ÿWPCl' ·UB %T U .Z rˆ 0ú ‡ n— 0r› w@ 4MTaLµL 0JM 0T— 0^ë 0hI 0r± 0|# 0†Ÿ 0% 1uµ 0d* AQŽÆß 0Ž¥ 0@3 0Ds D/· Bæ B D3 SB)lDC• AMØ:%f_=Åv~vÓ€ AS& 0šÒ&ô\  `*Times New RomanTTô"ÝÆÿA€ArialTT'    0 .   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ÔÔ€ÔÔ€ôÔÔ€XÔÔ€ÔÓ  ÓÝ  ÝÒ  ÒÒ 8 ÒÖ€-ÖÔ  ÔÔ  ÔÙ€!ÙÑ  ÑÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓÑ\R AØ'\ÑÔ&  ÔÔ€¼ÔÔ€ÔßR€01/A1-j|` ç `€€@ÿRßÞ ÞÌIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌÌSPECIAL€WORKERS'€COMPENSATION€APPEALS€PANELÌÌAT€NASHVILLEÌ(September€25,€1997€Session)ÌÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓSHARON€ABBOTT,€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€„Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€)€€€€€MAURY€CHANCERYÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€XÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€€€€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Plaintiff„Appellant,€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€)€€€€€Hon.€William€B.€Cain,Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€)€€€€€Judge.Ìv.€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)€€€€€No.€01S01„9703„CH„00071ÌSATURN€CORPORATION,€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Defendant„Appellee.€€€€€€)ÌÌÌÌÌòòFor€Appellantóó:€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€òòFor€Appellee:óóÌÌDaniel€L.€Clayton€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Thomas€H.€PeeblesÌKinnard,€Clayton€&€Beveridge€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Waller,€Lansden,€Dortch€&ÏDavisÌNashville,€Tennessee€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Columbia,€TennesseeòòÌóóÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓòòM€E€M€O€R€A€N€D€U€M€€€€O€P€I€N€I€O€NóóÌÌÌÌÌòòMembers€of€Panelóó:ÌÌLyle€Reid,€Associate€Justice,€Supreme€CourtÌÔ'  ÔWilliam€S.€Russell,€Special€JudgeÌJoe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€JudgeÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓÌÓ  ÓREVERSED€AND€REMANDED€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Loser,ÏJudgeÓ ¹ ÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓòòMEMORANDUM€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.€€Fairly€stated€the€issueÏraised€by€the€employee€or€claimant,€Abbott,€is€that€the€evidenceÏpreponderates€against€the€trial€court's€finding€that€her€permanent€disabilityÏis€not€causally€connected€to€her€work„related€injury.€€As€discussed€below,Ïthe€panel€has€concluded€the€judgment€should€be€reversed.Ìà àà àOn€or€about€September€1,€1993,€the€claimant,€while€workingÏfor€the€employer,€Saturn,€felt€a€sharp€pain€in€her€neck€and€shoulder€whileÏreaching€for€boxes€of€parts.€€She€continued€to€work€off€and€on€with€painÏuntil€November€of€1994,€when€she€became€disabled€to€work€and€wasÏreferred€by€the€employer€to€a€Dr.€Tom€Bartsokas,€a€family€and€sportsÏmedicine€practitioner.€€The€doctor€made€a€preliminary€diagnosis€of€cervicalÏdisc€disease€with€myelopathy€and€myofascial€pain€syndrome.€€He€excused€herÏfrom€work€for€one€week€and€ordered€a€magnetic€resonance€imaging€(MRI)Ïscan.€€He€also€prescribed€physical€therapy.