WPCO ZRDk }rW|$siH3YW϶F/# m/n< "lT{Y]Ki')}6\l{gXkvJ}NmG%q$ 5'A,RL;p~  `     h     ) p Chancellor $d +9+9COPPINGERCOLORLAB,INC.,  )+9+9 p   J +9񜛜+9 ` +9+9    h     ) ` +9+9Defendant/Appellee+9+9    ) p +9+9   `     h     )and `     h     )   `     h     )TRAVELERSINSURANCECOMPANY  ) n  `     h     ) ` Defendant/Appellant    ) p No.+9+9+9+903S019711CH00130+9+9 :z  FortheAppellant:   h      p FortheAppellee:     +9񜛜+9ThomasE.LeQuire   h      p ConradFinnell "" Suite407JamesBldg. h      p P.O.Box1476 n## 735BroadStreet   h      p Cleveland,Tenn.373641476 T$ $ Chattanooga,Tenn.37402 `  +9+9   h      p RogerE.Jenne `  +9+9  +9+9 h +9+9     p P.O.Box161 `    +9+9 h      p Cleveland,+9+9Tenn.37364   MEMORANDUMOPINION  P-).  MembersofPanel: "/b+0  E.RileyAnderson,ChiefJustice 0:-2 RogerE.Thayer,SpecialJudgeJohnS.McLellan,III,SpecialJudgen =9@( +9񜛜+9AFFIRMED.    h +9+9     p   +9+9THAYER,+9+9SpecialJudge  +9+9 ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.+9+9 ` Thisappealhasresultedfromafindingbythetrialcourtthatplaintiff,ConstanceH.Wilson,sustainedacompensableinjurywhileintheemploymentofherlastemployer,Telecable.Thetrialcourtdismissedthecaseagainsttheformeremployer,CoppingerColorLab,Inc.,andheldTravelersInsuranceCompanyliableastheinsurancecarrierforthelastemployer. ` TheonlyissueiswhethertheLastInjuriousInjuryRuleappliessoastoholdthelastemployerliableforthecompensableclaim. ` Plaintiff,age41years,beganworkingforCoppingerColorLab,Inc.duringAugust1986.SheworkedeightyearsbeforeleavingtotakeajobwithTelecable.Duringhereightyearperiodofemployment,shediddataentryworkwithacomputer.Sheestimatedthatthistypeofworkactivityconsumedabout8590%ofhertime.Duringthelasttwoyearsofemployment,shestartedhavingproblemswithnumbnessinbothhands.Herconditioncontinuedtogetworseandshetestifiedthenumbnessandtinglingwasalmostadailyevent.However,shecontinuedtowork. ` PlaintiffwenttoworkforTelecable,herlastandpresentemployer,onJune1,1994andwasemployedasadispatcherwhichinvolvedcomputerworktoalesserextentthaninherformeremployment.Shestatedshedidthistypeofworkabout2550%ofthetime.Thefirsttwoweeksofthisnewjobwasatrainingperiodthatrequiredhertowatchanotheremployeemostofthetime.Whileworkingshecontinuedtohavethesameproblemwithherhandsandwrists.DuringthelastpartofJune1994sheawokeduringthenightwithseverepaininherleftarmbetweenherelbowandwristwhichshedescribedasbeingworsethananypainshehadeverencounteredbefore.Thisscaredherandshedecidedtoseeadoctor. ` Shecontinuedtoworkandduringherlastyearofemployment,shereceivedapromotiontoajobclassifiedasanadministrativeassistant.Herconditionbegantoimprovebutthemedicalevidenceisquiteclearthatsheneedstohavesurgeryforbilateralcarpaltunnelsyndromeinjury. t;7>  ` PlaintiffsawDr.RobertA.Beasley,anorthopaedicsurgeon,onJuly18,1994,aboutsixweeksafterbecomingemployedwithTelecable.Dr.Beasleyopinedshewassufferingfrombilateralcarpaltunnelsyndromeandrecommendedsheusesplintstokeepandrestrictthemovementofherwrists.Hetestifiedshetoldhimhersymptomshadbecomemuchworserecently.Dr.Beasleydidnotgiveanopinionconcerningcausationoftheinjury. ` PlaintiffsawDr.SharonN.Farber,aneurologist,onAugust18,1994andsheconcurredinthediagnosisofbilateralcarpaltunnelsyndrome.Whenthedoctorwasquestionedastowhetherherworkactivitieswithherformeremployercouldhavecausedhercondition,thedoctorstatedthattheformeremploymentcouldhavecausedit.Thedoctorwasalsoquestionedastowhetherherworkactivitiesatherlastandpresentemployercouldhavecausedoraggravatedhercondition,thedoctoransweredthatitcouldhavebeenaggravatedbythelastemploymentandespeciallyifhersymptomshadbecomeworse. ` Dr.CauleyW.Hayes,surgeon,testifiedhesawplaintiffonMarch6,1995andMarch11,1996.Heopinedsheneededtohavesurgeryonbothwrists.Hewasoftheopinionherpresentjobwaslesslikelytobeacausativefactorinherconditionbutadmittedthatherworkactivitywithherlastemployercouldcauseherconditiontobecomeworse. ` Alloftheexpertmedicaltestimonywaspresentedtothetrialcourtbydeposition. ` Thereviewofthecaseisdenovoaccompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindingsoffactunlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.T.C.A.506225(e)(2). ` Theemployeehastheburdenofprovingeveryelementofthecase,includingcausationandpermanencybyapreponderanceoftheevidence.Tindallv.Waring 0,2 ParkAssn,725S.W.2d935,937(Tenn.1987). |2.4  ` Althoughcausationcannotbebaseduponspeculativeorconjecturalproof,absolutemedicalcertaintyisnotrequiredandreasonabledoubtistobeconstruedinfavoroftheemployee.Whitev.WerthanIndus.,824S.W.2d158,159(Tenn.1992). 