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XXXXXX  _  8XXdd8  @ XXXX`XXINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE    SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL  ATNASHVILLE#XX`;# > XXJune1,2001Session#XX$#  ] XX      &    BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE,INC.v.PHILLIP_GOINS_  Ԍ  O Ќ  XXXXXX  ' AppealfromtheCircuitCourtforDavidsonCounty  A No.96C1583WalterC.Kurtz,Judge  ' ________________________   No.M200001379_WC_ԄR3CVMailedJuly17,2001 o  FiledAugust20,2001  U  a  ThisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkersCompensation  AppealsPanelinaccordancewiththeTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingand z reportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Inthiscase,the ` employercontendsthetrialcourterredin(1)findingthatthegradualaggravationofa F claimantspreexistingarthriticconditionoverthecourseoftwentyoneyearsisa ,| compensableaccidentundertheWorkersCompensationActand(2)assessinga75% b vocationaldisabilityforaninjurynotwhollyattributabletoemployment.Asdiscussed H below,thepanelhasconcludedthatthejudgmentofthetrialcourtshouldbeaffirmedon . bothissues.     T   T r ݌̌        @""Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)AppealasofRight;Judgmentofthe ݌  Ќ        @CircuitCourtAffirmed ݌ v Ќ  Ben_H.Cantrell_,Sp.J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichFrankF._Drowota_, B III,J.,andFrankG.Clement,Jr.,_Sp.J._joined. ( x KatherineDent_Boyte_,Nashville,Tennessee,fortheappellant,Bridgestone/Firestone,Inc. !D  ScottDaniel,Murfreesboro,Tennessee,fortheappellee,Phillip_Goins_. #" Ѐ $#   XX@!XX MEMORANDUMOPINION #XX #Ԉ % $ XX   4 TheclaimantworkedforBridgestone/Firestone,Inc.asatirebuilder,production ~'"& supervisor,stockprepworker,andprojectsupervisorfrom1975until1996.Duringhis d(#' tenureasanemployee,hedevelopedkneeproblemsfromworkinglongshiftswhichrequired J)$( standingonconcretefloors,walkingupanddownstairs,movingheavymaterials,kneeling, 0*%) andclimbing.BeforehisemploymentwithBridgestone,hehadneverexperiencedproblems +f&* withhisknees. +L'+   4  ,2(,  4 Theclaimantfirstsoughttreatmentforpaininhisrightkneewhenhereportedto   Bridgestoneshealthclinicin1993.Hedidnotindicatethathehadsufferedaspecific  injury,butdidstatethathehad_had_Ԁthispainforseveralmonths.Anorthopedicsurgeon | examinedtheclaimantandgavehimacorticosteroidinjectioninhisrightknee.Hereturned b toworkwithoutrestrictions. H  XX  B.4 <DL!XB    ݌ . ~ Ќ  $ X4X$XXXXXX   4 ThiskneepainresurfacedinMay1995.Bridgestonesmedicalrecordsrevealthat :  theclaimanthadpuffinessaroundthekneeandwalkedwithanobviouslimp.These  p symptomswereagainnotattributedtoanyspecifictrauma.Hewasseenbyanother  V physicianwhodiagnosedaprobable_meniscal_Ԁcartilagetearandrestrictedhisworkactivities.  <   XX  B.4 <DL!XB   E+ 4 <DL!4XEc  c{݌  "  Ќ   XXXXXXXX     4 OnJune6,1995asecondorthopedicsurgeondeterminedthattheclaimanthad    somefragmentationofthelateralaspectofhiskneecapwithaspurpresent.Hefurther   statedthatsuchaconditionisoftentheresultofacongenitalsituationinthekneewhichmay   notbesymptomaticbutcanbecomesoviaeverydaywearandtearthataccruesfromstair j  climbing,squatting,kneeling,andotheractivitiestheclaimantparticipatedinthroughhis P  employment.Thefrequencythattheclaimantperformedtheseactivitiesincreasedthe 6 likelihoodthatthispreexistingconditionwouldbecomesymptomatic. l  XX  B.4 <DL!XB  U  U݌̌  $ X4X$XXXXXX   4 Thissamephysicianperformed_arthroscopic_ԀsurgeryontherightkneeinJune1995. ^ Duringthesurgeryheobservedwearandtearonthesurfaceofthekneecapandheremoved D abonefragmentfromtheknee. *  XX  B.4 <DL!XB    󀀀݌  Ќ  $ X4X$XXXXXX   4 Aftertheoperation,theclaimantbegancomplainingofdiscomfortinhisleftknee.  