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H \RA'\#Xd##Xd#  ݛ @ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL@ ATNASHVILLEJANUARY1997SESSION ̜!R+,*A1-j|` . `@RߛJAMESK.RINGROSE,   ) WILLIAMSONCHANCERY      )  Plaintiff/Appellant   ) NO.01S019607CH00141      ) v.      ) HON.DONALDP.HARRIS,      ) CHANCELLOR SATURNCORPORATION,  )      ) Defendant/Appellee  )       FortheAppellant:    FortheAppellee: J.AnthonyArena    ThomasH.Peebles,IVSchulman,LeRoy&Bennett,P.C. BrianA.Lapps,Jr.501UnionBuilding,7thFloor  WallerLansdenDortch&DavisP.O.Box190676    809SouthMainStreet,Suite300Nashville,TN372190676   P.O.Box1035      Columbia,TN384021035   MEMORANDUMOPINION MembersofPanel: FrankF.Drowota,III,JusticeJohnK.Byers,SeniorJudgeWilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge  ̛̜ AFFIRMED       BYERS,SeniorJudgeӜANDREMANDED ̛ Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. PlaintiffsustaineddeQuervainsdisease,aninflammatoryconditionwhichfirstmanifesteditselfinNovember,1992,whiledoingrepetitivefactoryworkfordefendant.Thetrialcourtawarded10percentpermanentpartialdisabilitytotherightupperextremityforhisrightwristinjury.TheplaintiffalsodevelopedanimpingementinjurytohisrightshoulderinAugust1993.Thetrialcourtawarded10percentpermanentpartialdisabilitytothebodyasawholeforthisinjury. Weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt. PlaintifffirstreportedseverepaininhisrightwristtothemedicaldepartmentoftheemployeronNovember9,1992.Hewasgivenanoverthecounterantiinflammatorymedicationandawristsplint.Hewentbacktowork.HereturnedtothemedicaldepartmentonJanuary28,1993withcontinuingcomplaintsofpain.Hewasgivenawristsplintandplacedonworkrestrictions.Soonthereafter,theemployerreferredplaintifftoFranklinBoneandJointClinic,wherehewasgivenacorticosteroidinjectioninhisrighthand.Hewastoldtowearathumbsplintandtotemporarilyavoidgrippingwithhisrighthand. OnAugust26,1993Plaintiffsustainedaninjurytohisrightshoulder,whilepushingandpullingautodoors.Theemployersmedicaldepartmentprovidedpainmedication,icepacksandonsitephysicaltherapy,thenreferredhimtoDr.JeffreyCook,aboardcertifiedorthopedicsurgeon. Dr.CooktreatedplaintifffromNovember18,1993untilApril11,1995.Hesurgicallyremovedtheendofplaintiffscollarbone,bonespursandscartissue.OnApril11,1995,plaintifftoldDr.Cookthathewastransferringtoapositionwhichwouldnotrequirerepetitivemotion.Dr.Cookassessednopermanentdisability,althoughhealsoopinedthatDr.Gawhadseenplaintiffmorerecently,andthereforeifDr.Gawthoughtplaintiffhad5percentdisabilityhewouldnotdisagree.̛̜ Plaintiffhascontinuedintheemployofthedefendantandsubsequentlybecameajourneymanapprentice,whichisconsideredapromotion. Dr.DavidGaw,boardcertifiedorthopedicsurgeon,conductedanindependentmedicalexaminationofplaintiffonJuly28,1995,attherequestofplaintiffscounsel.Plaintiffstillhadpainintherightarmanddifficultygrippingwithhisthumb,writingexcessively,orperformingtwistingmotionssuchasinopeningjars.Dr.Gawopinedthatheshouldhavepermanentworkrestrictionsagainstrepetitiveoutstretchedoroverheaduseoftherightupperextremity.Wristrestrictionsincludenorepetitivegripping,squeezingorconstantmanipulationrequiringuseofthethumb.Heassessedninepercentwholebodyimpairmentfortheshoulderandwristinjuriescombined. Thetrialjudgeawardedplaintifftenpercentpermanentpartialdisabilitytotherightupperextremityforplaintiffswristinjuryandtenpercentpermanentpartialdisabilitytothebodyasawholeforhisshoulderinjury.Onappeal,plaintiffcontendstheawardisextremelyinadequategivenallpertinentfactors. Ourreviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefinding,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(3)(2).Stonev.CityofMcMinnville,896S.W.2d584(Tenn.1991).ϜHowever,wherethetrialjudgehasmadeadeterminationbaseduponthetestimonyofwitnesseswhomhehasseenandheard,greatdeferencemustbegiventothatfindingindeterminingwhethertheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialjudgesdetermination.SeeHumphreyv.DavidWitherspoon,Inc.,734S.W.2d315(Tenn.1987). Inmakingdeterminationsofvocationaldisability,thecourtshallconsiderallpertinentfactors,includinglayandexperttestimony,employeesage,education,skillsandtraining,localjobopportunitiesandcapacitytoworkattypesofemploymentavailableinclaimantsdisabledcondition.Tenn.CodeAnn.506241(a)(1).  Plaintiffis39yearsoldandhasahighschooleducation.Hehasvocationaltraininginwelding,drafting,andautomotivemechanics.HeisalsolicensedinTennesseetosellmutualfunds,buthisattempttodosowasunsuccessful.Hehasworkedmostofhislifeonanautoassemblylineandasanautomechanic. TheexpertmedicaltestimonybyDrs.WadeandGawastoplaintiffsmedicalimpairmentdoesnotsubstantiallydiffer.Dr.Gaw,plaintiffsexpert,opinedplaintiffwouldhavepermanentdisability,andDr.Wade,oncrossexamination,agreedthatDr.Gawsopinioncouldbecrediblesincehehadseenplaintiffmorerecently. Plaintiffarguesthathisjobopportunitiesintheopenlabormarketaresignificantlyimpaired,despitehispromotiontoapprenticejourneyman,andthereforehisvocationalimpairmentratingshouldbehigherthanthetrialcourtawarded. Vocationaldisabilityisnotbasedupontheworkanemployeehadatthetimeofhisinjury,butratheronhisabilitytocompeteforemploymentintheopenlabormarketinhisdisabledcondition.Corcoranv.FosterAutoGMC,Inc.,746S.W.2d452(Tenn.1988).However,jobopportunitiesintheopenlabormarketisjustonefactorthetrialcourtistoconsiderindeterminingvocationaldisability.Thetrialcourtsmemorandumopinionandorderdonotindicatethatplaintiffspromotionwasconsideredindeterminingvocationaldisability.Thepreponderanceoftheevidencesupportsthetrialcourtsaward,whichweaffirm. Weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourtandremandthecasetheretofortheassessmentofcostsofappealwhicharetaxedtotheappellant.       ___________________________________      JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudgeCONCUR:_____________________________FrankF.Drowota,Justice_____________________________Willia%  mH.Inman,SeniorJudge    @ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEEJ+-;+'b|s` . `@J@ ATNASHVILLEJAMESK.RINGROSE,  } WILLIAMSONCHANCERY      } No.23585Below Plaintiff/Appellant  }      } Hon.DonaldP.Harris,vs.      } Chancellor      }SATURNCORPORATION  } No.01S019607CH00141      } Defendant/Appellee  } AFFIRMEDANDREMANDED.@ JUDGMENTORDER  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference.  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. ` ` X  CostswillbepaidbyPlaintiff/AppellantandSuretyforwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.  ITISSOORDEREDonMarch24,1997.       PERCURIAMXԛ