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ÔÔ€ÔÔ€ôÔÔ€XÔÔ€ÔÓ  ÓÝ  ÝÒ  ÒÒ 8 ÒÖ€*ÖÔ  ÔÔ  ÔÑ  ÑÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓÑ\R AØ'\ÑÔ€¼ÔÔ€ÔÞ ÞÌIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌÌÙ€!ÙßR€-.,A1-j| ¥` ç `€€@ÿRßSPECIAL€WORKERS'€COMPENSATION€APPEALS€PANELÌÌAT€NASHVILLEÌ(September€25,€1997€Session)ÌÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓJAMES€BUTTREY,€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€)€€€€€DAVIDSON€CHANCERYÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€Ô€Ô€¼Ô€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Plaintiff„Appellee,€€€€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€)€€€€€Hon.€Irvin€Kilcrease,Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€)€€€€€Chancellor.Ìv.€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€,Ô€€Ô€¼Ô€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€Ô€Ô€¼Ô€)€€€€€No.€01S01„9705„CH„00102ÌINSURANCE€COMPANY€OF€€THE€€€€)ÌSTATE€OF€PENNSYLVANIA,€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Defendant„Appellant.€€€€€€€)ÌÌÌÌÌòòFor€Appellantóó:€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€òòFor€Appellee:óóÌÌFrank€Thomas€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€David€BurlisonÌLeitner,€Williams,€Dooley€&€Napolitan€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Abbott€&€BurlisonÌNashville,€Tennessee€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Memphis,€TennesseeÌÌÌÌÌÓ  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€CourtÌWilliam€S.€Russell,€Special€JudgeÌJoe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€JudgeÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓAFFIRMED€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.€€The€appellant€contendsÏthe€injury€did€not€arise€out€of€and€in€the€course€of€employment€and€that€theÏemployee€failed€to€give€proper€notice€of€his€injury.€€As€discussed€below,€theÏpanel€has€concluded€the€judgment€should€be€affirmed.Ìà àà àThe€claimant€is€forty„five€years€old€and€has€an€eighth€gradeÏeducation.€€He€was€employed€in€the€receiving€department€of€Home€Depot,Ïresponsible€for€unloading€an€average€of€eighteen€or€nineteen€trailers€perÏday.Ìà àà àHe€was€so€working€on€Thursday,€April€6,€1995,€when€six€orÏseven€doors€fell€on€his€left€shoulder€and€neck.€€He€finished€his€shift€andÏworked€through€his€pain€the€next€day.€€€By€Sunday,€he€could€not€move€hisÏhead€from€side€to€side€and€the€pain€was€so€severe€that€he€called€the€assistantÏmanager€of€the€store.€€The€next€day,€he€went€to€the€company€doctor,€BarrettÏRosen.€€The€doctor€told€him€to€take€off€work€and€so€advised€the€employerÏthrough€the€employee.Ìà àà àOn€June€18th,€he€told€the€store's€manager€he€did€not€want€to€fileÍfor€workers'€compensation€benefits€unless€he€had€to,€even€though€theÏmanager€knew€he€was€claiming€an€injury€at€work.€€On€the€same€day,€theÏemployee€visited€Dr.€Everett€Howell,€a€neurosurgeon,€on€the€referral€of€Dr.ÏRosen.€€Dr.€Howell€diagnosed€a€ruptured€cervical€disc€and€testified€theÏinjury€could€have€been€caused€by€the€accident€of€April€6th,€when€the€doorsÏfell€on€the€claimant.€€We€find€in€the€record€no€evidence€of€another€possibleÏcause.Ìà àà àThe€trial€judge€found€the€injury€to€have€been€one€arising€out€ofÏand€in€the€course€of€employment€and€that€the€claimant€had€a€reasonableÏexcuse€for€his€failure€to€give€the€required€written€notice.€€Appellate€reviewÏis€de€novo€upon€the€record€of€the€trial€court,€accompanied€by€a€presumptionÏof€correctness,€unless€the€preponderance€of€the€evidence€is€otherwise.€€Tenn.ÏCode€Ann.€section€50„6„225(e)(2).