WPC V  n U: % 0 4 w@  0J 0TA 0^ 0h 0r[ 0| 0I 0 1u_ 0dU*8B)bDC AM BX8fU6v~, D3v 0@ AO? 0D D/I Bx'  $ "Steve Miller 0 .   3|x*\  `(Times NewRomanTTd\  PCP,  AZ"Arial RegularX(/@$` TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'Tѷ^! vPwPxPyPzP{P|D}V~ӀHr2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(Arial% Line 7 d""""7Border 1dd-#C << G d N !!    ` \RA'\  !   YYY FILED!X November20,1996CecilCrowson,Jr.!AppellateCourtClerk  \\RA'\<  9p`(Courier NewPtPtHHHV,(hh hd'0F %%%%'dxdStyl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   BA Op Geneva  BA Op Geneva ("$    -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! . !    ` \RA'\           ` , X\RA'\ L$&#;+'h|` . `LߛINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEEWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATKNOXVILLE   JOERINES,     )        ) HAMBLENCIRCUIT Plaintiff/Appellant    )        ) NO.03S019509CV00101v.       )       ) Hon.ϜWilliamL.JenkinsMAHLE,INC.andROYAL   )INSURANCECOMPANY,   )       ) Defendants/Appellees   )       )and      )       )SUEANNHEAD,DIRECTOR,  )DIVISIONOFWORKERS   )COMPENSATION,TENNESSEE  )DEPARTMENTOFLABOR,   )̀       ) Thirdpartydefendant/Appellee  ) FortheAppellant:   FortheAppellee  FortheAppellee     Mahle,Inc.andRoyal SecondInjuryFund: RichardBaker    InsuranceCompany: Gilreath&Associates      CharlesBursonP.O.Box1270   ThomasL.Kilday  Atty.General&Reporter550MainAve.,Ste.600 Milligan&Coleman  DianneStameyDycusKnoxville,TN37901  NationsbankBldg.  Asst.AttorneyGeneral     Ste.301   1510ParkwayTowers     109S.MainSt.  404JamesRobertsonPk.     Greeneville,TN37744 Nashville,TN372430499                     MEMORANDUMOPINIONMembersofPanel: E.RileyAnderson,Justice@ @ WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge%    AFFIRMED.       INMAN,SeniorJudge  Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. ThisappealresultsfromtherefusalofthetrialcourttomodifyajudgmententeredApril20,1993thattheemployeesustainednopermanentdisabilityasaresultofajobrelatedinjuryin1990butwasentitledtofuturemedicalexpensesassociatedwithanyspinalfusionheelectedtoundergo. ThepetitiontomodifywasfiledNovember23,1994.Theplaintiffallegedthathe hasincreaseddisabilityfromsurgeryperformedbyDr.Wallaceoverandabovethatwhichhehadwhenthismatterwaspreviouslyheard. Thedefendants[hereafter employer]movedtodismiss,allegingthatthe CourthasnojurisdictiontoentertainthePetitionfiledonbehalfoftheplaintiffortoawardhimanyreliefand,further,thatneithertheprovisionsofT.C.A.506231norofRule60.02,Tenn.R.Civ.P.,areapplicableherein. Thereafter,theplaintiffannouncedthathewasrelyingexclusivelyuponT.C.A.506231,whichprovides:0  506231.LumppaymentsfinalModificationofperiodicpaymentsformorethansixmonths. 󄄀Allamountspaidbyemployerandreceivedbytheemployeeortheemployeesdependents,bylumpsumpayments,shallbefinal,buttheamountofanyawardpayableperiodicallyformorethansix(6)monthsmaybemodifiedasfollows:0  (1)Atanytimebyagreementofthepartiesandapprovalbythecourt;or0  (2)Ifthepartiescannotagree,thenatanytimeaftersix(6)monthsfromthedateoftheawardanapplicationmaybemadetothecourtsbyeitherparty,onthegroundofincreaseordecreaseofincapacityduesolelytotheinjury.Insuchcases,thesameprocedureshallbefollowedasin506225incaseofadisputedclaimforcompensation. Thetrialcourtgrantedthemotiontodismiss,holdingthatsincetherewasno awardpayableperiodicallyformorethansix(6)monthsthestatutewasinapplicable. Onappealtheplaintiffarguesthattheawardoffuturemedicalexpensesqualifiesasan awardpayableperiodicallywithinthepurviewofthestatute,ascontrastedtotheargumentoftheemployerthat anawardpayableperiodicallyreferstoanawardofmonetarybenefitsfordisabilityanddoesnotencompassmedicalexpenses.ThereportedcasesconstruingT.C.A.506231involvedlumpsumawardspersettlement,asinNailsv.AetnaIns.Co.,834S.W.2d284(Tenn.1992),orpercommutation,asinUnderwoodv.ZurichIns.Co.,854S.W.2d94(Tenn.1993),orwheretheemployeedidnotreceivethebenefitstowhichhewasentitled,asinCaldwellv.Servs.Intl,Inc.,No.88641(FiledatNashville,July24,1989),orwheretheawardwaspayableperiodicallyforlessthansixmonths,asinLeaverv.RudySausageCo.,333S.W.2d555(Tenn.1960). AsheldinNelsonv.CambriaCoalCo.,158S.W.2d717,721(Tenn.1942), [t]heremustbesomelimitationuponthetimeforreopeningacaseoncedecided. ϜThestatuteaffordsplenaryrelieftoanemployeewhohasbeenawardedbenefitsfordisabilitylastinglongerthansixmonths,itdoesnotcontemplateareopeningonthebasisthatevenifnodisabilitybenefitswereawarded,anawardoffuturemedicalexpensesneverthelesstriggerstheapplication.Ifthiswerethecase,nojudgmentwouldeverbefinalintheabsenceofanyexpressagreementbutwouldbesubjecttoreopeningadinfinitum.Thisinterpretationwouldeffectivelyemasculatethestatuteandeliminatethefinalityofjudgments. Ourreviewisdenovoontherecordaccompaniedbythepresumptionthatthefindingsoffactarecorrectunlesstheevidenceotherwisepreponderates.T.C.A.506225(e)(2).Thepresumptiondoesnotapplytoconclusionsoflaw,Presleyv.Bennett,860S.W.2d857,859(Tenn.1993).Forthereasonsappearing,weaffirmthejudgmentatthecostsoftheappellant.      __________________________________      WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudgeCONCUR:_____________________________E.RileyAnderson,ChiefJustice_____________________________̜JoeC.Loser,SpecialJudge '     h (@ (&INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ ATKNOXVILLEJOERINES,    (      (̀PlaintiffAppellant,  (      (      (   h v.      (HamblenCircuit,No.92CV481      (S.Ct.No.03S019509CV00101      (    MAHLE,INC.,ANDROYAL  (Hon.WilliamL.Jenkins,JudgeINSURANCECOMPANY,   (      ( DefendantsAppellees, (      ( and      (      (SUEANNHEAD,DIRECTOR,DIVISION(OFWORKERS'COMPENSATION,  (TENNESSEEDEPARTMENTOFLABOR, (      ( (ThirdPartyDefendant/Appellee(X. (AFFIRMED.(&@ JUDGMENTORDER  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtuponmotionforreviewpursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(5)(B),theentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthemotionforreviewisnotwelltakenandshouldbedenied;and Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. Costswillbepaidbyplaintiffappellant,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. ITISSOORDEREDthis___dayofNovember,1996.       PERCURIAMANDERSON,J.Notparticipating.!!Xԛ