WPCs Nh eXUø#Ӷߛr.Pfo8s;3%w1us>-?@vî.I2+הlHp" E<-sD__wRtN9!9Jv\ ¶x oj1i״@0@<]`"o߳ *W}Z:Ŋanêi(;-lr(jހ%pU'"o[ pxbhb(׏w1l3XIӞG>?⌰x_ Q2>Ǘ, kFozo0={ې6%OO;2W8/.BUh^YY !": R:׿qΦ=q7&u= X,#lf$uuBQD&GIaI^o\ܓT:g[涩Oe>`# i?B*UBL %U .rk4 0, n< 0r \ w4\ 4 J AQ U:?@yU:        # + 3  ;  EJO_% 0 0y 0DK D/ B@ B] D3z\  `*Times New RomanTT"AArialTT'    0 .    a y^)XOXXwXXXO   8  <( ` hp x (#X<  @    1  A      ?+ ` hp x (#` X?(e2y^$  W!XOXXwXXXO   3|x\  `*Times New RomanTTC\  P6QP"AArialTTomanTTXXaptQXp\  `*Times New RomanTT^\  P6QP\  `*Times New RomanTTXXP\  P6QXP(JW$XXXSXXX  DӀ V Ӏ  yk&(oldchH4 @ !"XOXXwXXXO   X&p XXXw XX&p   Ad FILEDX&p X  April7,1999CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdA  !"#%C<< C,kAZ"Arial Regularc:\office\wpwin\template\jo.wpt,cAZ"Arial Regulari1i2i3i4i5i6i7i8i9i10i11 @ !"XOXXwXXXO   X&p XXXw XX&p   Ad FILEDX&p X  April7,1999CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdA Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(f3$  W!XOXXwXXXO   (f3$  W!XOXXwXXXO   ($$   1  Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5''' dxd dP Pd&&&&'dxdLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5  W!XOXXwXXXO   TR[A'3'A' Legal3'T8  &    <( ` hp x (#X<XXwg  r (<,(j 8` `@E@` 8ttxPx  rINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATNASHVILLE(January19,1999Session)  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?KENNETHPAXTON, h     ) p MAURYCIRCUIT    `     h     ) ` PlaintiffAppellant     p ) p Hon.JimT.Hamilton,    `     h     ) p Judge.   v. `     h     ) 4  `     h     ) p No.01S019710CV00230 J FLOYDandFLOYD,INC.,and  ) ` LIBERTYMUTUALINSURANCE  ) &v COMPANY,   h     ) <  `     h     ) ` DefendantAppellee.    ) h ForAppellant:   h      p   ForAppellee: & JeffreyM.Levine   h      p   PaulBates "R Nashville,Tennessee h      p   Lawrenceburg,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?  AFFIRMED   h      p      x  Loser,:L62 Judge {  <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION'    ?+ ` hp x (#` X? ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Fairlystated,theissuesonappealare(1)whethertheemployeeorclaimant,Paxton,gaveorwasexcusedfromgivingtimelynoticeofhisinjury,(2)whethertheemployeesufferedacompensableinjurybyaccident,and(3)whetherthetrialjudgeerredinrulingontheadmissibilityofadoctor'sreport.Asdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed.  { `  ` Theemployeeinitiatedthisactionforworkers'compensationbenefitsresultingfromanallegedbackinjuryallegedlyoccurringonApril29,1996.Afteratrialonthemerits,thetrialjudgefoundthattheemployee'snoticetotheemployerwasnottimelyandthattheemployeedidnotsufferaninjurybyaccidentonApril29,1996,asclaimed.Thetrialjudgeexpresslyfoundtheemployee'stestimonytobeunworthyofbelief.Theclaimwasdismissed.Appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedby . apresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(2). `  ` InOctoberof1995,whileworkingforanotheremployer,theclaimantinjuredhisbackliftingacrosstie.Hereceivedmedicalcareandreturnedtoworkforthesameemployer.Hebeganworkingforthisemployer,FloydandFloyd,onDecember7,1995,andworkedthirteendaysbetweenthatdateandApril7,1996,whenhebeganworkingfulltimeandworkeduntilMay26,1996,whenhisemploymentwasterminated. `  ` OnJuly11,1996,hisattorneysentalettertoFloydandFloyd,advisingtheemployerthattheemployeewasmakingaclaim"asaresultofaworkrelatedaccidentwhichoccurredonorabout101695."Thatletterwas,asthetrialjudgefound,thefirstnoticetotheemployer,buttheemployeehadcomplainedtocoworkersofbackpain.Thenoticewasalsosenttotheformeremployer,BEC/Allwaste.OnJuly31,1996,hisbackconditionwassurgicallyrepaired. `  ` Immediatelyupontheoccurrenceofaninjury,orassoonthereafterasisreasonableandpracticable,aninjuredemployeemust,unlesstheemployerhasactualknowledgeoftheaccident,givewrittennoticeoftheinjurytohisemployer.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506201;XOXg  gXXO  McCalebvSaturnCorp.,910 1-* S.W.2d412(Tenn.1995).Foranoccupationaldisease,exceptasbestosrelateddiseaseorcoalworker'spneumoconiosis,benefitsarenotrecoverablefromthedateoftheaccidenttothegivingofsuchnoticeandnobenefitsarerecoverableunlesssuchwrittennoticeisgivenwithinthirtydaysaftertheinjuriousoccurrence,unlesstheinjuredworkerhasareasonableexcuseforthefailuretogivetherequirednotice.