WPC Ja4$n7IpR׎ܲOWIVwhN&T|Zuj~X2xG 8egǂ@*(֎C0.߹{UYjf+o[RކF_ʞ3{ZlB)EN?#Syy~,3p1JYU\Zd?#hqy(n"my,X~NJc#7T3ܒ%i@kd mOawV`Fʍ rK8]g-]7cތC@ QdԷ{#WLv4$kYW& \lj_smYa~ d l|Jٔ䁚 SvV$(1B0 {Hå݊8\߈$הE9uF8#Zp;I0O8V]>DL$O૔b %\U@b 0U$N*^ xw4 z   m #   ] #N 0DE  VN z ee k s {  b 0 B  0 D3G D-z 0K ASE 0  0D A(9 Z(Times New Roman (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular,+ yG*4v C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt3|xUHP LaserJet 40500Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5  R8$      1  X[YX  _Ԁm XX[YJurisdictionswithsuchstatutesinclude:AlaskaStat.23.30.395(17);Cal.Lab.Code3208;287.020(3);  Ind.Rev.Stat.;_KRS_Ԁ342.0011(1);R.S.Mo.(1999);Miss.CodeAnn.71.33(2000);N.C.Gen.Stat.972(6);N.D.  E Cent.Code26.106.201.11(2000);_Vt_.Stat.Ann.21601(7);Wis.Stat.102.01(2)(c);Wyo.Stat.2714102(2000).(%$  1      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.wptH45678- -(|G28$ !..8 udd8         0  X[YX d(|3p$ !..8 udd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3p$ !..8 udd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8 udd8     _ u8[YXXdd8   uP@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL & @@ATKNOXVILLE# u# L September26,2001Session "r X[YX u # uXX[Y.#PHILLIP_COLDWELL_Ԁv.HARTFORDCASUALTYINS.CO.X[YX u   p @@ DirectAppealfromtheCircuitCourtfor_Hamblen_ԀCounty  p @@No.99CV370JohnK.Wilson,Judge  \ @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.E200002950_WC_ԄR3CVMailedNovember9,2001   FILED:DECEMBER12,2001   # uXX[Y#X[YX uAV) ` dE<z` A {      X[YXXX[YThisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppeals v PaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTennesseeCodeAnnotated506225(e)(3)for b hearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.#X[YXXX[Y## uXX[Y#X[YX uԀThetrial N courtfoundtheplaintiffhadsustainedanaccidentalinjuryandawardedtheplaintiffthereplacement : costofhisprostheticfoot.Wereversethejudgmentofthetrialcourt. &v    Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(1999)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourtis N Reversed  :     JohnK.Byers,Sr.J.# uX[Y1#X[YX. u,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichE.RileyAnderson,J.and  RogerE.Thayer,Sp.J.,joined.  LynnC.Peterson,Knoxville,Tennessee,fortheappellant,HartfordCasualtyInsuranceCo.   _Jana_ԀDurhamTerry,_Morristown_,Tennessee,fortheappellee,Phillip_Coldwell_. ^"!    MEMORANDUMOPINION # uXX[YN #X[YX u 6$#   # uXX[Y #X[YX u  X[YXXX[YReviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovoupontherecordofthetrial &^!% court,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindings,unlessthepreponderance &J"& oftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2);Stonev.Cityof_McMinnville_,896 '6#' S.W.2d548,550(Tenn.1995).Questionsoflawarerevieweddenovowithoutapresumptionof ("$( correctness.Peacev.EasyTruckingCo.,38S.W.3d526(Tenn.2001).#X[YXXX[Y( #X[YXXX[Y )%) #X[YXXX[Y#@  ( Facts +&+   Theplaintiff,whowasinjuredina1979motorcycleaccident,hasanabovetheknee n-(- P     prosthesis.OnDecember28,1998,theplaintiffwasworkingforthedefendantsinsured.Hehad  _justdismountedatowmotorandtakenastepwhenheheardapopping,breakingsoundandtheflex  _footsectionofhisprosthesisbroke.Theplaintiffhadtoleavebeforehisshiftendedinordertoseek  areplacementprostheticfoot,buthewasabletoreturntoworkthenextday.Hesufferednoinjury t toanyotherpartofhisprostheticlegortohisbodyandsufferednopainwhentheprosthesisbroke. `   Mr.TerryParsonsofMorristownOrthoticsandProstheticstestifiedthatheexaminedtheflex 8  footandfoundnovisiblesignsofwearandtearinthefoot.Mr.ParsonsalsotestifiedthatinMay $ t of1998,hehadrecommendedtheentireabovethekneeprosthesisbereplaced.Hetestifiedhis  ` recommendationwasbasedonMedicareguidelinesregardingtheanticipatedlifeofaprosthetic  L  deviceaswellasthefactthattheplaintiffhadbeenexperiencingproblemswiththehydraulicknee.  