Ìà àà àThe€MRI€scan€revealed€areas€of€disc€bulging€in€the€midline€atÏthree€levels,€particularly€C4„C5,€C5„C6€and€C6„C7€with€degenerative€discÏnarrowing€from€C4€down€to€C7.€€In€his€deposition,€Dr.€Bartsokas€opined€theÍclaimant€was€permanently€impaired€and€gave€the€following€testimonyÏconcerning€causation:Ìà0 àà àà àQ.€€All€right.€€Sir,€do€you€have€an€opinion,€to€aÏreasonable€degree€of€medical€certainty,€as€to€what€was€the€cause,€then,Ïof€this€permanent€impairment€that€she€has?Ìà0 àà àà àA.€€My€personal€opinion€is€that,€number€one,€she€hasÏcervical€disc€degeneration.€€It's€a€form€of€disc€disease€compounded€byÏosteoarthritis,€spurring€of€the€spine,€and€particularly€at€the€levelÏwhere€she€had€her€disc€degeneration.€€And€this€condition€that€she€wasÏborn€with€the€proclivity€to€manifest€was€aggravated€by€the€work€sheÏperformed.Ìà àà àIn€July€of€1995,€the€claimant€was€referred€to€Dr.€Noel€Tulipan,Ïa€neurosurgeon,€who€also€found€her€to€be€permanently€impaired€and,€byÏdeposition,€gave€the€following€testimony:Ìà0 àà àà àQ.€€So€you€said€earlier€that€the€patient€attributed€herÏcondition€to€her€work.€€My€question€is€to€you,€do€you€attribute€herÏcondition,€the€condition€that€you've€described€and€that€you€found€inÏher€neck,€to€her€work?Ìà0 àà àà àA.€€Well,€I€have€to€answer€that€in€two€parts.€€I€think€thatÏthe€abnormalities€that€we€see€on€the€CT€scan,€the€myelogram€and€theÏplain€x„rays€are€not€attributable€to€her€work.€€The€fact€that€she€gives€aÏhistory€of€having€pain€related€directly€to€an€incident€at€work€makesÏme€think€there€was€something€about€her€work€that€aggravated€herÏpain€or€aggravated€her€condition,€but€certainly€the€abnormalities€thatÏwe€see€on€the€myelogram€pre„dated€this€pain.Ìà0 àà àà àQ.€€And€the€aggravation€that€you've€talked€about,€wouldÍthat€have€made€the€condition€„„€or€do€you€have€an€opinion€as€toÏwhether€that€aggravation€would€have€made€the€condition€any€worseÏthan€it€would€have€been€under€the€normal€degenerative€process?Ìà0 àà àà àA.€€I€think€if€you're€asking€me€„„€let's€say€we€did€aÏmyelogram€immediately€before€she€had€her€pain€and€immediatelyÏafter.€€We€might€not€have€seen€any€major€„„€any€significant€changeÏbefore€and€after€but€that€still€doesn't€necessarily€mean€that€there€wasÏsomething€about€the€way€she€moved€her€neck€at€work€that€aggravatedÏthe€pain.Ìà0 àà àà àQ.€€Is€the€condition€that€she€has,€is€it€usually€somethingÏthat€causes€pain€regardless€of€whether€or€not€someone€is€working€orÏnot?Ìà0 àà àà àA.€€I€would€have€expected€her€to€have€some€degree€ofÏneck€pain€from€this€kind€of€degenerative€change.Ìà0 àà àà àQ.€€Whether€it€had€been€aggravated€by€work€or€not?Ìà0 àà àà àA.€€It's€certainly€very€possible.Ìà0 àà àà à****Ìà0 àà àà àQ.€€But,€doctor,€it€is€your€opinion€that€Sharon€Abbott,Ïwith€the€history€that€she€gave€you€regarding€her€work,€that€her€work„related€activities€have€contributed€to€her€problems€that€she's€havingÏnow;€correct?Ìà0 àà àà àA.€€I€believe€that's€correct.€€Yes,€sir.Ìà0 àà àà àQ.€€And,€sir,€it€would€certainly€be€consistent€with€theÏmany€people€out€there€who€have€degenerative€changes€without€evenÏknowing€about€it€that€she€could€have€continued€working€at€SaturnÏwithout€this€pain€and€without€these€problems€ever€occurring;€correct?Ìà0 àà àà àA.€€You're€asking€me€a€hypothetical€situation€that€sheÏcould€have€gone€on€working€without€pain?Ìà0 àà àà àQ.€€Right.Ìà0 àà àà àA.€€Sure.Ìà0 àà àà àQ.€€In€other€words,€it's€not€set€in€stone€that€theseÏdegenerative€changes€would€have€caused€Sharon€Abbott€the€problemsÏthat€she€had€if€you€removed€the€September,€1993€work€injury.€€DoÏyou€follow€my€question?Ìà0 àà àà àA.€€I€guess€I€do.€€I€think€the€answer€to€that€„„€let€meÏrestate€it€in€my€own€terms.€€I€think€it's€possible€with€somebody€withÏthe€same€myelographic€findings€as€Ms.€Abbott€could€work€at€SaturnÏand€not€have€incapacitating€pain.€€Is€that€the€question€you're€asking?Ìà0 àà àà àQ.€€Okay,€fine,€but€„„yeah,€it€is.€€And€then€as€a€follow„upÏto€that€though€the€problems€that€she€has€relate€back€„„€the€aggravationÏof€it€relates€back€to€the€September,€1993€injury;€correct?Ìà0 àà àà àA.€€That's€correct.Ìà àà àWe€find€in€the€record€no€other€expert€medical€proof.Ìà àà àThe€trial€court,€relying€on€òòCunningham€v.€Goodyear€Tire€andÏRubber€Co.óó,€811€S.W2d€€888€(Tenn.€1991),€òòJose€v.€Equifax,€Inc.óó,€556€ÏS.W.2d€€82€(Tenn.€1977)€and€òòTownsend€v.€Stateóó,€826€€S.W.2d€€434€(Tenn.Ï1992),€found€the€claimant's€permanent€disability€to€be€not€compensable.€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 àConclusions€of€law€are€subject€to€de€novo€review€on€appealÏwithout€any€presumption€of€correctness.€€òòPresley€v.€Bennettóó,€860€€S.W.2d€Ï857€(Tenn.€1993).€€Where€the€trial€judge€has€seen€and€heard€the€witnesses,Ïespecially€if€issues€of€credibility€and€weight€to€be€given€oral€testimony€areÏinvolved,€considerable€deference€must€be€accorded€those€circumstances€onÏreview.€€òòMcCaleb€v.€Saturn€Corp.óó,€910€€S.W.2d€€412€(Tenn.€1995).€€TheÏappellate€tribunal,€however,€is€as€well€situated€to€gauge€the€weight,€worthÏand€significance€of€deposition€testimony€as€the€trial€judge.€€òòSeiber€v.ÏGreenbrier€Industries,€Inc.óó,€906€€S.W.2d€€444€(Tenn.€1995).Ìà àà àIn€òòJose€v.€Equifaxóó,€our€Supreme€Court€held€that€a€mental€injuryÏarises€out€of€employment€if€the€injury€is€caused€by€an€identifiable,€stressfulÏwork„related€event€producing€sudden€mental€stimulus€such€as€fright,€shockÏor€excessive€unexpected€anxiety,€and€not€by€gradual€employment€stressÏbuilding€over€a€period€of€time.€€Its€facts€are€clearly€distinguishable€fromÏthose€here.€€Ms.€Abbott€is€not€claiming€a€mental€injury€caused€by€gradualÏemployment€stress.€€The€other€cases€cited€by€the€trial€judge€stand€for€theÏproposition€that€an€employer€is€not€responsible€for€workers'€compensationÏbenefits€if€the€employment€does€not€cause€an€actual€progression€orÏaggravation€of€the€pre„existing€condition€but€merely€produces€additionalÏsymptoms€or€pain.€€We€understand€the€quoted€medical€proof€to€be€that€thisÏclaimant's€work„related€injury€did€cause€an€aggravation€of€the€pre„existingÏcondition.Ìà àà àUnder€the€Tennessee€Workers'€Compensation€Law,€injuries€byÏaccident€arising€out€of€and€in€the€course€of€employment€which€causeÏdisablement€of€the€injured€employee€are€compensable.€€Tenn.€Code€Ann.Ïsection€50„6„102(a)(5).€€Benefits€must€be€paid€even€where€the€employer€isÏwithout€fault.