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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€TENNESSEEÌÙ€!ÙßR€01/A1-j|(` ç `€€@ÿRßÌSPECIAL€WORKERS'€COMPENSATION€APPEALS€PANELÌÌAT€NASHVILLEÌ(March€20,€1997€Session)ÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓYASUDA€FIRE€&€MARINE€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)ÌINSURANCE€COMPANY€OF€€€€€€€€€€€€)ÌAMERICA,€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)€€€€€DAVIDSON€CHANCERYÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€XÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€€€€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Plaintiff„Appellant,€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€)€€€€€Hon.€Irvin€H.€Kilcrease,€Jr.,Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€)€€€€€Chancellor.Ìv.€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€XÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€Ô€Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€)€€€€€No.€01S01„9609„CH„00187ÌFRANCINE€KUNTZ,€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€Ô€Ô€¼Ô€Ô€XÔ€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Defendant„Appellee.€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€)ÌÌÌÌòòFor€Appellantóó:€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€òòFor€Appellee:óóÌÌMary€Sullivan€Moore€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Phillip€R.€NewmanÌD.€Brett€Burrow€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Sarah€Hardcastle€HardisonÌBrewer,€Krause,€Brooks€&€Mills€€€€€€€€€Manier,€Herod,€Hollabaugh€&€SmithÌNashville,€Tennessee€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Nashville,€TennesseeòòÌóóÌÌÌòòÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓM€E€M€O€R€A€N€D€U€M€€€€O€P€I€N€I€O€NóóÌÌÌÌÌòòMembers€of€Panelóó:ÌÌAdolpho€A.€Birch,€Jr.,€Chief€Justice,€Supreme€CourtÌJohn€K.€Byers,€Senior€JudgeÌJoe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€JudgeÌÔ'  ÔÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓÌÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓAFFIRMED€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Loser,ÏJudgeÓ ¹ ÓÌòòÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓMEMORANDUM€OPINIONóóÓ rAÓÌÓ  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.€€This€appeal€presents€usÏwith€an€issue€involving€venue€in€a€workers'€compensation€case.€€As€discussedÏbelow,€the€panel€concludes€the€judgment€of€the€trial€court,€dismissing€theÏcase€for€improper€venue,€should€be€affirmed.Ìà àà àThe€employer's€insurer,€Yasuda,€commenced€this€action€inÏDavidson€County€where,€according€to€the€complaint,€its€principal€place€ofÏbusiness€is€located.€€The€employee€moved,€without€supporting€affidavits,€toÏdismiss€for€improper€venue.€€The€trial€court€granted€the€motion€without€anÏevidential€hearing.Ñ  ÑÑ   ÑÑ  ÑÑ€. §u` Ñ× ƒ2 ××  ×Ìà àà àThe€relevant€facts€are€undisputed.€€The€employee€is€a€residentÏof€Robertson€County;€the€corporate€employer€has€its€principal€office€inÏSumner€County,€where€the€injury€occurred;€and€the€employer's€insurer€hasÏits€principal€office€in€Davidson€County.Ìà àà àThe€trial€judge€dismissed€the€complaint€for€improper€venueÍbecause,€according€to€the€employee's€brief,€the€employee€"may€not€have€aÏdifferent€residence€than€(sic)€the€employer€for€the€purpose€of€determiningÏproper€venue€under€the€Workers'€Compensation€Law€of€Tennessee."€ÏAppellate€review€is€de€novo€upon€the€record€of€the€trial€court.€€òòPresley€v.ÏBennettóó,€860€€S.W.2d€€857€(Tenn.€1993).Ìà àà àIn€a€significant€number€of€past€cases,€our€Supreme€Court€heldÏthat€a€workers'€compensation€action€was€a€transitory€one€and€that€venue€wasÏto€be€determined€by€considering€both€the€provision€of€the€Workers'ÏCompensation€Act€with€respect€to€venue€and€the€general€rules€relating€toÏtransitory€actions.€€Those€cases€were€overturned€by€that€court's€opinion€inÏòòFive€Star€Express,€Inc.€v€Davisóó,€866€€S.W.2d€€944€(Tenn.€1993),€wherein€itÏsaid€in€conclusion,€"....€we€now€hold€that€venue€in€workers'€compensationÏactions€is€to€be€determined€solely€by€the€workers'€compensation€venueÏstatute€„„€section€50„6„225(c)(1)€„„€and€any€other€authority€indicatingÏotherwise€is€hereby€expressly€overruled."Ìà àà àThe€section€provides€as€follows:ÌÒ  ÒÒ à ÒÓ ` ` ŒXÓà8 àà àà à(c)(1)€€The€party€filing€the€petition€may,€at€such€party'sÏoption,€instead€of€filing€the€same€before€the€county€judge€or€chair,€fileÏthe€same€as€an€original€petition€in€either€the€circuit,€criminal€orÏchancery€court€of€the€county€in€which€petitioner€resides€or€in€whichÏthe€alleged€accident€happened,€in€which€event€summons€shall€be€issuedÏby€the€clerk€of€the€court€in€which€the€proceeding€is€instituted,€andÏshall€be€returned€before€the€court€within€the€time€provided€forÏproceedings€before€a€county€judge€of€county€chair.