WPC4 # VUNa % 0U: 4  L Y _ w@g 0? 0D U<* 0Jf 0T 0^ 0hb 0r 0|< 0 0> 1u 0dCU> BU*U*,B)VDC AM D3Bv~ 0@|v AO 0D D/ BHP LaserJet 4 PlusHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLl(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX(H=$  HTR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalTX_XXX7XXdXXd7,  AZ"Arial Regularڃ"3|xsC:\OFFICE\WPWIN\TEMPLATE\STANDARD.WPTH _D`aDbcDdeVfVghӀ((3$ H=!  HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TXȤXXX7XXdXXd7   `   0  (#$  0  .B' Z$Arrus BT Roman2 0Indent123  2" 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`(&Times New Roman d<  9p`(Arial<  9p`(Times% Line 7 d''''7Border 1dd-(C << G$$$$'dxd  !  #d##    H \RA'\%#d#  %   YYY FILED%X December3,1997CecilCrowson,Jr.%AppellateCourtClerk PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'`("$    Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ion-F Geneva  ion-F Geneva -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! . #    H \RA'\%#&&Xd##&&Xd#        X %  R)+(A1-j|` 81 `@Rߛ @ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL@ ATKNOXVILLE   WAYNEM.CROWDER,   ) BRADLEYCHANCERY      )  Plaintiff/Appellee   ) NO.03S019702CH00023      ) v.      ) HON.EARLH.HENLEY,      ) CHANCELLORMAGICCHEFCOMPANY/  )MAYTAGCLEVELANDCOOKING )PRODUCTS,INC.,Employer  )MUTUALCASUALTYINSURANCE, )      ) Defendant/Appellant  ) FortheAppellant:    FortheAppellee: DennyE.Mobbs    R.JeromeShepherdP.O.Box192    2180NorthOcoeeStreet Cleveland,TN373640192  Cleveland,TN373113919   MEMORANDUMOPINIONMembersofPanel: JusticeAdolphoA.Birch,Jr.SeniorJudgeJohnK.ByersSpecialJudgeIrvinH.Kilcrease,Jr.  ̜AFFIRMED       BYERS,SeniorJudge Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. TheEmployeesustainedaherniateddiskandunderwenttwolumbardisksurgeriesin1995.Thetrialcourtfoundthebackproblemwasworkrelatedandawarded35percentpermanentpartialdisability. Weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt. TheEmployeeisnowthirtysixyearsoldwithsevenyearsofformaleducation.HehasfourteenyearsworkexperienceinfactoryassemblyforthisϜEmployer.Priortothat,heworkedatachickenfarmandhelpedhisfathercutpaperwood. OnMay4,1995,hebentoveraboxatworkandfeltsomething popinhislowback.Hewenttothenursesstation,wherea deepheatingrubwasappliedandhewasgivenanicepack.Hethenwentbacktowork,andhecontinuedtoworkfulltimeuntilJuly1995. InearlyJuly,afterreturningfromtheJuly4thholiday,heexperiencedincreasedlowbackpainandwenttothenurseatworkagain,wherehereceivedanotherdeepheatingrub.Hetestifiedthatthepaininhislowerbackjustkeptgettingworseandstartedgoingdownhisleg,sothathewasunabletowalk. OnJuly23,1995,hewenttohisfamilydoctorbecauseofthebackpain,buthedidnottellthedoctorabouthisinjuryatwork. OnAugust2,1995,theEmployeewasinvolvedinanautomobileaccidentandwastreatedbythesamefamilydoctor. Whenhisbackpaindidnotimprove,theEmployeehadanMRIofhislowerspineonSeptember1,1995.TheMRIrevealed alargeposteriorherniateddisceccentrictotheleftatthe51levelwithencroachmentintothecentralcanalwithAPnarrowingaswellaseccentricencroachmentintotheneuroforaminaandnerverootontheleft.