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ÔÔ€ÔÓ&€!!X„d&ÓÑ#€!!Xd#ÑÔ€ÔÔ€ôÔÔ€XÔÔ€ÔÓ  ÓÝ  ÝÒ  ÒÒ „ ÒÖ€"ÖÔ  ÔÔ  ÔÑ  ÑÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓÑ\R AØ'\ÑÔ&  ÔÔ€¼ÔÔ€ÔIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌÌSPECIAL€WORKERS'€COMPENSATION€APPEALS€PANELÌÌAT€NASHVILLEÌ(March€14,€1996€Session)ÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ` …X®p…XÓROBIN€SLOAN,€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€à à)€€€€€WARREN€GENERALÏSESSIONSÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€à à)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Plaintiff„Appellee,€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€à à)€€€€€Hon.€Barry€Medley,Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€à à)€€€€€JudgeÌv.€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€à à)ÌÙ€-ÙßL€)*$;+'h|…Õ` ç `€€L߀€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€à à)€€€€€No.Ï01S01„9509„GS„00157ÌBRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE,€INC.,à à)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€,Ô€€€Ô€¼Ô€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€à à)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Defendant„Appellant.€€€€à à)ÌÌÌÌÌòòFor€Appellantóó:€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€òòFor€Appellee:ÌóóÌMichael€Lee€Parsons€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€David€W.€MartallaÌGracey,€Ruth,€Howard,€Tate€&€Sowell€€€€€€€€€McMinnville,€TennesseeÌNashville,€TennesseeÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓòòM€E€M€O€R€A€N€D€U€M€€€€O€P€I€N€I€O€NóóÌÌÌÌÌòòMembers€of€Panelóó:ÌÌAdolpho€A.€Birch,€Jr.,€Associate€Justice,€Supreme€CourtÌJerry€Smith,€Special€JudgeÌJoe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€JudgeÌÌÔ'  ÔÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓÌMODIFIED€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Loser,ÏJudgeÓ ¹ ÓÌà àà àThis€workers'€compensation€appeal€has€been€referred€to€theÏSpecial€Workers'€Compensation€Appeals€Panel€of€the€Supreme€Court€inÏaccordance€with€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€section€50„6„225(e)(3)€for€hearing€andÏreporting€of€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law.€€In€this€appeal,€theÏemployer€contends€that€the€award€of€disability€benefits€is€excessive;€and€theÏemployee€contends€the€trial€court€erred€in€finding€that€she€did€not€suffer€aÏdisabling€work„related€neck€injury.€€The€panel€has€concluded€that€theÏjudgment€should€be€modified€as€provided€herein.Ó rAÓÌà àà àOn€July€5,€1992,€the€claimant,€Robin€Sloan,€strained€her€back€atÏwork.€€She€reported€the€injury€to€her€employer€and€was€referred€to€Dr.€G.ÏJackson€Jacobs,€who€referred€her€to€Dr.€David€Bratton,€an€orthopedicÏsurgeon,€who,€on€July€15,€1992,€diagnosed€lumbar€strain€and€released€her€toÏlight€duty€for€two€weeks.Ìà àà àShe€saw€Dr.€Daniel€Phillips€on€October€23,€1992€and€two€otherÏoccasions.€€Dr.€Phillips€found€no€permanent€disability€to€the€claimant's€backÏor€neck€caused€by€a€work„related€injury.Ìà àà àHer€attorney€referred€her€to€Dr.€Richard€Fishbein.€€Dr.€Fishbein,Ïon€the€strength€of€the€history€related€to€him€by€the€claimant,€agreed€with€theÏoriginal€diagnosis€and€assessed€a€permanent€impairment€of€five€percent€to€theÏwhole€body.