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AeHP LaserJet 40500kI-s (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular{r,rtyBar C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt3|xU Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(9 Z6Times New Roman Regular- -(|G2$ !..8Odd8         0  X 1X d(|3G$ !..8Odd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3G$ !..8Odd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8Odd8     _O8 1XXdd8  BO@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL & @@ATKNOXVILLE#OB# L May23,2002Session "r X 1XO #OXX 1#DON_BIRCHFIELD_v.HARDWOODFRAMESOFAMERICAX 1XO   p @@ DirectAppealfromtheChanceryCourtforBradleyCounty  p @@No.01021_Jerri_ԀS.Bryant,Chancellor  \ Filed_September_Ԁ27,2002 4  @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.E200102123_WC_ԄR3CV__   #OXX 1#X 1XOAV) ` dE<z` A {      ThisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkersCompensation v AppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)for b hearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.#OXX 1 #X 1XOThetrial N courtdismissedthecomplaintfindingtheactionwasnotfiledwithintheoneyearperiodofthe : statuteoflimitations.Judgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed. &v    Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(1999)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheChanceryCourt N isAffirmed  :     Thayer,Sp.J.#OX 1#X 1X.O,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichAnderson,J.,andByers,Sr.J.,joined.  JimmyW._Bilbo_,ofCleveland,Tennessee,forAppellant,Don_Birchfield_.  KentT.Jones,ofChattanooga,Tennessee,forAppellee,HardwoodFramesofAmerica. r!    MEMORANDUMOPINION #OXX 1 #X 1XO J#" _  #OXX 1 #X 1XO  Plaintiff,Don__Birchfield_,hasappealedfromthetrialcourtsactionindismissinghis "%r $ complaint.Thecourtruledtheactionhadnotbeenfiledwithintheoneyearperiodprovidedbythe &^!% statuteoflimitations. &J"&    BasicFacts  ("$(    _Employee__Birchfield_Ԁwasfortyoneyearsofageandhadcompletedtheeleventhgradein *%* school.HelaterobtainedaGEDcertificate. +&+   OnOctober15,1998,whileemployedbythedefendant,HardwoodFramesofAmerica,he n-(- wasworkingonanassemblylinewhenaloadofwoodpinnedhimagainstametalbuggy.Hewas  _senttoamedicalfacility,HealthWorksofTennessee,wherehewasseenonseveraloccasions.X  raysrevealedafractureinhisrightarm.HelatersawDr._Rickey_Ԁ__Hutcheson_Ԁforfourvisitsfrom  October30,1998toFebruary5,1999. t   __Birchfield_Ԁtestifiedheneverreturnedtoworkaftertheaccidentbecausehewasonstrongpain L  medicationandbecausehehadconstantpaininhiselbowandsomenumbnessinhishand.His 8  employerpaidforhistreatmentatHealthWorksandforseeingandbeingtreatedbyDr._Hutcheson_. $ t ItwasstipulatedthatthelastpaymentofamedicalexpensewasinAugust1999.  `   Duringhisemploymentcareer,hehashadotherworkerscompensationclaimswithdifferent  8  employersandtherecordindicateshehasotherhealthproblemsforwhichheisbeingtreated. $    ThecomplaintwasfiledonJanuary16,2001,whichwas27monthsaftertheaccidentand   _over_Ԁ16monthsafterthepaymentofalastmedicalexpense._      MedicalEvidence  p   _Dr._Rickey_Ԁ_Hutcheson_,anorthopedicsurgeonpracticinginCleveland,Tennessee,testified H bydeposition.HestatedheexaminedthexraywhichwastakenatHealthWorksandthoughtit 4 mightbeanoldfracture.Hesaidhehadmildswellingandhiselbowwasbruised.Afterseveral  p visitshereleasedhimtoreturntolightdutyworkbutdidnotrealizeuntillaterthathedidnotgo  \ _back_Ԁtowork.OnalatervisitduringNovember1999,hesaidtheemployeecouldstraightenhisarm H completelyandseemedtonothaveasmuchpain.Thedoctorwasoftheopinionhedidnothaveany 4 permanentimpairment.     Dr.FrankH.Wood,afamilypracticeandemergencymedicinephysicianpracticingin  _McCoysville_,Georgia,testifiedbydeposition.HebeganseeingtheemployeeonFebruary1,1999  forsomeofhisotherhealthproblemsandhestatedhewasnotgivenahistoryaboutanyinjuryto  hiselbowuntillateOctober_or_ԀearlyNovember2000.Heinitiallytestifiedtheemployeehada10 l percentimpairmentasaresultoftheaccidentinquestionbutadmittedhehadnotlookedattheAMA X  Guidelinesfortwotothreeyears.Hesaidhehadbeenusingthe1987Editionandhadneverseen D! the4thEdition.Duringtheexaminationhewasgiventhe4thEditionandchangedhisopinionseveral 0"  timesconcerningimpairment.Aswereadtherecord,heappearedtofinallysettleon60percent #l! impairmenttotherightarmor30percenttothewholebody.Otherquestionsandanswersindicated $X" hewasfixingapercentageofdisabilityratherthanimpairmenttothebodyashewasconsideringthe $D # employeesage,education,jobopportunities,etc. %0!