7$4: Itisentirelyappropriateforatrialjudgetopredicateanawardonmedicaltestimonytotheeffectthatagivenincident couldbethecauseoftheemployeesinjurywhen ;7> thetrialjudgealsohasheardlaytestimonyfromwhichitmayreasonablybeinferredthattheincidentwasinfactthecauseoftheinjury.Ormanv.WilliamsSonoma,Inc.,  803S.W.2d672,676(Tenn.1991). ` TravelersInsuranceCompanyarguesthattheevidencemerelyshowstheemployeehadanincreaseinpainaloneandthattheLastInjuriousInjuryRulewouldnotapplyastoholdthelastemployerliable.Werespectfullydisagreewiththiscontention. ` Anemployerisresponsibleforworkerscompensationbenefits,eventhoughtheclaimantmayhavebeensufferingfromaseriouspreexistingconditionordisability,iftheemploymentcausesanactualprogressionoraggravationofthepriordisablingconditionordiseasewhichproducesincreasedpainthatisdisabling.Hillv.  EagleBendManuf.,Inc.,etal,942S.W.2d483(Tenn.1997);Finkv.Caudle,856  S.W.2d952,958(Tenn.1993). ` Thus,anemployertakesanemployeeasheorsheisandassumestheresponsibilityofhavingapreexistingconditionaggravatedbyaworkrelatedinjurywhichmightnotaffectanormalperson. ` UndertheLastInjuriousInjuryRule,thelastemployerorinsurancecarrierwillbeliableinfullforanypermanentdisabilityresultingfromalastofsuccessiveinjuriestakingplaceunderdifferentemployers.McCormickv.SnappyCarRentals,Inc.,806 $$d $ S.W.2d527(Tenn.1991);Heltonv.State,800S.W.2d823(Tenn.1990). %4"&  ` Fromourreviewofthecase,weareoftheopiniontheLastInjuriousInjuryRulehasapplicationtothefactsofthecase.Therecordsupportstheconclusionthatplaintiffsustainedgradualinjuriestoherhandsorwristsduringherformeremploymentandthatherconditionwasaggravatedbysimilartypeworkactivitywithherlastandpresentemployercausinghergreaterpainanddiscomfort.Sinceanemployerisdeemedtotakeanemployeeastheemployerfindstheemployeeatthecommencementofemployment,thelastemployerisresponsiblefortheresultingtotaldisability.Theevidencedoesnotpreponderateagainstthefindingsofthetrialcourt.+9+9 ` Thejudgmentis+9+9affirmed.'9andthecaseisremandedtothetrialcourtforfurtherproceedingsasindicatedherein.'9+9+9+9+9(9(9Costs+9+9oftheappealaretaxedto+9+9)9defendantemployer)9*9TravelersInsuranceCompany*9.+9+9 `  ;7> %   `     h     ___________________________________ `     h     RogerE.Thayer,SpecialJudgeCONCUR:________________________________E.RileyAnderson,ChiefJustice________________________________JohnS.McLellan,III,SpecialJudge99  :z  99:9:9:9, HX XXX@\ \ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEEl*6&"h 8 `E- tt06;, l ;;$$@FF!]ATKNOXVILLECONSTANCEH.WILSON, 8   )  BRADLEY ,  $$;;CHANCERY  0      8   )  No.95143T.D.Below ,   Plaintiff/Appellee,   8   ) ,    0      8   )  Hon.EarlH.Henley, ,  v.  0      8   )  Chancellor ,    0      8   )  0      8   )  No.03S019711CH00130 , COPPINGERCOLORLAB,INC.  ) ,   0      8   ) Defendant/Appellee, 8   )  Affirmed. ,   0      8   )and  0      8   ) ,   0      8   )TRAVELERSINSURANCECO.  ) ,   0      8   ) Defendant/Appellant. 8   ) ,! @'JUDGMENTORDER ,# #XX XX/#XU/XXX#XXXXU/7#  0 ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtuponmotionforreviewpursuantto ,& Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(5)(B),theentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference;  0 Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthemotionforreviewisnotwelltakenandshouldbedenied;and  0 Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt.  X6,,.    0 Costsonappealaretaxedtotheappellant. $8-0   0 ITISSOORDEREDthis____dayof______,1998.XU/XXX#XXXXU/:# 9/2   0      8   PERCURIAM ;14 XU/XXXAnderson,J.Notparticipating.#XXXXU/;#:9