8  Mr.Parsonsalsostatedthenormallifeofaprosthesisvariesfrompersontoperson.Theprosthesis $  atissueinthiscasewasfittedonFebruary9,1994,asareplacementfortheoriginal,postaccident   prosthesis.TheplaintiffshealthinsurancedeniedtheMay1998claimforthecostofareplacement   prosthesis.     Thetrialcourtfoundtheplaintiffhadsustainedanaccidentalinjuryandawardedtheplaintiff p thereplacementcostoftheprostheticflexfootsystem.Wereversethejudgmentofthetrialcourt. \    `     h Discussion   p     ThedefendantarguesthatTennesseesworkerscompensationlawdoesnotpermitrecovery H ofthereplacementcostoftheplaintiffsprostheticfoot. 4   X[YXXX[YInordertobeeligibleforworkerscompensationbenefits,anemployeemustsuffer an   injurybyaccidentarisingoutofandinthecourseofemploymentwhichcauseseitherdisablement  ordeath.Tenn.CodeAnn.506102.Injuryincludeswhateverlesionorchangeinanypartof  thesystemthatproducesharmorpainoralessenedfacilityofthenaturaluseofanybodilyactivity  orcapability.Finkv.Caudle,856S.W.2d952(Tenn.1993).Tennesseecaselawtraditionally l followsthepremisethatsomebodilyharmresultingfromaphysicalcausemustbeprovenbefore X  the injuryrequirementissatisfied.SeeT.Reynolds,TennesseeWorkersComp.Prac.andProc., D! (4thed.)81. 0"    Thequestionofwhetheraplaintiffmayrecoverthereplacementcostofanartificialmember $X" whentheaccidentthatdamagedtheartificialmemberdoesnotalsocausephysicalinjuryisoneof $D # firstimpressioninthisjurisdiction. %0!$   Generally,intheabsenceofanexpressstatutoryprovisionthatallowscompensationfor '#& injuriestoartificiallimbsormembers, %  1      ׀suchinjuriesarenotcompensable._9CouchonInsurance (#' 3d136:57;3A.Larson,LarsonsWorkersCompensationLaw55.03(2000)( Apartfrom_special  statute_,injurytoanartificiallimbormemberisnotapersonalinjury.).    However,whenthesameaccidentthatdamagestheappliancealsocausesphysicalinjury, t compensation,evenintheabsenceofaspecificstatutoryprovisionequatingdamagetotheappliance ` withpersonalinjury,hasbeenfoundpossible.3A.Larson,LarsonsWorkersCompensationLaw L  55.04(2000).SuchwasthecaseinDowns_v._ԀTheAmericanNationalFireInsuranceCo.,1992WL 8  159895(Tenn.).InDowns,theplaintiffsufferedafractureofanelbowprosthesis#X[YXXX[Y#Ԁthatcaused $ t immediatepainandthenecessityforsurgerytorepair/replacetheprosthesisinordertoprevent  ` furtherdamagetotheplaintiffsarm.TheDownscourtheldthedefendant liableforthemedical  L  expensesincurredasaresultof[_the]_Ԁinjuryincludingrestoringandreplacingtheprostheticappliance  8  in[theplaintiffs]elbow.Id. $    Intheabsenceofaspecificstatutoryprovisionthatprovidesforcompensationfordamage   toartificialmembersorappliancesunaccompaniedbyphysicalinjury,wearecompelledtoreverse   thejudgmentofthetrialcourt.     Finally,theplaintiffsrequestforattorneyfeesisnotwelltakenbecauseprovisionforsuch \ feesundertheWorkersCompensationActisconditional;theplaintiffmustbefoundtohave H sufferedacompensableworkrelatedinjury.Inthiscase,theplaintiffsinjuryisnotacompensable 4 workrelatedinjury;therefore,attorneyfeesarenotappropriate.  p   Thecostofthisappealistaxedtotheplaintiff. H    `     h     ___________________________________     `     h     JOHNK.BYERS,SENIORJUDGE    uXX[Y@7 7 #X[YX u(# uXX[YINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @ ATKNOXVILLE,TENNESSEE#X[YX u5)#Ԉ    uXX[Y  ӀPHILIP_COLDWELL_ԀV.HARTFORDCASUALTY   _Hamblen_ԀCountyCircuitCourt#X[YX u)#    *@::# %  %+%  % 7+% ! %!U+% " %"s+No.99CV370AV) ` dE<p ` A߈   @^ ^ No.% # E200002950_WC_ԄR3CVFiled:December12,2001%#,Ԉ    AV) ` dE<o` A p   @& JUDGMENT  k  󀀀ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferral C  totheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'smemorandumOpinionsetting / forthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; k    ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthememorandumOpinionofthePanel W shouldbeacceptedandapproved;and C    ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactsandconclusionsoflaware / adoptedandaffirmedandthedecisionofthePanelismadetheJudgmentoftheCourt.     ` Costsonappealaretaxedtotheplaintiff,Phillip_Coldwell_,forwhichexecutionmay  issueifnecessary.  12/12/01 { %     `  ?