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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€TENNESSEEÌÌÙ€!ÙßR€/0.A1-j|(i` ç `€€@ÿRßSPECIAL€WORKERS'€COMPENSATION€APPEALS€PANELÌÌAT€NASHVILLEÌ(August€29,€1997€Session)ÌÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓEDWARD€DOUGLAS€ATKINS,€€€€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€€€€)€€€€€MONTGOMERY€CIRCUITÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€XÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Plaintiff„Appellee,€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€)€€€€€Hon.€James€E.€Walton,Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€)€€€€€Judge.Ìv.€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€Ô€XÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€Ô€Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€€€€€Ô€ Ô€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€)€€€€€No.€01S01„9703„CV„00047ÌARGONAUT€INSURANCE€COMPANY,)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€Ô€Ô€¼Ô€Ô€XÔ€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Defendant„Appellant.€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€)ÌÌÌÌÌòòFor€Appellantóó:€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€òòFor€Appellee:óóÌÌStephen€K.€Heard€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€William€L.€UnderhillÌStewart,€Estes€&€Donnell€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Madison,€TennesseeÌNashville,€TennesseeòòÌóóÌÌÌÌòòÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓM€E€M€O€R€A€N€D€U€M€€€€O€P€I€N€I€O€NóóÌÌÌÌÌòòMembers€of€Panelóó:ÌÌFrank€F.€Drowota,€III,€Associate€Justice,€Supreme€CourtÌÔ'  ÔWilliam€H.€Inman,€Senior€JudgeÌJoe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€JudgeÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓÌÓ  ÓAFFIRMED€AS€MODIFIED€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€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.€€At€the€trial,€the€onlyÏissue€was€the€extent€of€the€claimant's€permanent€partial€disability.€€In€thisÏappeal,€the€employer's€insurer,€Argonaut,€contends€the€trial€judge€(1)€erredÏin€accepting€the€opinion€testimony€of€an€examining€physician€over€that€ofÏthe€treating€physician€and€(2)€erred€in€using€a€multiplier€of€4.9€times€theÏmedical€impairment€to€determine€the€claimant's€permanent€partial€disability.€ÏAs€discussed€below,€the€panel€has€found€no€reversible€error€but€concludedÏthe€award€of€permanent€partial€disability€benefits€should€be€modified.Ìà àà àThe€employee€or€claimant,€Atkins,€is€forty„four€years€old€withÏa€college€degree€in€social€science€work.€€He€has€worked€as€an€instructor€andÏhearing€officer€with€the€state€of€Tennessee,€as€a€supervisor€with€the€UnitedÏStates€Department€of€Commerce,€as€a€machine€operator€and€as€a€forkliftÏoperator.Ìà àà àOn€April€18,€1994,€Atkins€stepped€off€a€forklift€and€fell,Ïinjuring€his€back€and€bruising€his€right€side€from€his€shoulder€to€his€foot.€ÏHe€was€referred€to€Dr.€David€McCord,€who€performed€disc€surgery€at€L4„5Íon€May€23,€1994.€€When€the€claimant's€condition€did€not€improve,€theÏdoctor€performed€fusion€surgery.€€At€the€time€of€the€trial€on€August€31,Ï1996,€the€fusion€had€not€healed€and€the€claimant€had€not€been€released€byÏDr.€McCord€to€return€to€work.€€The€doctor€assessed€the€claimant'sÏpermanent€impairment€at€fifteen€percent€to€the€whole€body.Ìà àà àAt€the€claimant's€request,€Dr.€David€W.€Gaw€conducted€aÏphysical€examination€of€the€claimant€and€assessed€his€permanent€impairmentÏat€eighteen€percent€to€the€whole€body.€€At€the€insurer's€request,€Dr.€MichaelÏJames€McNamara€conducted€a€physical€examination€and€assessed€hisÏpermanent€impairment€at€ten€percent€to€the€whole€body.Ìà àà àFrom€the€testimony€of€the€claimant,€which€the€trial€judge€foundÏto€be€credible,€and€the€other€evidence,€the€trial€judge€found€the€opinionÏtestimony€of€Dr.€Gaw€to€be€"the€most€convincing."€€He€then€multiplied€theÏeighteen€percent€impairment€by€4.9,€after€stating,€"I€agree€with€counsel€thatÏthe€multipliers€5€and€6€are€out,"€and€awarded€permanent€partial€disabilityÏbenefits€based€on€88.2%€to€the€body€as€a€whole.Ìà àà àAppellate€review€is€de€novo€upon€the€record€of€the€trial€court,Ïaccompanied€by€a€presumption€of€correctness€of€the€findings€of€fact,€unlessÏthe€preponderance€of€the€evidence€is€otherwise.€€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€sectionÏ50„6„225(e)(2).€€This€tribunal€is€required€to€conduct€an€independentÏexamination€of€the€record€to€determine€where€the€preponderance€of€theÏevidence€lies.€€òòWingert€v.€Government€of€Sumner€Countyóó,€908€€S.W.2d€€921Ï(Tenn.€1995).€€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.€€òòHumphrey€v.€David€Witherspoon,€Inc.óó,€734€€S.W.2d€€315€(Tenn.Ï1987).Ìà àà àFor€injuries€occurring€on€or€after€August€1,€1992,€where€anÏinjured€worker€is€entitled€to€receive€permanent€partial€disability€benefits€toÏthe€body€as€a€whole,€and€the€pre„injury€employer€does€not€return€theÏemployee€to€employment€at€a€wage€equal€to€or€greater€than€the€wage€theÍemployee€was€receiving€at€the€time€of€the€injury,€the€maximum€permanentÏpartial€disability€award€that€the€employee€may€receive€is€six€times€theÏmedical€impairment€rating.€€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€section€50„6„241(b).€€If€aÏcourt€awards€a€multiplier€of€five€or€greater,€then€the€court€must€makeÏspecific€findings€of€fact€detailing€the€reasons€for€its€award,€considering€allÏrelevant€factors,€including€lay€and€expert€testimony,€the€employee's€age,Ïeducation,€skills€and€training,€local€job€opportunities€and€capacity€to€work€atÏtypes€of€employment€available€in€claimant's€disabled€condition.€€Tenn.€CodeÏAnn.€section€50„6„241(c).Ìà àà àThe€trial€judge's€decision€to€accept€the€impairment€rating€of€Dr.ÏGaw€was€based€in€part€on€his€finding€the€claimant€and€his€corroboratingÏwitnesses€to€be€credible.€€Indeed,€Dr.€Gaw's€opinion€was€based€in€part€on€theÏclaimant's€medical€history.€€We€have€read€the€testimony€of€those€witnessesÏand,€while€we€have€not€had€the€opportunity€to€observe€their€manner€andÏdemeanor,€find€no€reason€to€distrust€their€testimony.€€The€trial€court'sÏacceptance€of€Dr.€Gaw's€opinion€over€the€others€is€consequently€affirmed.Ìà àà àBy€using€a€multiplier€of€4.9,€the€trial€court€avoided€theÏrequirement€of€subsection€50„6„241(c)€for€detailed€findings€of€fact,€althoughÏthe€multiplier€he€used€is€only€.1%€below€5.€€While€it€is€apparent€that€theÏclaimant€is€severely€injured,€we€are€persuaded€the€proper€multiplier€in€thisÏcase€is€4€and€that€the€evidence€preponderates€against€an€award€based€onÏ88.2%€to€the€body€as€a€whole€and€in€favor€of€one€based€on€72%€to€the€bodyÏas€a€whole.€€The€judgment€is€modified€accordingly.Ìà àà àAs€modified,€the€judgment€of€the€trial€court€is€affirmed.€€CostsÏon€appeal€are€taxed€to€the€parties,€one„half€each.Ó *bÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓ_______________________________Ó ÓÌÓ  Ó€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Joe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€JudgeÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌFrank€F.€Drowota,€III,€Associate€JusticeÌÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌWilliam€H.€Inman,€Senior€JudgeÌÑ€1ÑÇÒ  ÒÒ £ ÒòòßJ€/2;+'b|}` ç `€@ÿJßà@ àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌÌà@ àAT€NASHVILLEÌÌÌÌEDWARD€DOUGLAS€ATKINS,à à}à àMONTGOMERY€CIRCUITÌà àà àà àà àà àà à}à àNo.€C10„392€BelowÌà àPlaintiff/Appelleeà àà àà à}Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à}à àHon.€James€E.€Walton,Ìvs.à àà àà àà àà àà à}à àJudgeÌà àà àà àà àà àà à}ÌARGONAUT€INSURANCE€CO.,à à}à àNo.€01S01„9703„CV„00047Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à}Ìà àDefendant/Appellantà àà à}à àAFFIRMED€AS€MODIFIED.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€are€taxed€one„half€to€each€party,€for€which€execution€mayÏissue€if€necessary.ÌÓÓà àà àIT€IS€SO€ORDERED€on€October€31,€1997.ÌÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà àPER€CURIAMÌóóÌÌÌ