WPC # VULa % 0(4U:8 0l@ 0D 0J :   w@  0T 0^ 0hD 0r 0| 0 0  1u 0d%U * B D3B)DC, 0@o AMv~vw AOJ 0D_ D/ BHP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLL.@F Z4GeoSlab703 Lt BT LightX($hRt#x3|xu""Arial Regular((3$ !      0  (#$  0  2 0Indent123  ԁLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5 a"Eb"c"Dd"Ӏe"Vf"g"Ӏs"t"u"Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 52" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(Arial d))))'dxd% Line 7 d++++7Border 1dd("$    -,C << G !  ((   YYY FILED(X November24,1997CecilCrowson,Jr.(AppellateCourtClerk   !#d#  ((   YYY FILED(X November24,1997CecilCrowson,Jr.(AppellateCourtClerk PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ion-F Geneva  ion-F Geneva -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! .   ݛ    \RA'\   \RA'\(7XXdd7ќR./,A1-j|`  `@Rߛ @ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL@ ATJACKSON SCOTTYDOYLECHISM,   )      ) Plaintiff/Appellant,  ) SHELBYCOUNTY      )  VS.      ) HON.D.J.ALISSANDRATOS      ) CHANCELLORURBANRETAILMANAGEMENT )COMPANY,d/b/aMALLOFMEMPHIS ) No.02S019705CH00040andHOMEINSURANCECOMPANY, )      ) Defendants/Appellees.  )FORAPPELLANT:    FORAPPELLEE:StevenG.Roberts    CarrollC.Johnson,III6263PoplarAvenue   1698MonroeAvenueSuite1032     Memphis,TN38104Memphis,TN38119  @ MEMORANDUMOPINION@ MEMBERSOFPANEL:@ JANICEM.HOLDER,JUSTICE@ HEWLITTP.TOMLIN,JR.,SENIORJUDGE@ CORNELIAA.CLARK,SPECIALJUDGEAFFIRMED       CLARK,SPECIALJUDGE    7XXdXXd7 ThisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtothespecialworkerscompensationappealspaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Inthisappeal,theemployeecontendsthattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialcourtsfindingthathisinjurieswerenotcausedbyaworkrelatedaccident.Thispanelfindsthatthejudgmentofthetrialcourtshouldbeaffirmed. PlaintiffScottyChismhadbacksurgeriesin1992and1993.Hewassymptomfreeforabouttwoyears.PlaintiffbeganworkingattheMallofMemphisin1994.InearlyAugust1995,whileliftingsheetrock,plaintifftwistedhisback.Henoticedthathisheelwasnumbandthathehadpaindownhisleftleg.Heleftworkanddidnotreturnforthenextweek.PlaintiffwasfirstseenbyDr.Summers,whoreferredhimtoDr.GaryL.Kellett.Dr.KellettorderedanMRIandcompletebedrestforoneweek.TheMRIshowedpostoperativefibrosisatL4ontheleft,withminimaldiscbulgingatL5ontheleft.AfterreceivingtheresultsofthisMRI,Dr.Kellettarrangedforplaintifftohaveanepiduralsteroidblockandstartaworkhardeningregimen.PlaintiffcontinuedtoreporttoDr.KellettduringAugust.Hedidnotpursuephysicaltherapybecauseofaconflictwithpersonsatthecenter. OnAugust31,1995,Dr.Kellettadvisedplaintiffthattherewasnoevidenceofaruptureddisc,onlysomeslightbulging.Heopinedthatthebestcourseoftreatmentwasconservativetreatment.Healsoagreedtosetupphysicaltherapyatanotherlocation.Dr.Kellettreleasedplaintifftoreturntolightdutywork,withnoliftingovertwentyfive(25)poundsfortwoweeks. PlaintiffreturnedtofulldutyworkonSeptember18.Heresignedtwomonths    laterbecausehewasnotgivenapromisedraiseandbecausehefelthewasbeingharassedfortardinessand piddlythings.Heexperiencedsomepainasthenerveblockworeoff,butcontinuedtoworkasapainter.Henevermissedworkbecauseofthepain. PlaintiffdidnotreturntoDr.KellettagainuntillateJanuary1996.Hereportedexperiencingasharpnewpainwhilebendingovertopickuphisbabyspacifier.AtthattimeamyelogramshowedaruptureddiscatL5ontheleft.PlaintiffnowcontendsthattherupturewasaresultoftheAugust1995injury. Appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Thistribunalisrequiredtoconductanindependentexaminationoftherecordtodeterminewherethepreponderanceoftheevidencelies.Wingertv.GovernmentofSumnerCounty,908S.W.2d921(Tenn.1995). Theburdentoestablisheachelementofaworkerscompensationclaimisupontheemployeeclaimingbenefits.Osterv.Yates,845S.W.2d215(Tenn.1992).Oneoftheseelementsisestablishingthataninjuryoccurredduringemployment.Smithv.EmpirePencilCompany,781S.W.2d833(Tenn.1989).Anotherrequiresmedicalproofofcausation.Tindallv.WaringParkAssociation,725S.W.2d935(Tenn.1987). Dr.Kellett,thetreatingphysician,testifiedthatplaintiffsufferednopermanentphysicalimpairmentasaresultofhisAugust1995injury.HewasreturnedtoworkonAugust31,1995.Dr.KellettwasableonlytosaythattheAugust1995injury probablydidhavesomethingtodowiththeruptureddiscidentifiedinJanuary1996.Hecouldnotexpressanopinionaboutcausationwithareasonabledegreeofmedicalcertainty.PlaintiffhimselfadmittedhedidnotexperiencesignificantproblemsuntilthepacifierincidentinJanuary1996.OnlyDr.JosephC.Boals,towhomplaintiffwassentbyhisattorneyforanindependentmedicalexaminationinSeptember1996,offeredanopinionthatthebulgingdiscwascausallyrelatedtotheAugust1995injury.ThetrialcourtfoundthatplaintiffhadnotcarriedhisburdenofproofinestablishingthatthebulgingdiscidentifiedaftertheJanuary1996injurywascausallyrelatedtotheAugust1995workrelatedaccident. Wehavereviewedtherecordinthiscase,andconcludethattheevidencedoesnotpreponderateagainstthetrialcourtsfindings.Accordingly,thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Costsonappealaretaxedtoplaintiff/appellant.      ________________________________      CORNELIAA.CLARK,SPECIALJUDGECONCUR:______________________________________JANICEM.HOLDER,JUSTICE______________________________________HEWLITTP.TOMLIN,JR.,SENIORJUDGE̜   ` @ (INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ ATJACKSON(X#` pX L X#SCOTTYDOYLECHISM,  ) SHELBYCHANCERY#` p` L X# ) NO.1071703R.D.` p` X Plaintiff/Appellant, ) #` p` L X#  ) Hon.D.J.Alissandratos,vs.  ) Chancellor  )URBANRETAILMANAGEMENTCOMPANY, ) NO.02S019705CH00040J.0;+'b|`  `@Jd/b/aMALLOFMEMPHISandHOME )INSURANCECOMPANY, )  ) Defendants/Appellees. ) AFFIRMED.@ (JUDGMENTORDER(X` p`  X ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. CostswillbepaidbyPlaintiff/Appellant,andsurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. ITISSOORDEREDthis24thdayofNovember,1997.        PERCURIAM  (Holder,J.,notparticipating)̛