$    FindingsofTrialCourt '#&   ThetrialjudgewasverytroubledbytheevidenceofDr.Woodandspecificallyfoundshe )$( couldnotrelyonsame.Thecomplaintwasdismissedbecausethestatuteoflimitationshadexpired. |*%)  h+&* Ї   StandardofReview     Thecaseistobereviewedonappealdenovoaccompaniedbyapresumptionofthe  correctnessofthefindingsoffactunlesswefindthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise. t Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2). `    Analysis  8  p   Theonlyissuewemustaddressiswhetherthetrialcourtcorrectlyheldthattheplaintiffs  ` claimisbarredbytheoneyearstatuteoflimitations.  L    TennesseeCodeAnnotated506203generallyprovidesaclaimmustbefiledwithinone $  yearoftheaccidentorwithinoneyearofthecessationofthepaymentofcompensationbenefits.   Caselawalsoestablishesthattherunningofthestatuteissuspendeduntilbyreasonablecareand   diligenceitisdiscoverableandapparentthataninjurycompensableunderworkerscompensation   lawhasbeensustained. Ogdenv.MatrixVision ,838S.W.2d528(Tenn.1992); _NortonCo.v.   Coffin ,553S.W.2d751,752(Tenn.1977).Also,thevoluntaryfurnishingofmedicalservicesis p sufficienttotollorwaivethestatuteoflimitations. Crowderv._Klopman_ԀMills ,627S.W.2d930 \ (Tenn.1982). H   PlaintiffcontendshedidnotknowhehadacompensableinjuryuntilDr.Woodadvisedhe  p hadpermanentimpairmentduringOctobertoNovember2000andhisactionwastimelyfiledwithin  \ threemonthsofreceivingthisinformation. H   Defendantarguestheclaimisbarredbecausetherehasbeennochangeinhisconditionsince   theaccidentandhisinjurymanifesteditselfasearlyashisfirstfewvisitstoamedicalfacilityin   October1998.    Afteracarefulreviewoftherecord,weconcurwiththetrialcourtthatDr.Woodsevidence  astomedicalimpairmentcannotbereliedupon.Thus,thereisnocredibleevidenceintherecord l tosupportafindingtheemployeehassustainedpermanentdisability.However,thiswouldnotbar X  anactiontimelyfiledforcompensationbenefitsresultingfromatemporaryinjury. D!   Wefindtheemployeeknewhehadinjuredhisarmupontheoccurrenceoftheaccident;he #l! wasinformedwithinafewdaysthatanxrayindicatedafracture;hedeclinedtoreturntowork $X" becauseofhisinjuryandthemedicationhewastaking;hetestifiedhewasinconstantpainwiththe $D # injuryandunderhistestimonyhisconditionneverchangedatanypointpriortotheinstitutionof %0!$ suit.Wealsonotethatafterleavingthemedicalprovidersfurnishedbytheemployer,hewastreated &"% forotherproblemsforaboutoneandahalfyearsbeforeheevergaveDr.Woodahistoryofanelbow '#& injury. (#'   Wefindtheclaimwasnottimelyfiledandthatthestatutewouldbaranyclaimfor |*%) compensationbenefits. h+&* Ї  Judgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Costsoftheappealaretaxedtotheemployee.     `     h     ___________________________________ `    `     h     ROGERE.THAYER,SPECIALJUDGE L    8  __@7 7 OXX 1INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @$ATKNOXVILLE  @aa DON_BIRCHFIELD_Ԁv.HARDWOODFRAMESOFAMERICA 6 #X 1XO.#@*@ ChanceryCourtforBradleyCounty  6 @%%%No.01021  " @Filed_September27,2002_Ԉ   @*AV) ` dE< ` A߈    @%%X 1XXX 1No.E200102123WCMCV#X 1XXX 1R1#Ԉ   AV) ` dE<h` A i  X 1XXX 1@*   ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtuponthemotionforreviewfiledbyDon_Birchfield_ ,pursuant d  toTenn.CodeAnn.50-6-225(e)(5)(B),theentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltothe P  SpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforth < itsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. (x   ItappearstotheCourtthatthemotionforreviewisnotwelltakenandisthereforedenied. P ThePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedbyreference,areadopted < andaffirmed.ThedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. (   Costsareassessedtotheplaintiff,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.  #X 1XXX 12#