Ìà àà àThe€claimant€is€thirty„four€years€old€with€a€high€school€educationÏand€an€associates€degree€in€education€from€Motlow€State€Community€College.€ÏShe€has€experience€in€office€work,€as€a€restaurant€manager€and€in€business.€ÏShe€quit€working€for€the€employer€shortly€after€the€accident€and€was€notÏworking€at€the€time€of€the€trial.€€She€was€able€to€work,€according€to€Dr.ÏBratton's€note€on€and€after€July€15,€1992.Ìà àà àThe€trial€judge€awarded€permanent€partial€disability€benefits€onÏthe€basis€of€thirty„five€percent€to€the€body€as€a€whole€and€temporary€totalÏdisability€benefits€from€July€5,€1992€to€January€7,€1993.€€Appellate€review€isÏde€novo€upon€the€record€of€the€trial€court,€accompanied€by€a€presumption€ofÏcorrectness€of€the€findings€of€fact,€unless€the€preponderance€of€the€evidence€isÏotherwise.€€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€section€50„6„225(e)(2).€€This€tribunal€is€requiredÏto€conduct€an€independent€examination€of€the€record€to€determine€where€theÏpreponderance€of€the€evidence€lies.€€òòGalloway€v.€Memphis€Drum€Serviceóó,€822€ÏS.W.2d€€584,€586€(Tenn.€1991).Ìà àà àThe€party€claiming€the€benefits€of€the€Workers'€CompensationÏAct€(the€Act)€has€the€burden€of€proof€to€establish€her€claim€by€aÏpreponderance€of€the€evidence.€€òòParker€v.€Ryder€Truck€Lines,€Inc.óó,€591€ÏS.W.2d€€755€(Tenn.€1979).€€Under€the€Act,€temporary€total€disability€refers€toÏthe€employee's€condition€while€disabled€to€work€because€of€her€injury€andÏuntil€she€recovers€as€far€as€the€nature€of€her€injury€permits.€€òòRedmond€v.ÏMcMinn€Countyóó,€209€€Tenn.€€463,€354€€S.W.2d€€435€(1962).Ìà àà àThe€undisputed€proof€is€that€this€claimant€was€able€to€return€toÏwork€ten€days€after€her€injury.€€Thus€the€evidence€preponderates€against€theÏtrial€court's€award€of€temporary€total€disability€benefits€and€in€favor€of€anÏaward€of€such€benefits€for€ten€days,€or€one€and€three/sevenths€weeks.€€TheÏjudgment€of€the€trial€court€is€modified€accordingly.Ìà àà àIn€determining€the€extent€of€a€claimant's€permanent€industrialÏdisability,€a€trial€judge€may€consider€many€pertinent€factors,€including€age,Ïjob€skills,€education,€training,€duration€of€disability€and€job€opportunities€forÏthe€disabled,€in€addition€to€medical€impairment,€for€the€purpose€of€evaluatingÍthe€extent€of€a€claimant's€permanent€disability.€€òòMcCaleb€v.€Saturn€Corp.óó,€910€ÏS.W.2d€€412€(Tenn.€1995).€€From€a€consideration€of€the€pertinent€factors€inÏthis€case,€the€panel€finds€that€the€evidence€preponderates€against€an€awardÏbased€on€thirty„five€percent€permanent€partial€disability€and€in€favor€of€oneÏbased€on€ten€percent€permanent€partial€disability.€€The€judgment€is€modifiedÏaccordingly.Ìà àà àThe€evidence€fails€to€preponderate€against€the€trial€judge's€findingÏthat€the€claimant€has€not€suffered€a€work„related€neck€injury.Ìà àà àAs€modified€with€respect€to€disability€benefits,€the€judgment€ofÏthe€trial€court€is€affirmed.€€Costs€on€appeal€are€taxed€one„half€to€the€plaintiff„appellee€and€one„half€to€the€defendant„appellant.Ó *bÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓ_______________________________Ó ÓÌÓ  Ó€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Joe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€JudgeÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌAdolpho€A.€Birch,€Jr.,€Associate€JusticeÌÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌJerry€Smith,€Special€JudgeÌ