WPC% UBV %U.r 0>  n 0rQw@Q4 0J{A 0T 0^[ 0h 0r! 0| 0 0 1u% 0d BB)4DC] AM D3* fJ 0@-v~v AOn## 0D$ D/$ B$\  `*Times New RomanTT"AArialTT'    0 .   (e2&$  {!XXXXXX   3|xW\  `*Times New RomanTTC\  P6QP"AArialTTomanTTXXaptQXp\  `*Times New RomanTT^\  P6QP\  `*Times New RomanTTXXP\  P6QXP\  `*Times New RomanTT,,)\  P6Q,P\  `*Times New RomanTT6\  P6QP(J{$XXXbXXX  CDEFGHIJKӀWj"(2 0Indent123  ԁLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 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 d   !X     8    ` ` X    @      A     ` X% Line 7 d''''7Border 1dd-(C << G%%%%'dxd   !  X      YYY FILEDX April17,1997CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk  \\RA'\("$     #  ! X      YYY FILEDX April17,1997CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk PtPtHHHV,(hh hd'0F Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   eskto Geneva  eskto Geneva -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd  ! . X     8 &         ` ` X\RA'\&  INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEEL)+(;+'h|3`  `LSPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATJACKSON(February6,1997Session)   ` XDAVIDDAVISON,    )HARDINCIRCUIT       )̀PlaintiffAppellee,  )Hon.C.CreedMcGinley,       )Judge.v.       )       )No.02S019609CV00078TFE,INCORPORATED,   )CONTINENTALINSURANCE  )COMPANYandLARRYBRINTON, )DIRECTOR,DIVISIONOFWORKERS' )COMPENSATION,TENNESSEE  )DEPARTMENTOFLABOR,   )       )̀DefendantAppellants.  )ForAppellant:ForAppellee:WilliamF.Kendall,IIIThomasK.McAlexanderWaldrop&HallChristopherLTaylorJackson,TennesseeJackson,Tennessee   ` ` XMEMORANDUMOPINION'  MembersofPanel:LyleReid,AssociateJustice,SupremeCourtJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudgeLeonardWatsonMartin,SpecialJudge   ` X   ` ` X   ` X  AFFIRMEDLoser,Judge     ` ` XMEMORANDUMOPINION rA   ` X  Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Inthisappeal,theemployeranditsinsurerarguetheemployeedidnotsufferaninjurybyaccidentasclaimed.Asdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed.  Forthepastthirtythreeyears,theemployeeorclaimant,Davison,hasbeenanovertheroadtruckdriver.Heworkedfortheemployer,TFE,fromJuly14,1988untilJune20,1994.  OnJune20,1994,whileattemptingtoloadsomeboxesthathadfallenfromhistruckwhileotherswerebeingunloaded,hefeltaburningsensationinhisbackandleg.Hehadnotfeltthelegpainbeforebuthadsufferedapreviousbackinjury.Hewasgivennerveblocksforthesecondinjury,withoutrelief.Whenthepainpersisted,hevisitedDr.JosephS.Thomas,ageneralpractitioner,andDr.RobertBarnett,anorthopedicsurgeon.Dr.Barnettdiagnosedanaggravationofapreexistingdegenerativecondition.Thesamedoctorhadseentheclaimantbeforethesecondinjuryandopinedthatthenewsymptomsweretheresultofanirritatednerveroot.  Therecorddoescontainothermedicalopinions.Dr.Cunningham,aneurosurgeon,opinedtheclaimantwasnotpermanentlyimpairedfromthe1994injury,butdidnotruleouttheoccurrenceofaninjury.Dr.Frazierassignedapermanentimpairmentratingbutattributedittothepreviousinjury.  Theclaimanthasnotreturnedtowork.Hetestifiedthatheisunabletoworkbecauseofpainthathedidnothavepriortothe1994accident.  ThetrialjudgegavethegreatestweighttotheopinionofDr.Barnettandfoundtheinjurytobecompensableasaninjurybyaccident.Appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(2).Wherethetrialjudgehasseenandheardthewitnesses,especiallyifissuesofcredibilityandweighttobegivenoraltestimonyareinvolved,considerabledeferencemustbeaccordedthosecircumstancesonreview.Humphreyv.DavidWitherspoon,Inc.,734S.W.2d315(Tenn.1987).Whenmedicaltestimonydiffers,itiswithinthediscretionofthetrialjudgetodeterminewhichexperttestimonytoaccept.Hinsonv.WalMartStores,Inc.,654S.W.2d675(Tenn.1983).  Fromourindependentexaminationoftheevidence,wearenotpersuadedthetrialjudgeabusedhisdiscretionbyacceptingthemedicaltestimonyofDr.Barnett,underthecircumstancesofthecase.Moreover,wecannotsaytheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialcourt'sfindingthattheclaimantsufferedanewinjurybyaccidentonJune20,1994,asclaimed.  Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaccordinglyaffirmed.CostsonappealaretaxedtoTFE,Incorporatedanditsinsurer. *b   ` ` X_______________________________   ӀJoeC.Loser,Jr.,Judge   ` XCONCUR:_________________________________LyleReid,AssociateJustice_________________________________LeonardWatsonMartin,Judge, ` @ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ ATJACKSONX#` pX^ X#DAVIDDAVISON,   ) HARDINCIRCUIT#` p` ^ X# ) NO.2241 ` p` ^xX  Plaintiff/Appellee, ) #` p` ^ X#  ) Hon.C.CreedMcGinley,vs.  ) Judge  )TFE,INCORPORATED, ) NO.02S019609CV00078CONTINENTALINSURANCECOMPANY )andLARRYBRINTON,DIRECTOR,DIVISION )OFWORKERS'COMPENSATION, )TENNESSEE,DEPARTMENTOFLABOR, )J).;+'b|`  `@J  ) Defendants/Appellants. ) AFFIRMED.@ JUDGMENTORDERX  ` p`  X ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. CostswillbepaidbyTFE,Incorporatedanditsinsurer,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. ITISSOORDEREDthis17thdayofApril,1997.        PERCURIAM(Reid,J.,notparticipating)