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ÔÔ€ÔÔ€ôÔÔ€XÔÔ€ÔÓ  ÓÝ  ÝÒ  ÒÒ 8 ÒÖ€+ÖÔ  ÔÔ  ÔÙ€!ÙÑ  ÑÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓÑ\R AØ'\ÑÔ&  ÔÔ€¼ÔÔ€ÔßR€./-A1-j|` ç `€€@ÿRßÞ ÞÌIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌÌSPECIAL€WORKERS'€COMPENSATION€APPEALS€PANELÌÌAT€NASHVILLEÌ(December€3,€1997€Session)ÌÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓSTEPHANIE€J.€CLINARD,€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)€€€€€ROBERTSON€CIRCUITÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Plaintiff„Appellee,€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€)€€€€€Hon.€James€E.€Walton,Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)€€€€€Judge.Ìv.€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€)€€€€€No.€01S01„9703„CV„00051ÌLUMBERMENS€MUTUAL€CASUALTY€)ÌCOMPANY€OF€THE€KEMPER€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€)ÌINSURANCE€COMPANIES,€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€€€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Defendant„Appellant.€€€€€€€€€€€€)ÌÌÌÌÌòòFor€Appellantóó:€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€òòFor€Appellee:óóÌÌRichard€C.€Mangelsdorf,€Jr.€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€William€L.€UnderhillÌLeitner,€Williams,€Dooley€&€Napolitan€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€Ô€,Ô€€Ô€¼ÔMadison,€TennesseeÌNashville,€TennesseeòòÌóóÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓòòM€E€M€O€R€A€N€D€U€M€€€€O€P€I€N€I€O€NóóÌÌÌÌÌòòMembers€of€Panelóó:ÌÌÔ'  ÔLyle€Reid,€Associate€Justice,€Supreme€CourtÌWilliam€H.€Inman,€Senior€JudgeÌJoe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€JudgeÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓÌÓ  ÓAFFIRMED€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Loser,ÏJudgeÓ {ÀÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓòòMEMORANDUM€OPINIONóóÓ ö€ÓÌÓ  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€hereÏcontends€the€evidence€preponderates€against€the€trial€court's€finding€that€theÏemployee's€injury€was€causally€connected€to€her€employment.€€The€panel€hasÏconcluded€the€judgment€should€be€affirmed.Ìà àà àThe€employee€or€claimant,€Clinard,€is€approximately€40€yearsÏold€and€has€a€GED.€€She€has€worked€as€a€cashier€at€a€convenience€market€inÏSpringfield€since€1992,€having€previously€worked€as€a€cashier,€as€a€babyÏsitter,€as€a€production€worker€in€a€garment€factory€and€as€a€homemaker.€ÏOn€March€24,€she€noticed€a€pop€in€her€neck€and€a€shooting€pain€in€her€leftÏarm,€while€manually€operating€a€credit€card€machine€at€work.€€She€reportedÏthe€event€to€her€supervisor,€who€did€not€refer€her€to€a€physician€or€provideÏa€list€from€which€she€could€choose€one.Ìà àà àThe€claimant€went€to€her€own€physician,€Dr.€Robert€Ferland,Ïwho€took€her€off€work€and€prescribed€physical€therapy.€€She€also€saw€twoÏneurosurgeons,€both€of€whom€ordered€diagnostic€testing.€€One€of€themÏexpressed€doubt€as€to€whether€the€injury€was€work„related,€but€was€unableÏto€point€to€any€other€possible€cause.€€The€other€had€no€opinion€as€to€theÏcause€of€injury.Ìà àà àThe€claimant€was€unable€to€work€from€May€2,€1994€until€sheÏreturned€during€the€last€week€in€July€of€the€same€year.€€She€terminated€herÏemployment€in€November€of€that€year€after€the€pain€worsened.€€TheÏemployer€did€not€provide€any€medical€benefits.Ìà àà àUltimately,€the€claimant€sought€out€a€Dr.€Cantrell,€whoÏreferred€her€to€Dr.€Arthur€Cushman,€another€neurosurgeon.€€Dr.€CushmanÏdiagnosed€a€herniated€disc€in€her€neck€and€performed€corrective€surgery.€ÏThe€pain€diminished€following€the€surgery.€€Dr.€David€Gaw€saw€her€afterÏsurgery€and€prescribed€permanent€limitations.€€The€claimant€took€karateÏafter€the€injury,€but€we€find€in€the€record€no€evidence€that€her€injury€wasÏcaused€by€karate€lessons,€as€the€employer's€insurer€contends.€€The€lay€proofÏsupports€the€claimant's€contention€that€her€injury€was€work€related.