeikerttreatedherforcomplaintsofpaininbothhands,butopinedshedidnothavecarpaltunnelsyndromeoranypermanentmedicalimpairment.Thedoctorwasequivocalastowhetherherpainwascausallyconnectedtoheremployment.Dr.StephenPrattdiagnosedmildtendonitisbutprescribednorestrictionsandfoundnopermanentmedicalimpairment.Shesawtwoorthreeotherapprovedphysicians,whodidnottestify. `  ` Theclaimantalsosawthreenonapprovedphysicians.Oneofthemperformedcarpaltunnelreleasesurgery.Another,Dr.RichardFishbein,whoevaluatedbutdidnottreather,testifiedhewouldnothaverecommendedthesurgery.Dr.Fishbein,beingundertheimpressionthattheclaimantengagedinrepetitiveuseofherhandsatwork,opinedherinjurywasworkrelated,asdidtheoperatingsurgeon,Dr.McCluskey,whosetestimonywas,atbest,equivocal. `  ` Thetrialjudge,afterevaluatingthecredibilityoftheclaimantandstudyingtheconflictingmedicalevidence,foundthemedicaltestimonyofDrs.WeikertandPratttobemorereliable.Thetrialjudge,asthetrieroffactinworkers'compensationcases,hasthediscretiontodeterminewhichexperttestimonytoacceptorreject.Moreoverwherethetrialjudgehasseenandheardwitnesses,especiallywhereissuesofcredibilityandweightoforaltestimonyareinvolved,considerabledeferencemustbeaccordedthetrialcourt'sactual F830 findings.Hillv.EagleBendMfg.,Inc.,942S.W.2d483,487(Tenn.1997).   `  ` ThepartyclaimingthebenefitsoftheActhastheburdenofprooftoestablishhisclaimbyapreponderanceofalltheevidence.Anawardmaynotbebasedonconjecture;itmustbebasedonmaterialevidenceandtherulesofevidenceareapplicable.Testimonyofwitnessesisevaluatedonthebasisofreasonablenessandunreasonablenessofthetestimonygiven,theinterest,bias,prejudiceorlackthereofonthepartofthewitnesses,theirgeneralcredibility,theiropportunitytoseeandobserve,andalloftheotherstandardsandcriteriaapplicabletofactualdecisionsinanonjurycivilaction.Parkerv.RyderTruck v  Lines,Inc.,591S.W.2d755(Tenn.1979).Unlessadmittedbytheemployer,   theemployeeorclaimanthastheburdenofproving,bycompetentevidence,everyessentialelementofhisclaim.Osterv.Yates,845S.W.2d215(Tenn.   1992).Theclaimantmustprovethatheisanemployee,thathesufferedaninjurybyaccident,andthatsuchinjurybyaccidentaroseoutofandinthecourseofhisemploymentbytheemployer. `  ` Inordertoestablishthataninjurywasonearisingoutoftheemployment,thecauseofthedeathorinjurymustbeproved;andiftheclaimisforpermanentdisabilitybenefits,permanencymustbeproved.Hillv.RoyalIns. R Co.,937S.W.2d873(Tenn.1996).Inallbutthemostobviouscases, h causationandpermanencymayonlybeestablishedthroughexpertmedicaltestimony.Thomasv.AetnaLifeandCas.Ins.Co.,812S.W.2d278(Tenn.  1991).Trialcourtsarenotrequiredtoaccepttheopinionofatreatingphysicianoveranyotherconflictingexpertmedicaltestimony,butmaydoso.Harbinv.  St.Mary'sMedicalCenter,Inc.,23TAM31(WCKnoxville9/12/97). &  `  ` Fortheabovereasons,theevidencefailstopreponderateagainstthefindingsofthetrialcourt.Thejudgmentisaffirmed.Costsonappealaretaxedtotheplaintiffappellant. rA  <( ` hp x (#X<_______________________________ rA  ӀJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?CONCUR:_________________________________AdolphoA.Birch,Jr.,AssociateJustice_________________________________JamesL.Weatherford,SeniorJudge0`  x (#X0  5%1- TR[A' Legal[A'A' LegalA' LegalT   r(<,(j 8` `@E@` 8ttxPx  r @ T INTHESUPREMEOFTENNESSEE  @  'TATNASHVILLE %  VALERIEPARHAM%&@%%-T}  %  ROBERTSONCIRCUIT%&  n @%%-T}  No.Below%  8802%=' 4   ` Plaintiff/Appell%  ant%'@%%-T} J  @%%-T}  Hon.%  JamesE.Walton%' `  vs.@TT-TH%%-T} v  @%%-T}@%%-T}  No.%  01S019804CV00069%(   %  CONWOODCOMPANY,L.P.%(@%%-T}   @%%-T} ` Defendant/Appell%  ee%)@%%-T}  %  AFFIRMED%) 4 @SS&TJUDGMENTORDER &v  ` ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingthe h orderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. ` Costswillbepaidby%  plaintiff/appellant%,,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. ` ITISSOORDEREDon%  April12,1999%n-. `        x   (# PERCURIAM 61.  `