𛀀Therewerealsodegenerativediscchanges. TheEmployeetestifiedthathewasreferredtoanorthopedicsurgeonand,whenhediscussedhisworkhistoryandrecentactivitieswiththesurgeon,theyrealizedthattheherniateddiskwasworkrelated.HeimmediatelyreportedthistohisEmployer. TheEmployeesubsequentlyunderwenttwobacksurgeriesandisnowbackatworkforthesameEmployer. Dr.RichardB.Donaldson,aretiredboardcertifiedorthopedicsurgeonandindependentmedicalexaminer,testifiedthathehadnoreasontoquestiontheϜEmployeescredibilityandopinedthathisworkcausedtheherniateddisk.Heassessed20percentmedicalimpairment. TheEmployercontendsthat(1)theEmployeescredibilitywasimpeached,and(2)thedoctorsopinionastocausationofhisherniateddiskwhichwas̛basedonthattestimonywasnotsufficientevidenceofcausation. TheEmployeetestifiedthathesawthecompanynurseinJune.TheϜEmployersrecordsindicatehesawherinMay.However,whencounselrecalledtheEmployeetothewitnessstandandquestionedhimaboutthisdiscrepancy,hereadilyadmittedthattheEmployersrecordswouldbecorrectandhewassimplymistakenaboutthedate. TheEmployercontendsthattheEmployeescredibilityisalsoimpeachedbyhisfailuretoreportaworkinjurywhenhefirstsawhisfamilydoctor.However,theevidenceprovesthathereportedtherelationshipbetweentheworkincidentandhisbackproblemassoonashisdiscussionwithhissurgeonmadehimawareofit. Ourreviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefinding,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.Ϝ506225(e)(2);Stonev.CityofMcMinnville,896S.W.2d584(Tenn.1991). Anyconflictintestimonyrequiringadeterminationofthecredibilityofwitnessesisforthetrialcourt,whosedecisionthereonisbindinguponthereviewingcourtunlessotherrealevidencecompelsacontraryconclusion.Jacksonv.Bohan,861S.W.2d241(Tenn.App.1993);State,exrelBalsingerv.TownofMadisonville,435S.W.2d88,91(Tenn.1968).Wherethetrialjudgehasseenandheardwitnessesitisforhim,nottheappellatecourt,todetermineissuesofcredibility,andhisfindingoffactinthisregardisconclusiveiftherebeanyevidencetosupportit.Wallsv.MagnoliaTruckLines,622S.W.2d526(Tenn.1981).  ThetrialcourtfoundtheEmployeestestimonytobecredible,andhistestimonyastocausationissupportedbythetestimonyofDr.Donaldson.Absolutecertaintyonthepartofamedicalexpertisnotnecessarytosupportaworkerscompensationaward,andwhereequivocalmedicalevidencecombinedwithotherevidencesupportsafindingofcausation,suchaninferencemaybedrawnunderthecaselaw.Kellermanv.FoodLion,Inc.,929S.W.2d333(Tenn.1996);Jacksonv.GreyhoundLines,Inc.,734S.W.2d617(Tenn.1987). Wefindthepreponderanceoftheevidencesupportstheawardofthetrialjudge,whichisaffirmed.Costsareassessedtotheappellant.       _________________________________      JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudgeCONCUR:̜________________________________AdolphoA.Birch,Jr.,Justice  ________________________________IrvinH.Kilcrease,Jr.,SpecialJudge    ` @ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ ATKNOXVILLEWAYNEM.CROWDER,  ) BRADLEYCHANCERY      ) No.95269Below Appellee,    )      ) Hon.EarlH.Henley,v.      ) Chancellor      )      ) No.03S019702CH00023MAGICCHEFCOMPANY/  )  MAYTAGCLEVELANDCOOKING )PRODUCTS,INC.,Employer  )MUTUALCASUALTYINSURANCE, )      )  Appellant.    ) AFFIRMED.@ JUDGMENTORDER  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtuponmotionforreviewpursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(5)(B),theentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference;  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthemotionforreviewisnotwelltakenandshouldbedenied;and  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt.   Costsonappealareassessedtotheappellant.  ITISSOORDEREDthis____dayof______,1997.       PERCURIAMBirch,J.Notparticipating.%Ǜ