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506201.Thewrittennotice F830 muststateinplainandsimplelanguagethenameandaddressoftheemployee,thetime,place,natureandcauseoftheaccidentandmustbesignedbytheclaimantorsomeoneactinginhisbehalf.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506202.Theonlynoticegiveninthiscasewasdefectiveinthatitwasnottimelyanddidnotincludethenatureandcauseoftheaccident.Moreover,theclaimantwasnotanemployeeofthedefendantonthedateoftheinjuryclaimedinthenotice. `  ` Thereasonsforthethirtydaystatutorynoticerequirementare(1)togivetheemployeranopportunitytomakeaninvestigationwhilethefactsareaccessible,and(2)toenabletheemployertoprovidetimelyandpropertreatmentfortheinjuredemployee.McCalebat415.Thefailuretogiveproper   noticeprejudicedtheemployerbydeprivingitofthatopportunity.Wheretheemployerdeniesthataclaimanthasgiventherequiredwrittennotice,theclaimanthastheburdenofshowingthattheemployerhadactualnotice,orthattheemployeehaseithercompliedwiththerequirementorhasareasonableexcuseforhisfailuretodoso,fornoticeisanessentialelementofhisclaim.Jonesv.SterlingLastCorp.,962S.W.2d469(Tenn.1998).Theemployee's ` contentionthatnoticewasexcusedorwaivedbytheemployer'sfailuretoofferachoiceofphysiciansorsurgeonsiswithoutmerit. `  ` Fortheabovereasonsthenoticeissueisresolvedinfavoroftheemployer. `  ` Theclaimantnextcontendstheemployerisliableunderthesuccessiverule.Theruleisthatwhereanemployeeispermanentlydisabledasaresultofacombinationoftwoormoreaccidentsoccurringatdifferenttimesandwhiletheemployeewasworkingfordifferentemployers,theemployerforwhomtheemployeewasworkingatthetimeofthemostrecentaccidentisgenerallyliableforpermanentdisabilitybenefits.SeeBaxterv.Smith,211Tenn.347,364 #h S.W.2d936(Tenn.1962),anditsprogeny. `  ` Becausetheevidencefailedtoestablishtheoccurrenceofasecondinjury,therulehasnoapplicationinthiscase.Thetrialjudgefoundalackofcredibilityonthepartoftheclaimant.Wherethetrialjudgehasseenandheardthewitnesses,especiallyifissuesofcredibilityandweighttobegivenoraltestimonyareinvolved,considerabledeferencemustbeaccordedthosecircumstancesonreview.McCalebat415. +'$  `  ` Theclaimantnextinsiststhetrialjudgeerredinnotadmittingorconsideringthetreatingdoctor'swrittenreport.Inaworkers'compensationcase,asignedmedicalreport,onaformestablishedbythecommissioneroflabor,maybeintroducedinevidence,subjecttocompliancewithstatutoryprocedures.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506235(c)(1).Inthiscase,theprocedureswerefollowed,butthedoctorwasalsodeposedandhisdepositionadmittedinevidence.Itcontainedevidencewhichmateriallycontradictedthewrittenreport.Anyerrorthetrialcourtcommittedbyrefusingtoadmitorconsiderthewrittenreportisthusharmlessinthatthereportcouldhaveservednopurposeotherthantocancelthedoctor'stestimonybydeposition.Cancellationofthatevidencewouldnothaveallowedtheclaimanttocarryhis 8 40 burdentoestablishtheoccurrenceofacompensableinjurybyaccidentbyapreponderanceoftheevidence. `  ` Fortheabovereasons,thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Costsonappealaretaxedtotheplaintiff. `  `   rA  <( ` hp x (#X<_______________________________  rA  ӀJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?CONCUR:_________________________________AdolphoA.Birch,Jr.,AssociateJustice_________________________________JamesL.Weatherford,SeniorJudge0`  x (#X0  +   TR[A' Legal[A'A' LegalA' LegalT             t(>.*jxP+` `@E` 8ttxP t @ T INTHESUPREMEOFTENNESSEE  @  'TATNASHVILLE  %                   t(>.*jxR ` `@EL) ` 8ttxP ( t KENNETHPAXTON%-@%%-T}  %  MAURYCIRCUIT%O/  n  r(<,(j 8` `@E@7 ` 8ttxPx4  r @%%-T}  No.Below%  7637%I0 4   ` Plaintiff/Appell%  ant%0@%%-T} J  @%%-T}  Hon.%  JimT.Hamilton% 1 `  vs.@TT-TH%%-T} v  @%%-T}FLOYDANDFLOYD,INC.AND  @%%-T}  No.%  01S019710CV00230%1   %  %02LIBERTYMUTUALINSURANCE@%%-T}   COMPANY  }@%%-T} ` Defendant/Appell%  ee%3@%%-T}  %  AFFIRMED%H3 J @SS&TJUDGMENTORDER <  ` ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingthe ~ orderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. ` Costswillbepaidby%  plaintiff/appellant%V6,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. ` ITISSOORDEREDon%  April7,1999%6. `        x   (# PERCURIAM 7 3/  ` XOXg    #gXXO7#