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'    H \RA'\(#))Xd##))Xd#     @ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE̜ R/0,A1-j|E2` . `@Rߛ@ SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL@ ATKNOXVILLE   ̜       ̜      SHIRLEYWILLIAMS,   ) MONROECHANCERY      )  Plaintiff/Appellant   ) NO.03S019607CH00084      ) v.      ) HON.EARLH.HENLEY,      ) CHANCELLORSWEETWATERHOSPITAL  )ASSOCIATION,    )      ) Defendant/Appellee  )     FortheAppellant:    FortheAppellee: JohnW.Cleveland    LynnC.PetersonCleveland&Cleveland   WimberlyLawsonNorton&Luhn,PLLC120W.MorrisStreet   P.O.Box2467Sweetwater,Tennessee37874  Knoxville,Tennessee379012467  MEMORANDUMOPINIONMAILED:MAY29,1997̛MembersofPanel: E.RileyAnderson,JusticeJohnK.Byers,SeniorJudgeRogerE.Thayer,SpecialJudge  AFFIRMED      BYERS,SeniorJudge  Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. Plaintiffallegedaworkrelatedaggravationofapreexistingnonworkrelatedbackcondition.Sheallegedthatmedicalexpensesandtemporarytotaldisabilitybenefitshadbeenpaidbytheemployerbutsoughtpermanentpartialdisability,futuremedicalexpensesanddiscretionarycosts. Thetrialcourtfoundthatthetemporaryaggravationofherbackconditionhadresolvedwithnopermanentimpairmentandawardednofuturebenefits. Weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt. Plaintiff,aregisterednurse,injuredherbackathomeinJune,1992.Dr.DavidHauge,orthopedicsurgeon,performedlumbardisksurgeryatL4L5onNovember19,1992andreturnedplaintifftoworkthefollowingJanuarywithliftingrestrictions. PlaintiffallegedthatonJanuary25,1993,shereinjuredherbackwhileliftingapatientatwork.Dr.Haugeplacedherontemporarytotaldisabilityforthreeweeksandtreatedherconservatively,afterwhichshereturnedtoworkagain. Dr.Haugeopinedthat20percentofpatientswhohavedisksurgeryexperiencerecurrentherniationsofthesamedisk.Therearevariouscausesofsuchrecurrences,somerelatedtothesurgeryitselfandsomewhichareduetojustnormalactivity.Hecouldnotstatewithinreasonablemedicalcertaintywhetherornotplaintiffsrecurrentherniationwasworkrelated. Dr.Haugeopinedthattheoriginal,nonworkrelatedinjuryresultedinelevenpercentpermanentpartialdisabilitytothebodyasawhole:0 Iwouldstatethatthe11%impairmenttothebody...isaresultoftheinjuryshesustainedinJune,1992andhersubsequentsurgery.ThepercentageimpairmentthispatienthasdidnotchangeasaresultoftheJanuary,1993incident,althoughitcertainlycanbearguedthatshewasmuchmorelikelytohaveanaggravationrequiringmedicaltreatmentbecauseoftheexistenceofthispreviousproblem. Ourreviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefinding,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Stonev.CityofMcMinnville,896S.W.2d584(Tenn.1991). TheapplicationofthisstandardrequiresthisCourttoweighinmoredepththefindingsandconclusionsofthetrialcourtsinworkerscompensationcases.Corcoranv.FosterAutoGMS,746S.W.2d452,456(Tenn.1988). Where,asinthiscase,themedicaltestimonyispresentedbydeposition,thisCourtisabletomakeitsownindependentassessmentofthemedicalprooftodeterminewherethepreponderanceoftheevidencelies.Cooperv.INA,884S.W.2d446(Tenn.1994). Wehavecarefullyreviewedthemedicalevidence,includingthedepositionandcorrespondenceofDr.Hauge,andwearepersuadedthatthepreponderanceoftheevidencesupportsthetrialcourtsconclusionthattheplaintiffsustainedatemporaryaggravationofapreviousnonworkrelatedinjurywithnoincreaseinpermanentpartialdisability. Weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourtwithcostsassessedtotheappellant.      򀀀      JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudgeCONCUR:򀀀E.RileyAnderson,Justice򀀀RogerE.Thayer,SpecialJudge   H J/1;+'b|` . `@J    INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE    ATKNOXVILLE   H S  H SHIRLEYWILLIAMS.  )MonroeChancery   )No.11,824     Plaintiff/Appellant,   )   vs.      )Hon.EarlE.Henley       )ChancellorSWEETWATERHOSPITAL  )ASSOCIATION    )      )̀      )̀Defendant/Appellee,  )S.Ct.No.03S019607CH00084      )  ff   JUDGMENTORDERf  ` X X  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkersCompensationPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference;  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadetheJudgmentoftheCourt.  Costsonappealaretaxedtotheplaintiff/appellantandJohnW.Cleveland,surety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.07/11/97