WPC_8 DUB % U . r> 0"=#nM# 0r%m&w m&4w& 0J& 0T& 0^)' 0h' 0r' 0|a( 0( 0c) 1u)U,h* 0d*U,*.$+B)R,DC{, B, AM,>(-v~f.v/ D35 0@5 AQ*6{6 0DA7 D/7 B7 07\  `*Times New RomanTT"AArialTT'    0 .   (e2?f$  p}!X$XXXXX$   3|x\  `*Times New RomanTTC\  P6QP"AArialTTomanTTXXaptQXp\  `*Times New RomanTT^\  P6QP\  `*Times New RomanTT,,)\  P6Q,P(Jp}$X$GXX^XXX$G  ӀV 2 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 $  !X         ` ` X    @      A     ` X% Line 7 d####7Border 1dd d-$C << G 4  !  X      YYY FILEDX June25,1996CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Monaco   BA Op Monaco  BA Op Monaco %%%%'dxd("$    C-C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd(f3,$  p}!X$XXXXX$    ! . &!!Xd&#!!Xd#X      "         ` ` X\RA'\&  L&'$;+'h|`  `LINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEESPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATKNOXVILLE(March6,1996Session)   ` XBRENDAGAILWARD,)CAMPBELLCHANCERỲ)̀PlaintiffAppellee,,ԀԀ)Hon.BillyJoeWhite,̀)Chancellor.v.)̀)No.03S019509CH00109UNITEDSTATESFIDELITYAND,ԀԀ)GUARANTYCOMPANY,)̀)̀DefendantAppellant.)ForAppellant:ForAppellee:RobertR.DaviesDavidH.DunawayFansler&Williams,ԀԀDavidH.Dunaway&AssociatesKnoxville,Tennessee,ԀԀLaFollette,Tennessee   ` ` XMEMORANDUMOPINIONMembersofPanel:PennyJ.White,AssociateJustice,SupremeCourtWilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge'  JoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge   ` X   ` ` X   ` X  REVERSEDANDREMANDEDLoser,Judge    Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Inthisappeal,theemployer'sinsurercontendstheevidencepreponderatesagainsttheawardofpermanentdisabilitybenefits.Thepanelconcludesthejudgmentshouldbereversedandthecaseddismissed.Theonlyissuelitigatedattrialwastheextentoftheclaimant'spermanentdisability,ifany. rA  OnFebruary19,1993,theemployeeorclaimant,BrendaGailWard,wassweepingafloorforheremployer,UnitedParcelService,whenshesuddenlyslippedandfell,injuringherback,neckandshoulder.OnApril7,1993,shevisitedDr.DavidHauge,whotreatedheruntilJanuary26,1994.  Dr.Haugediagnosedchronicdegenerativechangesunrelatedtotheaboveaccident.HisdiagnosiswasconfirmedbyanMRIofthespine.Hefoundnoevidenceofanacuteinjury,exceptsomemusclespasmwhichwasresolvedwithphysicaltherapy.Heestimatedherpermanentimpairmentfromherdegenerativechangesatninepercenttothewholebody,butprovidednoproofofmedicalcausalconnectiontotheworkrelatedaccident.  Approximatelytwoyearsaftertheaccident,theclaimantwasevaluatedbyDr.WilliamE.Kennedy,whofoundnopermanentanatomicalinjuryorchangeasaresultoftheworkrelatedaccident,butassessedherpermanentimpairmentfromhersubjectivecomplaintsofpainateightpercenttothewholeperson.Avocationalexpert,NormanHankins,estimatedherindustrialdisabilityatbetweenthirtyfourandsixtyonepercent,dependingonherphysicalrestrictions.  Thechancellorawardedpermanentpartialdisabilitybenefitsbasedonfortyfivepercenttothebodyasawhole.Appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsofthetrialcourt,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(2).Thistribunalisrequiredtoconductanindependentexaminationoftherecordtodeterminewherethepreponderanceoftheevidencelies.Wingertv.GovernmentofSumnerCounty,908S.W.2d921(Tenn.1995).  Unlessadmittedbytheemployeroritsinsurer,theemployeehastheburdenofproving,bycompetentevidence,everyessentialelementofherclaim.Osterv.Yates,845S.W.2d215(Tenn.1992).Theemployeemustprove,amongotherthings,thatherinjurywasonearisingoutoftheemploymentrelationship.Inordertoestablishthataninjurywasonearisingoutoftheemployment,thecauseoftheinjurymustbeproved.Inallbutthemostobviouscases,causationmayonlybeprovedthroughexpertmedicaltestimony.SeeFloydv.TennesseeDickelDistillingCo.anditsprogeny,225Tenn.65,463S.W.2d684(1971).  Allofthemedicalproofinthiscasewasbydeposition.Thistribunalisthereforeaswellsituatedtogaugetheweight,worthandsignificanceofthemedicalproofasthetrialcourt.Seiberv.GreenbrierIndustries,Inc.,906S.W.2d444(Tenn.1995).  Fromadeliberateconsiderationoftherecord,thepanelfindsthattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthefindingsofthetrialjudgeandinfavorofafindingthattheclaimantdidnotsufferapermanentinjuryarisingoutofheremploymentbyUnitedParcelService.Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaccordinglyreversedandthecasedismissed.Costsonappealaretaxedtotheplaintiffappellee.      *b   ` ` X_______________________________   ӀJoeC.Loser,Jr.,Judge   ` XCONCUR:_________________________________PennyJ.White,AssociateJustice_________________________________WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge