WPC ;# JULU % 0(4U:, 0l4 0D B 0J 0TKwpa 0^' 0h 0r 0|_ AQ , 0D 0@6 0Dv 0 D/@ 0o D3 B2 1uO 0dU *(B)RDC{ AM U6'Ev~lvHP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLh.@F Z4GeoSlab703 Lt BT LightX($WX$3|x$"Arial Regular((3$ !      0  (#$  0  P Pd2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  $$D$$E$$E$$${$$E$$Ӏ$$V$$Ӏ$ Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 52, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23   !"#%C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  ("$    ($$   1  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23   ' dxd2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23  ))))'dxd d$& ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(Arial% Line 7 d33337Border 1dd "4C << G !  !"  22   YYY FILED2X March30,1998CecilCrowson,Jr.2AppellateCourtClerk <  9p`(Courier New  !#d#  !"  22   YYY FILED2X March30,1998CecilCrowson,Jr.2AppellateCourtClerk PtPtHH(EG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ion-F Geneva  ion-F Geneva ! .        \RA'\2 7XXdd7ќ @ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE ٜR564A1-j|&c`  `@Rߛ@ SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL@ ATJACKSON WALTERLEEAUSTEIN,   )        ) Plaintiff/Appellant,  ) SHELBYCOUNTY      )  VS.      ) HON.D.J.ALISSANDRATOS      )CHANCELLORRIVERWOODINTERNATIONAL )USA,INC.     ) No.02S019704CH00037      ) Defendant/Appellees.  )FORAPPELLANT:    FORAPPELLEE:RussellC.Winston   KarenL.Schlesinger707AdamsAvenue   80MonroeAvenueMemphis,TN38105   Suite650̜AdamO.Knight   Memphis,TN38103̜707AdamsAvenue̜Memphis,TN38105@ MEMORANDUMOPINION@ MEMBERSOFPANEL:@ JANICEM.HOLDER,JUSTICE@ HEWLITTP.TOMLIN,JR.,SENIORJUDGE@ CORNELIAA.CLARK,SPECIALJUDGEAFFIRMED       CLARK,SPECIALJUDGE  Thisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtothespecialworkers    7XXdXXd7compensationappealspaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.ThesoleissueonappealiswhethertheoneyearstatuteoflimitationsunderT.C.A.506203ranpriortothefilingofthelawsuit. Thismarksthesecondappearanceofthiscasebeforethispanel.InAusteinv.RiverwoodInternationalUSA,Inc.,No.02S019507CH00059(Tenn.Work.Comp.App.,February23,1996),thispanelfoundthatthetrialcourterredingrantingsummaryjudgmentonthestatuteoflimitationsissuebecauseissuesofmaterialfactexistedconcerningboththedatethestatuteoflimitationsbegantorunandtheestoppelissue.Thecasewasremandedtothetrialcourtfortrialonthemerits.Plaintiffagainappealsthetrialcourtsfindingthatthestatuteoflimitationsranbeforehefiledthisaction. Theinjuryforwhichtheplaintiffseekscompensationisahearinglosswhichdevelopedoveraperiodoftime.Plaintiffworkedforthedefendantforthirtynine(39)yearsasaprintingpressman.Beginningin1983theplaintiffunderwentyearlyhearingtestsgivenbythedefendant.In1983plaintiffwasnotifiedthathishearingtestindicatedhehadamedicallysignificantlossofhearingandthatheshouldconsultanearspecialist.Plaintiffdeniesreceivingthisnotice.OnJuly31,1992,theplaintiffagainreceivednoticeoftheresultsofanaudiologytestthatconfirmedhehadamedicallysignificanthearingloss.PlaintiffadmitsreceivingthisnoticebutcontendsthattherelationshipofhishearingimpairmenttohisemploymentwasnotmadeknownandthathedidnotlearnoftherelationshipuntilDecember8,1992,whichwaswithinoneyearofthefilingofthissuit. Thestatuteoflimitationsandthetimeforgivingnoticeofaninjuryissuspendeduntilbyreasonablecareanddiligenceitisdiscoverableandapparent    thataninjurycompensableundertheWorkersCompensationActhasbeensustained.Livingstonv.ShelbyWilliamsIndustries,Inc.,811S.W.2d511(Tenn.1991).Hawkinsv.ConsolidatedAluminumCorporation,742S.W.2d253(Tenn.1987).PlaintiffsattorneysentalettertodefendantdatedNovember23,1992,specificallygivingnoticeofworkrelatedhearinglosshesufferedpriortothatdate.However,plaintiffcontendsthestatutewastolledbecausedefendantscounselinlatercorrespondencemadereferencetothedateoflossasDecember8,1992,therebyleadinghimtobelievehehadoneyearfromthatdateinwhichtofilehisaction. Afterahearingonthemeritsthetrialcourtfoundasfollows:8  1. ForsomemonthspriortoJuly31,1992,theplaintiffbegantonoticethatwhenhewasonvacationorawayfromtheplant,hishearingimproved.Moreimportantly,forthefirsttimetheplaintiffnoticedthathehaddifficultyhearingwhileinthecourseandscopeofhisemploymentasaprintingpressmanwithRiverwoodInternational.8  2. OnoraboutJuly31,1992,theplaintiffreceivedtheresultsofayearlyHearingScreeningwhichrevealedthattheplaintiffhadahearinglossandrecommendedheseekanaudiologicaland/orotologicalevaluation.Theplaintifftookthistomeanheshouldgoseeadoctor.8  3. WhentheplaintiffreceivedtheJuly31,1992testresults,adutywasimposeduponhimtouseduediligencetodeterminethenatureandextentofthehearinglossandwhetherornotitwasworkrelated.TheplaintiffcontinuedtoworkatthefactoryuntiltheplantclosedinOctoberof1992andstilldidnotconsultadoctororanyotherhealthcareprofessionalregardinghishearing.TheplaintiffwaiteduntilDecemberof1992tohavehishearingtestedatBeltoneHearingAidsandwaiteduntilFebruaryof1993toconsultwithaphysician.Thus,thecourtfindsthattheplaintiffdidnotactwithduediligenceindiscoveringhishearinglosswasrelatedtohisemployment.8  4. Theplaintiffscomplaintforworkerscompensationforthelossofhishearingisbarredbytheapplicablestatuteoflimitations.TheplaintiffdidnotfilesuitinthismatteruntilDecember7,1993,whichwasbeyondtheoneyearstatuteofϜlimitations.8  5. ThecourtdoesnotfindthatthereferencebythedefendantofDecember8,1992,asbeingthedateofthelossisamisrepresentationuponwhichtheplaintiffreliedandwhichresultedinhisfilingsuitonDecember7,1993. Afteracarefulreviewoftherecord,wecannotconcludethattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialcourtsfindings.Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Costsofappealaretaxedtotheplaintiff/appellant.      ________________________________      CORNELIAA.CLARK,SPECIALJUDGECONCUR:______________________________________JANICEM.HOLDER,JUSTICE______________________________________HEWLITTP.TOMLIN,JR.,SENIORJUDGE̜   X ` 7@ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  ATJACKSON  WALTERLEEAUSTEIN   )ShelbyChanceryNo.1036273       ) Plaintiff/Appellant  )Hon.D.J.Alissandratos,      )Chancellorv.      )J58;+'b|T`  `@J      )SupremeCourtNo.RIVERWOODINTERNATINALUSA,INC. )02S019704CH00037      ) Defendant/Appellee  )Affirmed       @ JUDGMENTORDER  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtuponmotionforreviewpursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(5)(B),theentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference;  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthemotionforreviewisnotwelltakenandshouldbedenied;and  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt.  Costwillbepaidbyplaintiff/appellant,andsurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.  Itissoorderedthis_____dayof_____________,1998.       PERCURIAMHolder,J.,notparticipating2ԛ