€€òòMorrison€v.€Tennessee€Consolidated€Coal€Co.óó,€162€€Tenn.€Ï523,€39€€S.W.2d€€272€(1931).Ìà àà àOur€Supreme€Court€has€consistently€followed€the€rule€that€anÏinjury€is€compensable,€even€though€the€claimant€may€have€been€sufferingÏfrom€a€serious€pre„existing€condition,€if€a€work„connected€accident€can€beÏfairly€said€to€be€a€contributing€cause€of€such€injury.€€An€employer€takes€anÏemployee€as€the€employee€is€and€assumes€having€a€weakened€conditionÏaggravated€by€an€injury€which€might€not€affect€a€normal€person.€€òòFink€v.ÏCaudleóó,€856€€S.W.2d€€952€(Tenn.€1993).€€The€employer€takes€the€employeeÏwith€all€pre„existing€conditions€and€cannot€escape€liability€when€theÏemployee,€upon€suffering€a€work„related€injury,€incurs€disability€far€greaterÏthan€if€the€employee€had€not€had€the€pre„existing€conditions.€€òòRogers€v.ÏShawóó,€813€€S.W.2d€€397€(Tenn.€1991).Ìà àà àFrom€a€consideration€of€the€above€principles€and€the€expertÏtestimony€that€the€claimant's€pre„existing€conditions€were€probablyÏaggravated€by€the€work„related€accident,€resulting€in€a€permanentÏimpairment,€the€panel€is€persuaded€that€the€evidence€preponderates€againstÏthe€finding€of€the€trial€court.€€The€judgment€of€the€trial€court€isÏconsequently€reversed€and€the€cause€remanded€to€the€Chancery€Court€forÏMaury€County€for€an€award€of€permanent€disability€benefits€and€such€otherÏproceedings€as€may€be€appropriate.€€Costs€are€taxed€to€the€defendant„appellee.Ó ¹ ÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓ_______________________________Ó ÓÌÓ  Ó€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Joe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€JudgeÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓCONCUR:ÌÌ_________________________________ÌLyle€Reid,€Associate€JusticeÌÌ_________________________________ÌWilliam€S.€Russell,€Senior€JudgeÌÑ€2ÑÇÒ € ÒÒ „ ÒÑ ` ÑÔ€XÔà@ àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àAT€NASHVILLEÌßJ€03;+'b|Qo` ç `€@ÿJßÌÌÌSHARON€ABBOTT,à@ à)à àMAURY€CHANCERYÌà@ à)à àNO.€95„163Ìà àPLAINTIFF/APPELLANT,à@ à)Ìà@ à)à àHON.€WILLIAM€B.€CAIN,Ìv.à@ à)à àJUDGEÌà@ à)ÌSATURN€CORPORATION,à@ à)à àS.€CT.€NO.€01S01„9703„CH„00071Ìà@ à)Ìà àDEFENDANT/APPELLEE.à@ à)à0 àREVERSED€AND€REMANDEDÌÌÌÌà@ àòòò òJUDGMENTó óóóÌÌÌÓÓà àThis€case€is€before€the€Court€upon€motion€for€review€pursuant€to€Tenn.€Code€Ann.Ïðð50„6„225(e)(5)(B),€the€entire€record,€including€the€order€of€referral€to€the€Special€Workers'ÏCompensation€Appeals€Panel,€and€the€Panel's€Memorandum€Opinion€setting€forth€itsÏfindings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law,€which€are€incorporated€herein€by€reference;Ìà àWhereupon,€it€appears€to€the€Court€that€the€motion€for€review€is€not€well€taken€andÏshould€be€denied;€and€Ìà àIt€is,€therefore,€ordered€that€the€Panel's€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law€areÏadopted€and€affirmed,€and€the€decision€of€the€Panel€is€made€the€judgment€of€the€Court.Ìà àCosts€will€be€paid€by€defendant/appellee,€for€which€execution€may€issue€if€necessary.Ìà àIt€is€so€ordered€this€13th€day€of€March,€1998.ÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà àPER€CURIAMÌÌREID,€J.€NOT€PARTICIPATINGÔ€¼Ô