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HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TXXXX7XXdd7  ("$    ($$   1  ''' dxd dP Pd&&&&'dxd<  9p`(Arial% Line 7 d----7Border 1dd ".C << G  !  #d#,    H \RA'\#d#  !"  ,   YYY FILED,X March25,1998CecilCrowson,Jr.,AppellateCourtClerk   !#d#,    H \RA'\#d#  !"  ,   YYY FILED,X March26,1998CecilCrowson,Jr.,AppellateCourtClerk PtPtHH(EG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ion-F Geneva  ion-F Geneva ! . ,    H \RA'\#Xd##Xd#     R/0.A1-j|` . `@Rߛ @ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL@ ATJACKSON   ROBERTE.EDWARDS,   ) LAUDERDALECHANCERY      )  Plaintiff/Appellee   ) NO.02S019703CH00022      ) v.      ) HON.JOHNHILLCHISOLM,      ) CHANCELLORANDERSONHICKEYCOMPANY, )      ) Defendant/Appellant  ) FortheAppellant:    FortheAppellee: S.NewtonAnderson   RobertG.MillarThomasF.Preston    P.O.Box50780MonroeAvenue,Suite500  Dyersburg,TN380250507Memphis,TN38103   MEMORANDUMOPINIONMembersofPanel: JusticeJaniceHolderSeniorJudgeJohnK.ByersJudgeRobertL.Childers  ̜AFFIRMED       BYERS,SeniorJudge Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. Theemployee,RobertE.Edwards,fell14to18feettothegroundatwork,injuringhisrightankle.Thetrialcourtawarded95percentpermanentpartialdisabilitytotherightlowerextremity. Weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt. Theemployeeis65yearsoldwithahighschooleducationandworkexperienceingenerallaborandwelding.Hehasanonworkrelatedbelowthekneeamputationofhisleftleg. OnJuly7,1994,theemployeefellfromaforkliftadistanceofabout18feetandlandedonhisleftfoot,crushinghisrightankle. HewastreatedbyDr.CarlW.Huff,aboardcertifiedorthopedicsurgeonwhoisalsocertifiedbytheAmericanBoardofPreventiveMedicine,CertifiedOccupationalMedicine.Dr.HufffirstsawtheemployeeonJuly8,1994.Anxrayatthattimerevealedafractureofthecalcaneus.HeplacedMr.Edwardsinacastandonmodifiedweightbearing.InSeptember1994,heplacedthepatientinabrace.Duringthistime,Mr.Edwardsrequiredsignificantanalgesicsforpainandusedacanetohelpwithrelievingweightontheankleandforbalance.HedevelopedposttraumaticarthritisinthetalocalcanealjointoftherightfootasaresultoftheϜinjuryandnowhaslimitedmobilityandpainwithwalkingandweightbearing. Dr.HuffopinedthatplaintiffreachedmaximummedicalimprovementasofFebruary8,1995.Heassessedtenpercentanatomicimpairmenttothelowerextremity,withfunctionalimpairmentgreaterduetothebelowthekneeprosthesisontheotherleg.Heislimitedtostandingandwalkingaboutfourhoursaday,carryingobjectslighterthantento15pounds,andhecannotclimb.Hecangoupanddownstepsbutwouldhaveadecreasedabilityandmoreriskindoingso.Heiscapableofdoingfulltimelightwork,includingmachineoperation,lightlifting,orworkingwithhisupperextremitiesonly.Ajobthatwouldallowintermittentstanding,sitting,andwalkingwouldbefeasible. Mr.Edwardstestifiedthathehas neverknownadaysince[theaccident]thatithadnthurt.Hehastroublesleeping,thefootswells,andheisnotabletodohisformerjobsincetheinjury.Walkingmorethanthirtyminutescausespainandwalkingonroughsurfacescausessharppainormaycausehimtostaggerandfall. Ourreviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovoupontherecord,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefinding,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Stonev.CityofMcMinnville,896S.W.2d584(Tenn.1991). Where,asinthiscase,themedicaltestimonyispresentedbydeposition,thisCourtisabletomakeitsownindependentassessmentofthemedicalprooftodeterminewherethepreponderanceoftheevidencelies.Cooperv.INA,884S.W.2d446(Tenn.1994).OurreviewofthedepositionofDr.Huff,whichistheonlymedicalevidenceintherecord,revealsthatDr.HuffopinedMr.EdwardswasabletodofulltimelightworkasofNovember16,1994.However,Mr.Edwardstestifiedattrialthatwhenhereturnedtoworkafterhisinjuryhewasgivenworktodosittingdown,suchasmakingracksforthepaintdepartment.Afterworkingduringtheday,hehadpain likehavingaconstanttoothacheandhadtosoakhislegeverynight.Hewasgivenworkwithinhisrestrictions,includingridingatowmotortodifferentdepartmentstoseeifhecouldhelpsomebody.Hestatedthateventhoughhewasdoingworkwithinhisrestrictions,hefinallyquithisjobinFebruary1995.Whenaskedtoexplainwhy,hesaid:8 PartofitwasmyownpeaceofmindthatIwouldgotowork,butIwasntabletodomyjob.Somebodyelsehadtodoit....IdgohomeandIcouldntrest[dueto]pain,hurt. Hefurthertestifiedthathecouldonlystandorwalkfor30minuteswithouthavingpain,andthathewouldthenhavetorestfortenor15minutes.Hislegcontinuestoswellandhecontinuestohave anormaldayofhurting.Whenaskedwhetherhewas trainedforanysitdownjobsheanswered, Yeah.ImagoodTVswitcher.Thatsaboutall.  WefindnovocationalevidenceintherecordtosupporttheemployersassertionthatMr.Edwardshasanyeducation,experience,orskillstodofulltimelightwork. Inmakingdeterminations,thecourtshallconsiderallpertinentfactors,includinglayandexperttestimony,employeesage,education,skillsandtraining,localjobopportunities,andcapacitytoworkattypesofemploymentavailableinclaimantsdisabledcondition.Tenn.CodeAnn.506241(a)(1). Wehaveconsideredthesefactors,includingtheplaintiffsage,highschoolϜeducation,andworkexperience,allofwhichisinheavylabor. Wefindthepreponderanceoftheevidencesupportsthejudgmentofthetrialcourt,whichisaffirmed.Costsareassessedtotheemployer.      _________________________________      JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudgeCONCUR:________________________________JaniceHolder,Justice  ________________________________RobertL.Childers,Judge%  ` @ ,INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ ATJACKSON,X#` X^ X#ROBERTE.EDWARDS,  ) LAUDERDALECHANCERY#` ` ^ X# ) NO.9912#` ` ^ X# Plaintiff/Appellee, )   ) Hon.JohnHillChisolm,vs.  ) Chancellor  )J/1;+'b|@` . `@JANDERSONHICKEYCOMPANY, ) NO.02S019703CH00022  ) Defendant/Appellant. ) AFFIRMED.@ ,JUDGMENTORDER,X  ` p`  X ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. CostswillbepaidbyAppellant,andsurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. ITISSOORDEREDthis25thdayofMarch,1998.        PERCURIAM(Holder,J.,notparticipating)