Hissurgeonattributedthispainto dailylivingactivitiesandthefactthattheleftkneewas  overcompensatingforthelimitationsimposedontherightkneefollowingtheprocedure.  OnSeptember21,1995,thatsamedoctorperformed_arthroscopic_Ԁsurgeryontheleftknee ~ andmadeafinaldiagnosisof _chondromalacia_,patellaandamedialfemoral_conycle_.He d assessedapermanentimpairmentof10%totheclaimantslowerrightextremityandno J impairmenttotheleftknee.Hethenreleasedhispatienttoreturntolimiteddutiesat 0 BridgestonebeforeresumingregularworkonNovember6,1995.  f  4 TheclaimantagaincomplainedofbilateralkneepaininFebruary1996.He !2  consultedathirdorthopedicsurgeon,whodiagnosedhimwithdegenerativearthritisofboth "! kneesandchrondomalaciaofthepatellawithpatellartendonitis.Theclaimantwastreated #" withcortisoneinjectionsandrestrictedtonomorethanthreehoursofstandingonthe $# concreteperday.Thisphysicianassessedapermanentimpairmentratingof10%intheright z% $ kneeand5%intheleftkneeforacombined15%impairmentratingtothelowerextremities, `&!% or7%tothebodyasawhole.Thisdoctoralsostatedthattheclaimantsinjurymore F'"& probablythannotaroseoutofhisemployment. ,(|#'  4 TheclaimantcontinuedtoworkforBridgestoneuntilhewasadvisedinApril1996 )H%) thatnoworkwasavailableforhimwithhisrestrictions.Hisarthritishadhinderedhis *.&* mobilitytotheextentthathecouldnotstandforlongperiods,walk,lift,orbendwithout +'+ _pain.Attrialhetestifiedthathehasnotworkedsincethattimeandisnolongerabletowork  atmanuallaborpositions,ashehadforhisentirecareer.Heisafiftytwoyearoldman  withtwoyearsofcollegeandminimalcomputerskills.HespentfouryearsintheNavyfor | whichhereceivedanhonorabledischarge. b  4 Thetrialjudgefoundthattheclaimanthadsufferedacompensableinjurybasedon . ~ theaggravationofapreexistingarthriticconditionthroughhisemploymentwith  d Bridgestone.Heassessedavocationaldisabilityof75%tobothlegs.  J  4 Appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbya    presumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceofthe    evidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).ThisCourthaspreviouslyheld   thataconditionwhichdevelopsgraduallyoveraperiodoftimeresultinginawork x  connectedinjuryiscompensableundertheWorkersCompensationAct.Conroyv.Carter ^  AutomotiveProd.Corp.,640S.W.2d831,832(Tenn.1982).Theapplicablelawgoverning D  thegradualaggravationofapreexistingconditionissetforthinSweatv.SuperiorIndus., *z  966S.W.2d31(Tenn.1998).InSweat,theCourtuphelda70%vocationaldisabilitybased ` ontheworkrelatedexacerbationofanemployeesdegenerativearthritis.Id.at32.That F employeesinjurieswereattributedto prolongedstandingonconcreteand repetitive, , strenuousweightbearingactivitiesperformedoveraneighteenmonthperiod.Id.Inthis  casetheCourtalsostatedthatamereincreaseinthepainofapreexistingconditionisnot  sufficient;tobecompensableapersonsemploymentmustcauseanactualprogressionof  theclaimantsailment.Id.at33. t  4 Theclaimantinthepresentcaseincurredhisinjuriesinasimilarfashion.According @ totwooftheclaimantsphysicians,hisworkwhichincludedstanding,bending,squatting, &v lifting,andkneelingonconcretefloorsforlonghoursoveratwentyoneyearperiodcaused  \ hisdegenerativearthritistoadvancesignificantly.Hisconditionworsenedtotheextentthat B itrequiredtwosurgeries,extensiveworkloadlimitations,andtreatmentwithcortisone ( injections.Thisinjuryamountedtomorethanamereincreaseinthepainofanunderlying  malady.Therefore,regardlessofthetimeperiodoverwhichhisconditiondeveloped,the  claimantisentitledtobenefitsundertheWorkersCompensationAct.    