WPCr # VU:a % 04Y m | 0| 0Dx  w D3 0J 0TO 0^ 0h 0ri 0| 0W 0 1umU, 0dU,rU*B)bDC AM<v~v Bp 0@ AO 0D D/& BUHP LaserJet 4Si/4SiMX PS 600dpiPSCRIPT0 ,  AZ"Arial RegularX( 7$` ` TR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT} xxxxxx3|x ((3T6$  7!` TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T   `   0  (#$  0  HR  Ӏ****'dxd2 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)<  9p`(ModernP 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(Monaco<  9p`(Arial% Line 7 d- -####7Border 1dd-%C << G  !  #d#"    ` \RA'\  "   YYY FILED"X May24,1996CecilCrowson,Jr."AppellateCourtClerk PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'@Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Monaco   BA Op Monaco  BA Op Monaco  d("$    -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! . &!!Xd&#!!Xd#"    ` \RA'\  p $7XXdd7    L&'%;+'h|` . `LINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEESPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONPANELKNOXVILLE,JANUARY1996SESSION  ROBERTF.SEYMORE   )      ) WASHINGTONCHANCERY Plaintiff/Appellee   )      ) HON.G.RICHARDJOHNSON,v.      ) CHANCELLOR      ) SNAPONTOOLSCORPORATION, ) NO.03S019507CH00081       ) Defendant/Appellant  )%  FortheAppellant:     FortheAppellees: RobertD.VandeVuurst    HowellH.Sherrod,Jr.StevenH.Trent     249EastMainSt.207MockingbirdLn.    JohnsonCity,TN376045707P.O.Box3038JohnsonCity,TN37602̀  MEMORANDUMOPINIONMembersofPanel: E.RileyAnderson,ChiefJustice,SupremeCourtJohnK.Byers,SeniorJudgeRogerE.Thayer,SpecialJudge  ̀AFFIRMED       THAYER,SpecialJudge Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. Defendant,SnapOnToolsCorporation,hasappealedfromtheactionofthetrialcourtinawardingplaintiff,RobertF.Seymore,40%permanentpartialdisabilitytoeachupperextremity. Plaintiffis52yearsofageandhasa12thgradeeducation.Hesufferedbilateralcarpaltunnelsyndromeinjuriesasaresultofworkrelatedactivities.SurgerywasperformedontherightonJuly13,1993andtheleftonAugust31,1993.HereturnedtoworkduringOctober,1993. Plaintiff'sjobtitleisaheattreatoperator,andheconstantlyuseshishandsandwristsinhiswork.Hetestifiedthat,aftersurgery,hefeltsomereliefbutmostofhissymptomsofpainandnumbnesshavereturned.Hehascontinuedtoworkwithoutadropinhisproductionratebutsayshestillsuffersfromhisinjuriesasheworksandevenafterwork.Thereisevidencefromhiswifeandsupervisortosubstantiatehiscomplaintsofcontinuingproblems. Theonlyissueonappealistheextentofpermanentdisability. Dr.PaulE.Gorman,anorthopedicsurgeon,testifiedbydepositionanddidnotgiveplaintiffanypermanentimpairmentundertheA.M.A.Guidelines.However,hetestifiedplaintiffshouldberestrictedinworking.Hisrestrictionsincludednoovertimework,avoidanceofvibrationtoolsandnoliftingorhandlingofitemsweighinginexcessof100pounds. Dr.EricC.Roberts,aphysicianinphysicalmedicineandrehabilitation,alsotestifiedbydepositionandexaminedplaintiffforthepurposeofgivinganimpairmentrating.HeagreedwiththerestrictionsasimposedbyDr.GormanbutwasoftheopinionplaintiffhadpermanentimpairmentunderA.M.A.Guidelinesoftenpercenttoeachupperextremity. Defendantarguesthetestimonyofthetreatingphysician,Dr.Gorman,shouldoutweighthetestimonyofthenontreatingphysician,Dr.Roberts. Thereviewofthecaseisdenovoontherecordaccompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindingsoffactunlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2). Anemployeehastheburdenofprovingeveryelementofthecase,includingcausationandpermanencybyapreponderanceoftheevidence.Tindallv.WaringParkAss'n,725S.W.2d935,937(Tenn.1987). Inchoosingwhichmedicaltestimonytoaccept,thetrialcourtmayconsiderthequalificationsoftheexperts,thecircumstancesoftheirexamination,theinformationavailabletothemandtheevaluationoftheimportanceofthatinformationbyotherexperts.Ormanv.WilliamsSonoma,Inc.,803S.W.2d672,676(Tenn.1991). Wherethetrialcourthasseenandheardwitnessesandissuesofcredibilityandtheweightoforaltestimonyareinvolved,thetrialcourtisinabetterpositiontojudgecredibilityandweighevidenceandconsiderabledeferencemustbeaccordedtothosecircumstances.Landersv.Fireman'sFund,Inc.,775S.W.2d355,356(Tenn.1989).Ontheotherhand,whereevidenceisintroducedbydeposition,theappellatecourtisinasgoodapositionasthetrialcourtinreviewingandweighingtestimony.Id. Wearenotawareofanyruleoflawwhichrequiresacourttoacceptandbeboundbythetestimonyofatreatingphysicianwhenitisinconflictwiththetestimonyofanotherexpertwitnesswhohasnottreatedtheemployee.Tothecontrary,theruleisthatwhilethetestimonyofatreatingphysicianisentitledtoconsiderableweight,thecourtisnotboundbythetestimonyofanyexpertwitness.SeeOrman,803S.W.2dat676;Johnsonv.Midwesco,Inc.,801S.W.2d804,806(Tenn.1990). Fromourindependentreviewofthecase,wefindtheevidenceestablishedplaintiffhaspermanentdisabilitytohisarms.AlthoughDr.Gormandidnotgiveanimpairmentrating,heplacedrestrictionsonplaintiff'sworkactivity. Indeterminingtheextentofvocationaldisability,courtsmustaskwhethertheemployee'searningcapacityinrelationtotheopenlabormarkethasbeendiminishedbyresidualimpairmentcausedbyaworkrelatedinjuryandnotwhethertheemployeeisabletoreturnandperformthejobheldatthetimeoftheinjury.Clarkv.Nat'lUnionFireIns.Co.,774S.W.2d586,588(Tenn.1989). Wecannotsaythattheevidencepreponderatesagainsttheawardfixedbythetrialcourt.Therefore,thejudgmententeredbelowisaffirmed.Costsoftheappealaretaxedtothedefendantandsureties.       򀀀       RogerE.Thayer,SpecialJudgeCONCUR:򀀀E.RileyAnderson,ChiefJustice򀀀JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudge