WPC7 FvI*X+.Ԧ)QJ}#Nl{]\,bgқ!qO_d`\ 1iy/lQ *iRhSM!OzU"AZiUꥆx pI(Yk6ɖ#*:1.~)z}_~x>#  UN) %w 0} U:x4U:w 0? 0DU:>UN> B D3 0 D+ AO-|| 0DB D/ B AY+ 0FHP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLH(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX(H=$  HTR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalTX_XXX7XXdXXd7,  AZ"Arial Regulary& 3|xOr  H$HX8XXX `   1    ݀TheSecondInjuryFundwasoriginallyadefendant.TheFundwas  dismissedinthetrialcourt. X8XXXXX8 Ad   FILED`   August4,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk ,cAZ"Arial Regular1r2rD3r4r5r6r7r8r9rD:r;rDr?re@rArDBreCrӀNrVOr((3H$ H=!  HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TX8XXX7<XXdd7   `   0  (%$  1  ,cAZ"Arial Regular(hH  Z 6Times New Roman Regular X8XXXXX8 Ad   FILED#X8X#`XX8   August4,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk  d$$$$'dxd(3$ H=!  HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TX8XXX7<XXdd7  'dxd-C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd-:M << deUULevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(n$ (  1  ) H=!  HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TX8XXX7<XXdd7  BrBrBr?r?rBr?r?r   X8XXX8  @@  INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @@B B SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELCrl *6&"h 8 `Extt06lߛ $$Cr@@ATBrBr@rKNOXVILLE@rArJACKSONAr BrBr  D $$RONALDVANDERGRIFF,    ) p      `     h     ) p KNOXCHANCERY    ` Plaintiff/Appellee h     ) p     `     h     ) p  p  v. `     h     ) p X8XX X8NO.03S019807CH00079# X8XXX8# V   `     h     ) p  <  X8XX X8NATIONALUNIFORMSERVICE,  ) "r  `     h     ) p HON.H.DAVIDCATE, X  ` Defendant/Appellant    ) p CHANCELLOR > # X8XXX8#X8XX X8 FortheAppellant:   h     FortheAppellee: $t  DanaC.Holloway   h     JenniferP.Craig F JamesP.Catalano   h     Whelchel,May&Associates , Leitner,Williams,Dooley h     P.O.Box11407  Ѐ&Napolitan,PLLC h     Knoxville,TN379391407   1130FirstAmericanCenter507S.GayStreetKnoxville,TN37902   MEMORANDUMOPINION  *&*  MembersofPanel: ,',  JusticeFrankF.Drowota,III ^.). SeniorJudgeJohnK.ByersSpecialJudgeRogerE.Thayer AFFIRMED# X8XXX8%#X8XX X8    h      p BYERS,SeniorJudge ;(7=( Ї   OPINION      ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.# X8XXX8 #X8XX X8 ` Thetrialcourtawardedtheplaintiff75percentpermanentpartialimpairmentto    thebodyasawhole. ` Thedefendantsaystheevidencepreponderatesagainstthisfinding. ` Weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt. %  1       l  ` Reviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovoupontherecord 8 ofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindings,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2);Stonev.CityofMcMinnville,896S.W.2d548,550(Tenn.1995).The P applicationofthisstandardrequiresthisCourttoweighinmoredepththefactualfindingsandconclusionsofthetrialcourtinaworkerscompensationcase.See < Corcoranv.FosterAutoGMC,Inc.,746S.W.2d452,456(Tenn.1988).# X8XXX8 #X8XX X8    ` OnNovember16,1994,whileinthecourseofhisemploymentwiththedefendant,theplaintiffsustainedabackinjury.Theplaintiffhadapreviousbackinjuryin1992andwaspaidworkerscompensationbenefitsintheamountof7percenttothebodyasawhole. ` Theresolutionofthisappealdependsupontheevaluationofthevalueofthemedicaltestimony,whichwasgivenbydeposition. ` Inafindingsoffactandmemorandumoflaw,thetrialjudgereviewedthefindingsofDr.WilliamKevinBailey,anorthopedicsurgeon,whosawtheplaintifftwiceaftertakingovertheplaintiffscaseuponthedeathofDr.JohnBell,theoriginaltreatingphysician.ThetrialjudgealsoreviewedthefindingsofDr.GilbertL.Hyde,anorthopedicsurgeon,whosawtheplaintiffforpurposeofevaluation,andthetestimony ofNormanE.Hankins,avocationalexpert. P506  ` Dr.Baileytestifiedthesecondbackinjury(thiscase)increasedtheplaintiffs wholebodyimpairmentfrom7percentto12percenta5percentincrease. ` Dr.Hydetestifiedtheplaintiffsustaineda14percentwholebodyimpairmentasaresultoftheinjuryatissueinthiscase. ` Dr.Hankinstestifiedtheplaintiffwas100percentvocationallyimpairedasaresultoftheinjurybaseduponDr.Hydestestimonyandlessthan100percentvocationallyimpairedbaseduponDr.Baileystestimony. ` ThedefendantinsiststhatthetestimonyofDr.BaileyshouldbetakenoverthetestimonyofDr.HydebecauseDr.Baileywasthetreatingphysician. ` Thetrialjudgeisnotrequiredtotakethetestimonyofatreatingphysicianoverthetestimonyofanexaminingphysician.Atrialjudgemaychoosethetestimonyofoneexpertoverthatofothers.Johnsonv.Midwesco,Inc.,1r8011r2r1rs1r2r3rS3r1r.W.2d804,806(Tenn. t 1990).1r ` We,ofcourse,mayweighthecredibilityoftheexpertsinthiscasebecausetheytestifiedbydeposition.4r4r5rCooperv.INA,5r6r884S.W.2d446,451(Tenn.1994);6r7rLandersv. , FiremansFundIns.Co.,7r8r775s.W.2d355,356(Tenn.1989).8r7r6r6r7r5r4r4r5rThetrialjudgeobviously  acceptedthetestimonyofDr.Hydeontheissueofimpairment.Wefindnoreasontodisagreewiththisfinding. ` Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmedandthecostsofthisappealaretaxedtothedefendant. `     h      p _____________________________ `     h      p JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudgeCONCUR:________________________________9rJaniceHolder9r:rFrankF.Drowota,III:r,Justice________________________________;rF.LloydTatum;rrpecial>rJudge# X8XXX8G#Nr  7B39 NrOrOrOr` X XX X8n*8($hxr `Eb "tt06Xn ` ` ` $` $@ }INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@%}ATKNOXVILLE    h      p      x     h      p  P        `   `     h      p    ` $` $` ` RONALDVANDERGRIFF,  )KNOXCHANCERY 0      h     ) p No.1256382  p  HҀ PlaintiffAppellee,    ) p      x   `   XX    h     ) 0  0h8"8"0h8"h8"08"8") p No.03S019807CH00079 @ 8"8" v.    h   0  )0 8"8"     h     ) p      x    Ѐ   h     ) p   NATIONALUNIFORMSERVICE)0 p H.DavidCate   x   @  @ p8"p8" INC.    h     ) p Chancellor      h     ) DefendantAppellant.    )      h JUDGMENTORDER ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'smemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthememorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactsandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmedandthedecisionofthePanelismadetheJudgmentoftheCourt. CostsonappealaretaxedtotheAppellant,NationalUniformServiceandDanaC.Holloway,surety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.̀08/04/99# X8X XX#Or / +5