ÿWPC 0U:° %êðn­ 0(­4Õéñ 0Jñw; 0TQ 0^¥ 0h 0rk 0|Ý 0†Y 0ß 1uoU,ä 0dU,tU6 U*ÖB) DC) AMl 0@¹ D3ù B, D+I ét v~] vÓÛ AO®Æý 0DÃ<þ6X9`("Courier 10cpiX3|xr«<þ6X9`("Courier 10cpiXôxþ6X@É“8Ç;X@($¡¡dO˜ 2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  ÔeÓ€pr2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô  ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)< Œ 9p`(ModernP ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ< Œ 9p`(Monaco< Œ 9p`(Courier New< Œ 9p`(Arial% Line 7 d""""7Border 1dd-%#Cþÿ << Gÿÿ("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò'''''ÿÿdxd d'ÈÈÈÈdxd ßÝ ƒ!ÝÔ€ÔÔ€ ÔÝ  ݛԀ!ÔÔ€!ÔÔ YYY ÔÓ  ÓFILEDÔ€!XÔÌÌò òJune€7,€1996ÌÌCecil€Crowson,€Jr.ÌAppellate€Court€Clerkó óPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHÚ(d'@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 ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑMonacoÑÑ ÑÒ  BA Op Monaco ÒÒ  BA Op Monaco Ò-%/(Cþÿ` << CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó óÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€ÔÓ&€X„d&ÓÑ#€Xd#ÑÔ€ ÔÝ  ÝÒ  ÒÒ „ ÒÙ€-ÙÓ  ÓÑ  Ñò òÔ€!ÔÑ\R AØ'\ÑßL€$)#;+'h|¨ÿ` ç `€€LßIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌSPECIAL€WORKERS'€COMPENSATION€PANELÌAT€NASHVILLEÌÓ  Óó óÌÌÌÌWILLIAM€RICHARDSON,à àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àLAWRENCE€CIRCUITÌà àPlaintiff/Appelleeà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àHon.€James€L.€Weatherford,Ìv.à àà àà àà àà àà à)à àJudgeÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àÌMURRAY€OHIO€MANUFACTURINGà à)à àNO.€€01S01„9508„CV„00130ÌCOMPANY,à àà àà àà àà à)à à(No.€C„13840€Below)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àÌà àDefendant/Appellantà àà à)ÌÌÌÌò òòòFor€the€Appellantóó:à àà àòòà àà àà àFor€the€Appelleeóó:€Ìó óÌBen€Bostonà àà àà àà àà àà àJ.€Daniel€FreemonÌChristopher€V.€Sockwellà àà àà àà àFreemon€&€Hillhouse€€ÌBoston,€Bates€&€Holt€à àà àà àà à327€W.€Gaines€St.Ì235€Waterloo€St.à àà àà àà àà àP.O.€Box€787ÌP.O.€Box€357à àà àà àà àà àLawrenceburg,€TN€€38464ÌLawrenceburg,€TN€€38464ÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÓ  Óò òòòMEMORANDUM€OPINIONÌÌÌÌMembers€of€Panel:ó óóóÌÌJustice€Frank€F.€Drowota,€IIIÌSenior€Judge€John€K.€ByersÌSpecial€Judge€Robert€L.€ChildersÌÌÌÌÓ  Óò òAFFIRMEDà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àBYERS,€SeniorÏJudge€ÌANDÌREMANDEDÌÓÓòòà àó óóóThis€workers'€compensation€appeal€has€been€referred€to€the€SpecialÏWorkers'ÌCompensation€Appeals€Panel€of€the€Supreme€Court€in€accordance€with€òòTenn.€CodeÏAnnóó.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(3)€for€hearing€and€reporting€to€the€Supreme€Court€of€findings€ofÏfact€and€conclusions€of€law.Ô€ ÔÌÔ€!Ôà àThe€trial€court€awarded€the€plaintiff€15%€permanent€partial€disability€to€theÏbody€as€a€whole.€€The€defendant€below€appeals,€challenging€the€trial€court'sÏfinding€that€plaintiff€retains€a€permanent€impairment€as€a€result€of€his€work„relatedÏinjury.Ìà àWe€affirm€the€judgment€of€the€trial€court.Ìà àPlaintiff,€38€at€the€time€of€trial€is€a€high€school€graduate.€€While€moving€a€rollÏof€sheet€metal€on€June€2,€1992,€plaintiff€felt€a€sharp€pain€in€his€groin.€€He€wasÏreferred€to€Dr.€Robert€Coble,€who€diagnosed€a€right€inguinal€hernia€and€performedÏa€surgical€repair.