4 Bridgestonearguesthattheclaimantshouldhavereceivedlessbenefits,ifanyatall, V"! becausehisinjuriesresultedfromconductwhichmirrorshiseverydayactivitiesoflife. <#" Notingthatonephysiciancitedbending,kneeling,squatting,climbing,andotherroutine "$r# householdactivitiesascausesoftheclaimantscondition,itcontendsthattheinjuryisnot %X $ compensablebecauseitisnotwhollyattributabletowork. %>!%  4 Areductionofthetrialcourtsawardisnotappropriatebecausevocationaldisability ' #' cannotbeapportionedbasedoncausation.Bennettv.Howard_Johnsons_ԀMotorLodge,714 (#( S.W.2d273,277(Tenn.1986).Anemployerassumestheriskthatanemployeesworkmay )$) makeaweakenedconditionworse.Finkv._Caudle_,856S.W.2d952,958(Tenn.1993).It l*%* isliableforanemployeesentireresultingdisability,evenwheretheworkinjurymerely R+&+ aggravatesorcombineswithapreviousinjuryorcondition.Bennett,714S.W.2dat277._ 8,', Hence,despitethepresenceofcausalelementsintheclaimantseverydaylife,hiswork  triggeredtheaggravationofhisarthritisandtheemployershouldbearcomplete  responsibilityforthatinjury.Thetrialcourtsassessmentofa75%vocationaldisability | muststand. b  4 Furthermore,anyreasonabledoubtastocausationmustbeconstruedinfavorofthe . ~ claimant.Hallv._Auburntown_ԀIndus.,684S.W.2d614,617(Tenn.1985).Inthiscase,one  d physicianhasstatedthattheclaimantsinjuriesmoreprobablythannotarosefromhis  J employment.Anotherdoctorhastestifiedthatthefrequencytheclaimantperformedcertain  0 activities,whichwasgreateratwork,hastenedtherateofhisarthritisdevelopment.We    cannotsaythatthisevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialcourtsfindingthatthe    claimantsinjurywasworkrelated.   ̀ 4 Therefore,thejudgmentbelowshouldbeaffirmed.Taxthecostsonappealtothe ^  appellant,Bridgestone/Firestone,Inc.  D  XXXX ?+ 4 <DL!X? 4 0 0 ! !0< ! !0<!<!0!!___________________________________!!  4 0 0 ! !0< ! !0<!<!0!!BENH.CANTRELL,SPECIALJUDGE!!   t XX8""XXdXXd8  #XX@#$XXXX#XXX$X$A#XX@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL   #XXfA# XXBRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE,INC.v.PHILLIP_GOINS_#XX8B#    @@ CircuitCourtforDavidsonCounty   @@No.96C1583   @@*AV+) ` dE<C` A D  No.M200001379_WC_ԄR3CVFiledAugust20,2001 9  AV+) ` dE<` A U       XX#XXD#D  JUDGMENT XX#XXE#    $XXXX 4 ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferral  totheSpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsMemorandum x Opinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporated ^ hereinbyreference. D  4 Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanel ` shouldbeacceptedandapproved;and F  4 Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaware  adoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt.   4 Costswillbepaidbytheappellant,Bridgestone/Firestone,Inc.,forwhichexecution t mayissueifnecessary. Z    4 ITISSOORDERED. &"v"  4    <      D PERCURIAM %!&  4 #XXX$XE#