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ÔÔ€ÔÔ€ôÔÔ€XÔÔ€ÔÓ  ÓÝ  ÝÑ\R AØ'\ÑÒ  ÒÒ ° ÒÒ  ÒÒ 8 ÒÖ€ ÖÑ  ÑÔ&  ÔÔ  ÔÔ  ÔÖ€!ÖÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓÑ\R AØ'\ÑÔ€¼ÔÔ€ÔÞ ÞÌIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌÌSPECIAL€WORKERS'€COMPENSATION€APPEALS€PANELÌÙ€€ÙßR€$&#A1-j|` Å `€€@ÿRßÌAT€KNOXVILLEÌ(August€5,€1996€Session)ÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓPATRICIA€D.€WOODWARD,€€€€€€€€€€Ô€Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€€€)€€€€€WASHINGTON€CIRCUITÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€XÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€€€€€€€€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Plaintiff„Appellant,€€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€€)€€€€€Hon.€Thomas€J.€Seeley,€Jr.,Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€)€€€€€Judge.Ìv.€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)€€€€€No.€03S01„9512„CV„00138ÌAMERICAN€GENERAL€LIFE€&€€€€€€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€)ÌACCIDENT€INSURANCE€COMPANY,€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€,Ô€€Ô€¼Ô€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Defendant„Appellee.€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€€€€€)ÌÌÌÌòòFor€Appellantóó:€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€òòFor€Appellee:ÌóóÌDonald€F.€Mason,€Jr.€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Walter€O.€WaddeyÌD.€Bruce€Shine€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Kingsport,€TennesseeÌShine€&€MasonÌKingsport,€TennesseeÌÌÌÌòòÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓM€E€M€O€R€A€N€D€U€M€€€€O€P€I€N€I€O€NóóÌÌÌÌÌòòMembers€of€Panelóó:ÌÌE.€Riley€Anderson,€Associate€Justice,€Supreme€CourtÌWilliam€H.€Inman,€Senior€JudgeÌJoe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€JudgeÌÔ'  ÔÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓÌÌÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓÌÓ  ÓAFFIRMED€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Loser,ÏJudgeÓ ¹ ÓÌòòÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓMEMORANDUM€OPINIONóóÓ ³ÓÌÓffÓÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓà 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,€theÏemployee€or€claimant,€Woodward,€contends€the€evidence€preponderatesÏagainst€the€trial€court's€finding€that€her€fibromyalgia€was€not€causallyÏrelated€to€her€injury.€€The€panel€concludes€the€judgment€should€be€affirmed.Ó ôÍÓÌà àà àOn€July€23,€1992,€the€claimant€was€involved€in€a€car€wreckÏarising€out€of€and€in€the€course€of€her€employment€as€a€debit€agent€for€theÏemployer,€American€General.€€She€suffered€a€mild€strain€of€the€neck,Ïsuperimposed€upon€preexisting€osteoarthritis.€€She€was€first€seen€by€Dr.ÏSherrod,€who€made€the€diagnosis,€then€followed€by€Dr.€Calvin€Johnson€atÏWautauga€Orthopedics.€€Dr.€Johnson€provided€conservative€care€andÏassigned€minimal€permanent€impairment.Ìà àà àShe€was€further€treated€by€Dr.€David€Lurie,€a€rheumatologist,Íwho€diagnosed€fibromyalgia€but€expressed€no€opinion€as€to€whether€herÏcondition€was€causally€related€to€the€accident.€€The€claimant€was€under€Dr.ÏLurie's€continuing€care€at€the€time€of€the€trial.Ìà àà àHer€attorney€referred€her€to€Dr.€Mark€T.€McQuain,€a€specialistÏin€physical€medicine€and€rehabilitation.€€Dr.€McQuain's€impression,€asÏreflected€in€his€notes,€was:Ó úæÓÌà0 àà àà à1.€€Cervical€degenerative€disc€disease,€maximum€at€C4„5Ïand€C5„6.Ó ÓÌà0 àà àà à2.€Generalized€fibromyalgia/tension€myalgia,€post€€Ïtraumatic.Ìà0 àà àà à3.€€Patellofemoral€degenerative€joint€disease,€bilaterally.Ìà0 àà àà à4.€€Tendency€for€pain€magnification.Ó úæÓÌà àà àIn€his€testimony,€the€doctor€was€equivocal€as€to€the€cause€of€theÏclaimant's€fibromyalgia.Ó ôÍÓÌà àà àThe€trial€judge€found€that€the€probative€evidence€failed€toÏestablish€a€causal€connection€between€the€work„related€accident€and€theÏclaimant's€fibromyalgia,€but€awarded€benefits€for€her€neck€injury.