€€After€surgery,€plaintiff€returned€to€his€former€employer,€performingÏlight€duty€work€for€a€while€and€then€returning€to€his€former€duties.€€Plaintiff€testifiedÍthat€he€re„injured€this€area€in€October,€falling€into€a€split.€€Plaintiff€is€now€self„employed,€painting€and€cleaning€carpets.€€He€testified€that€he€continues€toÏexperience€pain,€soreness€and€pulling€in€his€groin.Ìà àDr.€Coble€assigned€plaintiff€an€impairment€rating€of€10%€to€15%.€€HeÏadmitted€on€cross„examination€that€the€A.M.A.€Guides€allow€only€a€zero€to€fiveÏpercent€impairment€rating€for€a€hernia.€€He€relied€in€part€on€the€first€edition€of€theÏA.M.A.€Guides€but€testified€that€he€considered€vocational€factors€such€as€theÏemployment€activity€described€to€him€by€plaintiff€and€the€problems€plaintiffÏdescribed€having€while€performing€those€activities.€€He€did€not€place€anyÏpermanent€restrictions€on€the€plaintiff.Ìà àOur€review€is€òòde€novoóó€on€the€record€accompanied€by€the€presumption€thatÏthe€findings€of€fact€of€the€trial€court€are€correct€unless€the€evidence€preponderatesÏotherwise.€€òòTenn.€Code€Ann.óó€ðð€50„6„225(e)(2).€€The€plaintiff€must€prove€everyÏelement€of€his€case€by€a€preponderance€of€the€evidence.€€òòWhite€v.€WerthanÏIndustriesò ò,€ó óóó824€S.W.2d€158,€159€(Tenn.€1992).€€Causation€and€permanency€of€aÏwork„related€injury€must€be€shown€in€most€cases€by€expert€medical€evidence.€ÏòòTindall€v.€Waring€Park€Ass'nóó,€725€S.W.2d€935,€937€(Tenn.€1987).Ìà àThe€defendant€contends€that€the€medical€evidence€preponderates€againstÏthe€trial€court's€finding€that€the€plaintiff€has€a€permanent€injury.€€It€argues€that€Dr.ÏCoble€imposed€no€permanent€restrictions€and€did€not€properly€assign€anÏimpairment€rating€because€he€used€an€outdated€edition€of€the€A.M.A.€Guides€andÏconsidered€vocational€factors€as€well€as€medical€ones.Ìà àWe€do€not€agree€with€the€defendant€that€these€facts€bar€a€finding€ofÍpermanent€partial€disability€to€the€body€as€a€whole€by€the€trial€court.€€The€totality€ofÏDr.€Coble's€testimony€indicates€that,€in€his€opinion,€plaintiff€suffered€a€permanentÏinjury.€€The€use€of€an€outdated€edition€of€the€A.M.A.€Guides€does€not€eliminate€theÏprobative€value€of€the€expert€medical€testimony.€€òòTonya€Jo€Ladd€v.€TravelersÏInsurance€Companyò ò,ó ó€óóNo.€òò03S01„9402„CV„0008óó€(filed€August€30,€1994€atÏKnoxville).€€Also,€the€lay€testimony€of€the€plaintiff€is€valid€evidence€on€the€issue€ofÏpermanence,€to€be€considered€in€conjunction€with€the€expert€testimony.€€òòSeeÏThomas€v.€Aetna€Life€&€Cas.€Co.óó,€812€S.W.2d€278,€283€(Tenn.€1991).Ìà àWe€find€that€the€evidence€in€the€record€does€not€preponderate€against€theÏtrial€judge's€finding€that€the€plaintiff€suffered€a€15%€permanent€partial€disability€toÏthe€body€as€a€whole.€€Therefore,€we€affirm€the€judgment€at€the€cost€of€the€appellant.€ÏWe€remand€the€case€to€the€trial€court€for€entry€of€any€order€necessary€to€carry€outÏthis€judgment.ÌÌÓÓÌà àà àà àà àà àà àòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌà àà àà àà àà àà àJohn€K.€Byers,€Senior€JudgeÌÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌÌòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌFrank€F.€Drowota,€III,€JusticeÌÌÌÌòòÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌRobert€L.€Childers,€Special€JudgeÔ€ Ô