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X   \RA'\      8 '  &      +   ` ` X\RA'\R,/)A1-j|`  `@R INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEESPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATKNOXVILLE(December3,1996Session)   ` XPEGGYJ.SKAGGS,,ԀԀ)HAMBLENCIRCUIT̀XԀԀ)̀PlaintiffAppellee,ԀԀ)Hon.BenK.Wexler,̀ԀԀ,ԀԀ)Judge.v.XԀԀԀԀ)̀ԀԀԀԀ)No.03S019603CV00029PREFERREDRISKMUTUAL)INSURANCECOMPANY,ԀԀ)̀ԀԀ)̀DefendantAppellant.,ԀԀ)ForAppellant:ForAppellee:JuliaS.HowardDonaldB.OakleyHodges,Doughty&CarsonMorristown,TennesseeKnoxville,Tennessee   ` ` XMEMORANDUMOPINIONMembersofPanel:E.RileyAnderson,AssociateJustice,SupremeCourtRogerE.Thayer,SpecialJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge'     ` X   ` ` X   ` X  AFFIRMEDLoser,Judge     ` ` XMEMORANDUMOPINION rA    ` X  Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Theemployer'sinsurercontendstheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialcourt'sfindingthattheemployee'sfatalheartattackaroseoutofhisemployment.Asdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed. Theclaimant,PeggySkaggs,isthewidowofCharlesR.Skaggs,deceased.Atthetimeofhisdeath,Mr.SkaggswasemployedbytheFirstBaptistChurchofMorristownasMaintenanceSupervisor.OnAugust8,1994,followingseveralhoursofmanuallaboratthechurch,hedevelopedsevereneckpainandnumbnessandtinglinginhishandsandarms.Mrs.Skaggs,alsoachurchemployee,calledanambulance.HewastakentoFt.SandersHospital,wherehediedonAugust10,1994.  AccordingtotheDeathCertificate,deathwascausedby(1)heartattack,(2)coronaryarterydiseaseand(3)suddencardiacdeath.Thecauseoftheheartattackwasconfirmedbyamedicaldoctor,whotestifiedbydeposition,"Ibelievetheactivity(he)engaged(in)mayindeedhaveprecipitatedtheonsetofhismyocardialinfarction."Thedoctorconcededoncrossexaminationthatundiagnosedpreexistingcoronaryarterydiseasemayhavebeenacontributingcause.  Thetrialjudgefoundtheemployee'sheartattacktohavebeencausedbyphysicalexertionatwork,thuscompensable.Appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(2).  Aheartattackiscompensable,asanaccidentalinjury,ifitcanbeshownbycompetentevidencethattheattackwasprecipitatedbyphysicalexertionorstressatwork.Downenv.AllstateIns.Co.,811S.W.2d523(Tenn.1991).Thekey,ithasbeenheld,totherecoveryordenialofbenefitsiswhethertheheartattackisprecipitatedbythephysicalactivityandexertionoftheemployee'swork.Wingertv.GovernmentofSumnerCounty,908S.W.2d921(Tenn.1995).Moreover,anemployee'sdeathordisabilityresultingfromaheartattackiscausallyrelatedtohisemploymentandthereforecompensable,eventhoughtheemployeesufferedfrompreexistingheartdisease.Rogersv.Shaw,813S.W.2d397(Tenn.1991).  Whilethereissomeevidencetheemployeeinthiscasemayhaverestedandsmokedacigaretteshortlybeforetheonsetofpain,itisundisputedthathisworkshortlybeforethatinvolvedphysicalexertion;andthemedicalproofispersuasiveinfavorofafindingofcausationbetweenthatphysicalexertionandthefatalheartattack.Consequently,theevidencefailstopreponderateagainstthefindingsofthetrialjudge.  ThejudgmentisaccordinglyaffirmedandthecaseremandedtotheCircuitCourtofHamblenCountyforsuchfurtherproceedings,ifany,asmaybeappropriate.Costsonappealaretaxedtothedefendantappellant. *b   ` ` X_______________________________   ӀJoeC.Loser,Jr.,Judge   ` XCONCUR:_________________________________E.RileyAnderson,AssociateJustice_________________________________RogerE.Thayer,Judge0   8    J,1;+'b|`  `@J   INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE     ATKNOXVILLE S  8 PEGGYJ.SKAGGS,  )ROANECIRCUIT     ) No.95CV098    Plaintiff/Appellee,   )       )      ) Hon.BenK.WEXLER vs.      ) Judge         )       ) 03S019603CV00029PREFERREDRISKMUTUAL )INSURANCECOMPANY, )      ) Defendant/Appellant      ff   JUDGMENTORDER  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkerCompensationPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference;  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsofactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadetheJudgmentoftheCourt. Costsonappealaretaxedtothedefendant/appellant,PreferredRiskMutualInsuranceCompany,andsureties,Hodges,Doughty&Carson,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.02/21/97