Ìà àà àAn€injury€arises€out€of€and€in€the€course€of€one's€employmentÏwhen€there€is€apparent€to€the€rational€mind,€upon€a€consideration€of€all€theÏcircumstances,€a€causal€connection€between€the€conditions€under€which€theÏwork€is€required€to€be€performed€and€the€resulting€injury,€and€occurs€in€theÏcourse€of€one's€employment€if€it€occurs€while€an€employee€is€performing€aÏduty€he€was€employed€to€do.€€òòFink€v.€Caudleóó,€856€€S.W.2d€€952€(Tenn.Ï1993).€€In€a€workers'€compensation€case,€a€trial€judge€may€properlyÏpredicate€an€award€on€medical€testimony€to€the€effect€that€a€given€incidentÏ"could€be"€the€cause€of€a€claimant's€injury,€when,€from€other€evidence,€itÏmay€reasonably€be€inferred€that€the€incident€was€in€fact€the€cause€of€theÏinjury.€€òòMcCaleb€v.€Saturn€Corp.óó,€910€€S.W.2d€€412€(Tenn.€1995).€€From€aÏconsideration€of€those€principles€of€law,€the€evidence€fails€to€preponderateÏagainst€the€chancellor's€finding€that€the€claimant's€injury€arose€out€of€and€inÏthe€course€of€employment.Ó SÓÌà àà àImmediately€upon€the€occurrence€of€an€injury,€or€as€soonÏthereafter€as€is€reasonable€and€practicable,€an€injured€employee€must,€unlessÏthe€employer€has€actual€knowledge€of€the€accident,€give€written€notice€of€theÏinjury€to€his€employer.€€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€section€50„6„201.€€Benefits€are€notÏrecoverable€from€the€date€of€the€accident€to€the€giving€of€such€notice€and€noÏbenefits€are€recoverable€unless€such€written€notice€is€given€within€thirtyÏdays€after€the€injurious€occurrence€unless€the€injured€worker€has€aÍreasonable€excuse€for€the€failure€to€give€the€required€notice.€€Id.Ìà àà àWhether€or€not€the€excuse€offered€by€an€injured€worker€forÏfailure€to€give€timely€written€notice€is€sufficient€depends€on€the€particularÏfacts€and€circumstances€of€each€case.€€òòA.€C.€Lawrence€Leather€Co.€v.€Brittóó,Ï220€€Tenn.€€444,€€414€€S.W.2d€€830€(1967).€€The€presence€or€absence€ofÏprejudice€to€the€employer€is€a€proper€consideration.€€òòMcCaleb€v.€SaturnÏCorp.óó,€supra.Ó rAÓÌà àà àIn€light€of€the€claimant's€lack€of€education,€his€lack€ofÏunderstanding€of€the€nature€and€cause€of€his€injury€and€the€absence€ofÏprejudice€to€the€employer,€the€evidence€fails€to€preponderate€against€theÏchancellor's€finding€that€he€had€a€reasonable€excuse€for€failing€to€giveÏwritten€notice.Ìà àà àThe€judgment€of€the€trial€court€is€affirmed€and€the€causeÏremanded€to€the€trial€court.€€Costs€are€taxed€to€the€defendant„appellant.Ó *bÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓ_______________________________Ó ÓÌÓ  Ó€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Joe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€JudgeÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓCONCUR:ÌÌ_________________________________ÌLyle€Reid,€Associate€JusticeÌÌ_________________________________ÌWilliam€S.€Russell,€Senior€JudgeÌÑ€/ÑÇÒ  ÒÒ £ ÒòòßJ€-0;+'b|Ýÿ` ç `€@ÿJßà@ àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌÌà@ àAT€NASHVILLEÌÌÌÌJAMES€BUTTREY,à àà àà à}à àDAVIDSON€CHANCERYÌà àà àà àà àà àà à}à àNo.€95„3927„I€BelowÌà àPlaintiff/Appelleeà àà àà à}Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à}à àHon.€Irvin€Kilcrease,€Jr.,Ìvs.à àà àà àà àà àà à}à àChancellorÌà àà àà àà àà àà à}ÌINSURANCE€COMPANY€OF€THEà à}ÌSTATE€OF€PENNSYLVANIA,à àà à}à àNo.€01S01„9705„CH„00102Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à}Ìà àDefendant/Appellantà àà à}à àAFFIRMED€AND€REMANDED.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€will€be€paid€by€Insurance€Company€of€the€State€ofÏPennsylvania€and€Surety,€for€which€execution€may€issue€if€necessary.ÌÓÓà àà àIT€IS€SO€ORDERED€on€December€2,€1997.ÌÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà àPER€CURIAMÌóóÌÌ