WPC &QЋɩ\3 ,fZDJ >od/N;;&$Ƈz7S_ \]q&P>kot ʫRy `pYkIf/vf 6I\7;JȪ;v桏J>fJJ,%YMX|[Ȱf@^17j6Mf5}/8 g{_υ,@^~1FoD>uf .Di "8}@nr"+2.l[}Q`^k`vo*֗ &M˘|vZ@t$ 0   \{Hcq#Kf<ߥYg6gvaaQuv'K/Ea¬?gXJqI+nKW> jyF*# LU NW % 0UNw@44HWUN 3 B 0? 0Da"hUNaUNOUNVU:U:& AQx 0D 0D 0D[ D/!! BP D3mHP LaserJet 4 PlusHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLH(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX(3c$7|XXdXXd7  HTXXTR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT(Y Z 6Times New Roman Regular VӀӀDLL%YO 3|x    $H4XX `   1    ]4Butwhenthecasewascalledfortrial,thepartiesstipulatedthatcausationwasanissue.Itprovedto  bedispositive.Theanswerwasnotamended,butthecasewastriedasifthedefendantdeniedcausation.'"  Z 6Times New Roman Regular   '$HDXX `   1    LDButwhenthecasewascalledfortrial,thepartiesstipulatedthatcausationwasanissue.Itprovedto  bedispositive.Theanswerwasnotamended,butthecasewastriedasifthedefendantdeniedcausation. d((3'$ 3c!7XXdd7  HDXXTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T   `   0  ()$  3    '$HDXX `   2    LDLikelyoverdone,sinceshetestifiedthatsheprocessed800partsperday.      H    '$HDXX `   3    LDShedeniedanypriormedicalproblemsotherthan femaleproblems.Asthetrialprogressed,  however,theproofrevealedalitanyofhealthproblemsandcomplaints.#DL~#(hH  Z 6Times New Roman Regular    $H4XX `   2    ]4Likelyoverdone,sinceshetestified:  8 ` Q:8 ` 8"` 8"Doyourecallhowmanypartsyouprocessedinaminute?   8 ` A:8 ` 8"` 8"Probablyabout800.P   8 ` Q:8 ` 8"` 8"Eachpartrequiredthemovementsthatyouvedescribed,isthatcorrect?X    ` A:8 Yes,sir.Itwasrealrepetitive.#  8" 8"  #(hH  Z 6Times New Roman Regular   $H4XX `   2    ]4Likelyoverdone,sinceshetestifiedthatsheprocessed800partsperday.  (hH  Z 6Times New Roman Regular ""  Xc XXXk XXc   Ad FILEDXc Xk  October26,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,cAZ"Arial Regular ""  Xc XXXk XXc   Ad FILEDXc Xk  October26,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,cAZ"Arial RegularLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5!"#$&C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  (3$ !  ($$   1  Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5((' dxdP Pd 'dxd 3c!7XXdd7  HDXXTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T  ݛ  D7XdXXd7   IINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  t )>.*jx` `@EA` 8ttxPy  tߛSPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATNASHVILLET̜r )<,(j 8` `@E0` 8ttxPh  r@VV#(June29,1998Session) CONNIES.COVINGTON,    ) p HOUSTONCHANCERY  p  `     h     ) ` Plaintiff/Appellant h     ) p NO.01S019709CH00183 @   `     h     )v. `     h     ) p HON.ROBERTE.BURCH `   `     h     ) p CHANCELLOR p  NAGLEINDUSTRIES,INC.,    ) p    `     h     ) p    ` Defendant/Appellee    )   `     h     ) p AFFIRMED  М̛ FortheAppellant: h     FortheAppellee: P  JamesB.Crenshaw h     SeanAntoneHunt ^ 108SouthSecondStreet h     Spicer,Flynn&Rudstrom,PLLC n Clarksville,TN37040 h     424ChurchStreet,Suite1350 .~  `     h     Nashville,TN372192305   MEMORANDUMOPINION )%# MembersofPanel: JusticeFrankF.Drowota,III .V)' SeniorJudgeWilliamH.InmanSpecialJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.  AFFIRMED   h      p INMAN,SeniorJudge ;&74 IH  @33MEMORANDUMOPINION   D ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecial > Workers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.#D% #    ` Inthiscasetheplaintiffranafoulofthewellsettledprinciplethattheissuesinaworkerscompensationcase,likeanyother,mustbeprovedbyapreponderanceoftheevidence.Thetrialjudgeruledthattheappealingplaintifffailedtocarryherburdenofprovingcausationanddismissedherclaimforpermanent,partialdisabilitybenefits. DOurreviewofthefindingsoffactmade .n bythetrialcourtisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbya z presumptionofthecorrectnessofthefinding,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Stonev.Cityof  МMcMinnville,896S.W.2d548,550(Tenn.1995).# D,# !>  ` TheplaintiffallegedthatonSeptember9,1993shesustainedaninjurytoherelbow,arm,andbothwrists,diagnosedasbilateralcarpaltunnelsyndromewhichinthepassageoftimeresultedinpermanent,partialdisability. ` Thedefendantfileditsansweradmittingthatthe plaintiffsustainedaninjuryinthecourseandscopeofplaintiffsemployment,   )  1      ׀anddenyingallother ,(& allegations. ` TheplaintifftestifiedthatshebeganworkingforthedefendantinMay,1991,doingassemblylineworkwhichshedescribedasrepetitive.    )  2      כAfterfouror  3J/, fivemonths intothejob,herhandsbecameswollenattheendoftheworking *5j1. dayandbynighttimewere tight,tender,achingandhurting.Shewasshiftedtodifferenttasks,butthepainpersisted,evenwhilewearingwristbands.InAugust,1993shesoughtmedicaltreatmentfromDr.StephenSalyers, )  3      ׀an @ orthopedicsurgeon,whoprescribedantiinflammatorymedicationandawristsplint.Afterfurthertestingbyhimselfandaneurologist,Dr.Salyerstoldherthat Ihadcarpaltunnelinmyrighthandandsomeinmylefthandandthatheprobablywouldhavetodosurgery.Dr.Salyersperformedarightcarpaltunnelrelease,whichwasfollowedbyaworkhardeningregimenandtherapy. ` Shetestifiedthatshewantedtoreturntoherjob,but therewasnoworkavailableforme.Shemadeapplicationforworkatvariousplacesbutwasalwaysrejectedwhensherevealedthatshehadundergoneacarpaltunnelrelease. ` Thepainpersisted,accordingtotheplaintiff,whotestifiedthatwhenshewasfinallyemployedatahumanresourceagency,shewasunableto liftthingsandthat drivingisjusttearingmeup.Attrialshecomplainedofpaininhershoulder,ofherhands gettingcoldasice,becoming numbandblue,towhere Icantuseitatall. ` Dr.SalyerstestifiedthathefirstsawtheplaintiffonSeptember9,1993.Aftertakingherhistory,heperformedanexamination,whichrevealednopathology.Becauseofhercomplaintshediagnosedalowgradetendinitisandprescribedanantiinflammatorymedication.Shereturnedfromtimetotimestillcomplainingofpain;anelectrodiagnostictestrevealed borderlinecarpaltunnel.Finally,thecarpaltunnelreleasewasperformedonAugust31,1994 whichDr.Salyersdescribedassuccessful,butwhichtheplaintiffessentially 40. describedasunsuccessful.Whenaskedaplenaryquestionastowhethershehadsufferedanypermanentdisabilityasaresultofherwork,Dr.Salyersreplied:   8 ` Well,Ihaveassignedheranimpairmentratingtobothhandsduetothemedicalcondition...Iwouldntsayitwascertainthatherworkcausedherproblems.Ithinkitwas,itcontributedtoherproblems. ` 8"` 8"    ` Anindependentmedicalexaminer,Dr.VeraHuffnagle,opinedthat initiallythesymptomsofcarpaltunnelsyndromemayhaverelated[toemployment]butnotpresently. ` Thetrialjudgeobserved:  8 ` Theproblemhere,asbothcounselhavefocusedon,isthatofcausation.TheCourtrulesthattheplaintiffhasfailedintheburdenofprovingtoshowthatherconditionwas,infact,workrelated.Essentially,therearetworeasonsforthat.Actually,thebestproofthattheplaintiffcancomeupwithisDr.Salyersstating:Ithinkitcontributedtohersymptoms.Thatjustsimplyisnotconvincing,atleast,certainly,bythepreponderanceoftheevidence.Then,Dr.Huffnaglestateddefinitelythattheywerenot,andthatjustprettywellsealsit. ` 8"` 8"    ` Theplaintiffhadtheburdenofprovingcausationbyapreponderanceoftheevidence.Elmorev.TravelersIns.Co.,824S.W.2d541(Tenn.1992).And ! causation,inallbutobviouscases,mustbeprovedbyexperttestimony.Thomas # v.AetnaLife&Cas.,812S.W.2d278(Tenn.1991).Dr.Huffnagleopinedthat %"  theplaintiffwassufferingfromaconditionknownasfibromyalgia,andotherwisepresentedahostofcomplaints,noneofwhichcouldbecharacterizedasjobrelated. ` Sofarasthisrecordreveals,withemphasisuponthetestimonyoftheplaintiff,thesurgicalprocedurewasnotproductive.Theplaintiffscomplaintsofheadaches,paininherhands,arms,andshoulders,herinabilitytolift,ordifficultyindrivingavehiclearenotprovedtobecausallyrelatedtoemployment.Superimposedonallthisisthecrucialissueofcredibility,theresolvingofwhichiswithinthepeculiarprovinceofthetrialjudge.McCalebv. 8 52 SaturnCorp.,910S.W.2d412(Tenn.1995).Inlightofthelatterissue,the ;@74 equivocaltestimonyofDr.Salyersand,thestraightforwardopinionofDr.VeraHuffnagle,weareunabletofindthattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthejudgmentwhichisaffirmedatthecostoftheappellant. `     h     _______________________________ `     h     WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudgeCONCUR:_______________________________FrankF.Drowota,III,Justice_______________________________JoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  P Hm @ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  t )>.*jx` `@E` 8ttxP  tr )<,(j 8` `@E` 8ttxP  r@  )ATNASHVILLECONNIES.COVINGTON    } p HOUSTONCHANCERY  `  `     h     } p No.Below4304 0 p  ` Plaintiff/Appellant h     } @   `     h     } p Hon.ROBERTE.BURCH P  vs. `     h     } p Chancellor `   `     h     } `     h     } p No.01S019709CH00183   NAGLEINDUSTRIES,INC.  }    `     h     } ` Defendant/Appellee    } p AFFIRMED x   @(JUDGMENTORDER `  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. `  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and `  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. XX `  CostswillbepaidbyPlaintiff/AppellantandSurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. `  ITISSOORDEREDon"*US , US , *ԀOctober26,1998. `     h      p PERCURIAM# m m)#