€(1996€Supp.).ÌÒ  ÒÒ 8 ÒÓ ` ŒXÓà àà àThe€Workers'€Compensation€Act€expressly€requires€that€it€beÏgiven€"equitable€construction."€€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€section€50„6„116.€€It€is€toÏbe€interpreted€liberally€in€favor€of€those€entitled€to€its€benefits.€€òòWilliams€v.ÏPreferred€Developed€Corp.óó,€224€€Tenn.€€174,€€452€€S.W.2d€€344€(1970).€€ItÏmust€be€interpreted€in€a€manner€designed€to€protect€workers€and€theirÏfamilies€from€the€economic€devastation€that€can€follow€on„the„job€injuries.€ÏòòBetts€v.€Tom€Wade€Ginóó,€810€€S.W.2d€€140€(Tenn.€1991).Ìà àà àIn€òòFive€Staróó,€the€"petitioner"€was€the€employer.€€The€presentÏcase€differs€only€in€that€the€"petitioner"€is€not€the€employer,€but€its€insurer.€ÏYasuda€contends€that€since€it€is€entitled€to€proceed€in€its€own€name,€it€shouldÏbe€considered€the€petitioner€and€allowed€to€maintain€the€action€in€the€countyÏwhere€it€is€principally€located.Ìà àà àIf€we€accept€that€argument,€Yasuda€could,€theoretically,€have€allÏworkers'€compensation€claims€against€it€adjudicated€in€its€chosen€forum€inÏDavidson€County,€regardless€of€where€the€injured€party€resides€or€the€injuryÏoccurred,€even€if€the€employee€lives€hundreds€of€miles€away€or€was€injuredÏhundreds€of€miles€away.€€Of€course,€the€employee€could€assert€that€DavidsonÏCounty€was€an€inconvenient€venue,€but€that€is€not€the€case€here.Ìà àà àThe€posture€of€this€case€forces€us€to€decide€whether€a€workers'Ïcompensation€insurance€carrier€can€force€an€injured€party€to€either€presentÏhis€claim€in€Davidson€County€or€base€his€objection€to€such€venue€on€theÏground€of€òòforum€non€conveniensóó.€€Either€way€involves€considerable€timeÏand€expense€and€could€contribute€to€economic€devastation.Ìà àà àThe€panel€agrees€with€the€trial€judge€that€an€insurer€may€onlyÏcommence€the€action€in€the€county€in€which€the€employer€resides€„€or,€as€aÏcorporate€resident,€has€its€principal€place€of€business€„€or€where€the€injuryÏoccurred.€€The€employer€and€its€insurance€carrier€are€treated€as€one€forÏmost€purposes€under€the€Act,€unless€otherwise€expressly€provided€for.€ÏTenn.€Code€Ann.€section€50„6„102(a);€See€also€òòHumphries€v.€AllstateÏInsurance€Companyóó,€627€€S.W.2d€€933€(Tenn.€1982).€€We€do€not€construeÏsection€50„6„225(c)(1)€to€expressly€provide€otherwise€for€the€purpose€ofÏestablishing€venue.Ìà àà àThe€judgment€of€the€trial€court€is€accordingly€affirmed.€€CostsÏare€taxed€to€the€appellant.ÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓ_______________________________Ó ÓÌÓ  Ó€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Joe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€JudgeÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓCONCUR:ÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌAdolpho€A.€Birch,€Jr.,€Chief€JusticeÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌJohn€K.€Byers,€Senior€JudgeÌÑ€3ÑÇÒ  ÒÒ £ ÒòòßJ€04;+'b|—ÿ` ç `€@ÿJßà@ àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌÌà@ àAT€NASHVILLEÌÌÌÌYASUDA€FIRE€&€MARINEà àà à}ÌINSURANCE€COMPANY€OFà àà à}ÌAMERICA,à àà àà àà àà à}à àDAVIDSON€CHANCERYà àÌà àà àà àà àà àà à}à àNo.€96„1589„I€BelowÌà àPlaintiff/Appellantà àà à}Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à}à àHon.€Irvin€H.€Kilcrease,€Jr.,Ìvs.à àà àà àà àà àà à}à àChancellorÌà àà àà àà àà àà à}ÌFRANCINE€KUNTZ,à àà àà à}à àNo.€01S01„9609„CH„00187Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à}Ìà àDefendant/Appelleeà àà à}à àAFFIRMED.ÌÌÌà@ àJUDGMENT€ORDERÌÌÌÓ€Óà àà àThis€case€is€before€the€Court€upon€the€entire€record,€including€theÏorder€of€referral€to€the€Special€Workers'€Compensation€Appeals€Panel,€and€theÏPanel's€Memorandum€Opinion€setting€forth€its€findings€of€fact€and€conclusionsÏof€law,€which€are€incorporated€herein€by€reference.Ìà àà àWhereupon,€it€appears€to€the€Court€that€the€Memorandum€OpinionÏof€the€Panel€should€be€accepted€and€approved;€andÌà àà àIt€is,€therefore,€ordered€that€the€Panel's€findings€of€fact€andÏconclusions€of€law€are€adopted€and€affirmed,€and€the€decision€of€the€Panel€isÏmade€the€judgment€of€the€Court.ÌÓ ` ` šXÓà àà àCosts€will€be€paid€by€Plaintiff/Appellant€and€Surety,€for€whichÏexecution€may€issue€if€necessary.ÌÓÓà àà àIT€IS€SO€ORDERED€on€May€21,€1997.ÌÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà àPER€CURIAMÌóóÌÌÌÌ