€ÏAppellate€review€is€de€novo€upon€the€record€of€the€trial€court,€accompaniedÏby€a€presumption€of€correctness€of€the€findings€of€fact,€unless€theÏpreponderance€of€the€evidence€is€otherwise.€€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€section€50„6„225(e)(2).Ìà àà àUnless€admitted€by€the€employer,€the€employee€seeking€benefitsÏunder€the€Workers'€Compensation€Act€has€the€burden€of€proving,€byÏcompetent€evidence,€every€essential€element€of€her€claim.€€òòMazanec€v.€AetnaÍIns.€Co.óó,€491€€S.W.2d€€616€(Tenn.€1973).€€Ms.€Woodward€had€the€burden€ofÏproving,€in€this€case,€that€her€fibromyalgia€arose€out€of€her€employment.Ìà àà àIn€order€to€prove€that€an€injury€was€one€arising€out€of€theÏemployment,€the€medical€cause€of€the€injury€must€be€proved.€€Except€whereÏthe€cause€is€obvious,€causation€must€be€established€by€expert€medicalÏtestimony€based€on€reasonable€medical€certainty€or€probability.€€òòHarris€v.ÏKroger€Co.,€Inc.óó,€567€€S.W.2d€€161€(Tenn.€1978).€€An€award€may€not€beÏbased€on€conjecture€or€speculation.€€òòCollins€v.€Liberty€Mutual€Ins.€Co.óó,€561€ÏS.W.2d€€456€(Tenn.€1978).Ìà àà àFrom€our€examination€of€the€medical€proof€and€the€entireÏrecord,€the€evidence€fails€to€preponderate€against€the€trial€judge's€findingÏthat€the€claimant's€fibromyalgia€was€not€causally€related€to€the€automobileÏaccident.€€The€judgment€of€the€trial€court€is€accordingly€affirmed.€€Costs€onÏappeal€are€taxed€to€the€plaintiff„appellee.Ó úæÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓ_______________________________Ó ÓÌÓ  Ó€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Joe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€JudgeÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓCONCUR:Ì_________________________________ÌE.€Riley€Anderson,€JusticeÌÌ_________________________________ÌWilliam€H.€Inman,€JudgeÑ€'ÑÇÓÓà àà àà àÌà àà àà àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌà à€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ìà àà àà àà à€€€€€€€€€€AT€KNOXVILLEÌÌÌÌÌÓ` ‚,¸ ŠXÓPATRICIA€D.€WOODWARD€€€€€€€€€€€€à à€)à àWASHINGTONÏCIRCUITà àà àà à€à à€à àà àà àà à€)à àNo.€Ï16585T.D.€Below€à àà àà àà à€€Appellant,à àà àà à€€€€€€€€€€€)ÌÓ ` ŒXÓà àà àà àà àà àà à€)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à€)à àHon.€Thomas€J.€Seeley,€Jr.Ìvs.à àà àà àà àà àà à€)à àJudgeÌà àà àà àà àà àà à€)à àà à.Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à€)à àÌà àà àà àà àà àà à€)à à03S01„9512„CV„00138ÌAMERICAN€GENERAL€LIFE€&€€€€à à€)ÌACCIDENT€INSURANCEà àà à€)à à€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€.à àà àÏà àà àCOMPANY.à àà àà àà à€)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à€)Ìà àAppellee.à àà àà àà à€)à àà àà àà à€Ô€îÔÌÌà àÌà àà àà à€€€€€€€€òòJUDGMENT€ORDERóóÌÌÓ€Ó€€€€à àà àThis€case€is€before€the€Court€upon€Motion€for€reviewÏpursuant€to€Tenn€Code€Ann.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(5)(B),€the€entire€record,Ïincluding€the€order€of€referral€to€the€Special€Workersðð€CompensationÏAppeals€Panel,€and€thePanelððs€Memorandum€Opinion€setting€forth€itsÏfindings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law,€which€are€incorporated€hereinÏby€reference;Ìà àà àWhereupon,€it€appears€to€the€Court€that€the€motion€forÏmotion€for€review€is€not€well„taken€and€should€be€denied;€andÌà àà àIt€is,€therefore,€ordered€that€the€Panelððs€findings€of€fact€and€Ìconclusions€of€law€are€adopted€and€affirmed,€and€the€decision€of€theÍPanel€is€made€the€judgment€of€the€Court.Ìà àà àCosts€on€appeal€are€taxed€to€the€plaintiff„appellant.Ìà àà àIT€IS€SO€ORDERED€this€_17_€day€of€Dec.€1996.Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àPER€CURIAMÌAnderson,€J.€„Not€participating.ÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌ€à àà à€€à àà àà àÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌ€à àà à€€Ô€¼Ô