Ìà àà àDr.€Cushman€conceded€the€credit€card€machine€incident€andÏcontinued€use€of€the€arm€at€work€was€a€possible€cause€of€the€injury.€€HeÏestimated€her€permanent€impairment€at€seven€percent..€€Dr.€Gaw€testifiedÏthe€credit€card€incident€was€the€most€likely€cause,€in€the€absence€of€anyÏother€explanation,€and€assigned€a€fifteen€percent€permanent€impairment€toÏthe€whole€body.€€Both€of€these€doctors€based€their€opinions€of€permanentÏimpairment€on€approved€guidelines.Ìà àà àThe€trial€court€found€the€injury€to€be€work€related€and€awardedÏbenefits€under€the€Tennessee€Workers'€Compensation€Law€(the€Act).€ÏAppellate€review€is€de€novo€upon€the€record€of€the€trial€court,€accompaniedÏby€a€presumption€of€correctness€of€the€findings€of€fact,€unless€theÏpreponderance€of€the€evidence€is€otherwise.€€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€section€50„6„225(e)(2).Ìà àà àUnder€the€Act,€injuries€by€accident€arising€out€of€and€in€theÏcourse€of€employment€which€cause€either€disablement€or€death€of€theÏemployee€are€compensable.€€An€accidental€injury€arises€out€of€one'sÏemployment€when€there€is€apparent€to€the€rational€mind,€upon€aÏconsideration€of€all€the€circumstances,€a€causal€connection€between€theÏconditions€under€which€the€work€is€required€to€be€performed€and€theÏresulting€injury.€€òòFink€v.€Caudleóó,€856€€S.W.2d€€952€(Tenn.€1993).Ìà àà àà àIn€order€to€establish€that€an€injury€was€one€arising€out€ofÍthe€employment,€the€cause€of€the€death€or€injury€must€be€proved;€and€if€theÏclaim€is€for€permanent€disability€benefits,€permanency€must€be€proved.Ô€XÔ€ÏÔ€¼ÔòòThomas€v.€Aetna€Life€and€Cas.€Ins.€Co.óó,€812€€S.W.2d€€278€(Tenn.€1991).Ô€XÔ€€Ô€¼ÔInÏall€but€the€most€obvious€cases,€causation€and€permanency€may€only€beÏestablished€through€expert€medical€testimony.€€òòIdóó.€€Absolute€certainty€on€theÏpart€of€a€medical€expert€is€not€necessary€to€support€a€workers'€compensationÏaward,€for€expert€opinion€must€always€be€more€or€less€uncertain€andÏspeculative;€òòKellerman€v.€Food€Lion,€Inc.óó,€929€€S.W.2d€€333€(Tenn.€1996);Ïand,€where€equivocal€medical€evidence€combined€with€other€evidenceÏsupports€a€finding€of€causation,€such€an€inference€may€nevertheless€beÏdrawn€under€the€case€law.€€òòTindall€v.€Waring€Park€Assoc.óó,€725€€S.W.2d€Ï935€(Tenn.€1987).Ìà àà àFrom€a€deliberate€consideration€of€all€the€evidence€andÏappropriate€legal€authorities,€the€panel€concludes€that€the€evidence€fails€toÏpreponderate€against€the€findings€of€the€trial€judge.€€The€judgment€isÏaffirmed€and€the€case€remanded€to€the€Circuit€Court€for€Robertson€County.€ÏCosts€are€taxed€to€the€defendant„appellant.Ó rAÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓ_______________________________Ó ÓÌÓ  Ó€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Joe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€JudgeÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓCONCUR:ÌÌ_________________________________ÌLyle€Reid,€Associate€JusticeÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌWilliam€H.€Inman,€Senior€JudgeÌÑ€0ÑÇÒ  ÒÒ £ Òòòà@ àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌÌà@ àAT€NASHVILLEÌßJ€.1;+'b|` ç `€@ÿJßÌÌÌSTEPHANIE€J.€CLINARD,à àà à}à àROBERTSON€CIRCUITÌà àà àà àà àà àà à}à àNo.€7315€BelowÌà àPlaintiff/Appelleeà àà àà à}Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à}à àHon.€James€E.€Walton,€Ìvs.à àà àà àà àà àà à}à àJudgeÌà àà àà àà àà àà à}ÌLUMBERMENS€MUTUAL€à àà à}à àNo.€01S01„9703„CV„00051ÌCASUALTY€COMPANY€OF€THE€à à}ÌKEMPER€INSURANCE€COMPANIES}Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à}Ìà àDefendant/Appellantà àà à}à àAFFIRMED.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€Defendant/Appellant€and€Surety,€for€whichÏexecution€may€issue€if€necessary.ÌÓÓà àà àIT€IS€SO€ORDERED€on€March€5,€1998.ÌÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà àPER€CURIAMÌóóÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