WPC fMcOVzW0Js6{7b5G ub z+ xnuank3=dUeWQgD]'W鉞%wBm(D;=ӽðRƹ B^>쯌jð,CD4mbCZ.GkM4D6C!,聀H X(1DD) ;hiI Af|PE9jds4VHm0cPRBo>zBˢ=Yp3J/]#5]Ҹ SƆ+Ļqo'ga9XIHt R:agY,*b>ħzK@{fJį}wpGp?ld? + WcDS%CL2kvNUѺc<+"Z#?qRNv%(ULGkb %\U @b 0UN*U"Nx^ w zP 4" 6 E mG ^ $   v N~ # EACCCC 0DYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYb 0 B  0 D3Q D- 0K ASO 0 0D A(hH  Z(Times New Roman (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular(9 Z6Times New Roman Regular|+s  C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt^p+Cԍ3|xULevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5 HP LaserJet 8000 Series PS0  0(#$  0  - -(|G2$ !.8dd d 8         0  Xr4X d(|3$ !.8dd d 8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3$ !.8dd d 8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8|d d8     _m}8nXXdd 8  hm}@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL & @@ATNASHVILLE#m}h# L July26,2001Session "r X2Xm} #m}XX2#_EMMETT_ԀEARLFALCONv._GAYLORD_ԀENTERTAINMENTCOMPANY,  p etalX2Xm}  4  @@ DirectAppealfromtheCircuitCourtforDavidsonCounty 4  @@No.98C2436CarolL._Soloman_,Judge  p  @@*AV) ` dE<` A 4  No.M200002948_WC_ԄR3CVMailedSeptember6,2001 /  #m}XX2#X2Xm}FiledDecember4,2001  AV) ` dE<` A       X2XXX2ThisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkersCompensation  AppealsPanelinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingof  findingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Inthiscase,theemployercontends(1)thetrialcourterred v inconcludingthattheLastInjuriousExposureRuleappliedtothefactsofthiscaseand(2)thetrial b courterredinfindingtheemployeewasnotbarredfromrecoverybecauseofamisrepresentationin N theemploymentapplicationprocess.Inthiscase,theemployeehadtwosuccessiveemployers.The : trialcourtfoundthattheemployeedevelopedsymptomsofbilateralcarpaltunnelsyndromewhile &v heworkedforthefirstemployerbutthattheemployeesconditionwasaggravatedfromhiswork b forthesecondemployer.WeagreewiththetrialcourtthattheLastInjuriousExposureRuleapplies N tothiscase.Asdiscussedherein,thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed. : #X2XXX2##m}XX2#X2Xm}   Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2000)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourt   Affirmed  !      JoeC.Loser,Jr.,Sp.J.#m}X2 #X2X.m},deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichFrankF._Drowota_,III,J.,and r#" HamiltonV._Gayden_,Jr.,Sp.J.,joined. ^$# ByronDavis,Jr.andM.Scot_Ogan_,Nashville,Tennessee,fortheappellant,WalMartStores,Inc. 6&!% RichardK.Smith,Nashville,Tennessee,fortheappellee,_Gaylord_ԀEntertainmentCompany. (^#' SteveC.Norris,Nashville,Tennessee,fortheappellee,_Emmett_ԀEarlFalcon. )6%)    MEMORANDUMOPINION #m}XX2 #X2Xm} +'+   #m}XX2#X2Xm}X2XXX2  Theemployeeorclaimant,_Emmett_ԀEarlFalcon,isfortynineyearsofage.Hislimited -(- _collegeeducationpertainedspecificallytoairplanemechanicswhichrequiresextensiveuseofthe  hands.FromJuneof1994toJanuary9,1998,theclaimantwasemployedasanoilerengineeron  rivertaxisforGaylordEntertainmentCompany.WhileemployedwithGaylord,theclaimantbegan  experiencingtinglingandnumbnessinhisrightarm.OnMay22,1996,Dr.JamesWolfe,a t neurologist,diagnosedtheclaimantwithamildgeneralizedperipheralneuropathy.Dr.Wolfe ` concludedthathecouldnotexcludethepossibilityofmildleftcarpaltunnelsyndrome.#X2XXX2|#X2XXX2OnJanuary L  13,1998,fourdaysfollowingtheendofhisemploymentwithGaylord,theclaimantwasdiagnosed 8  withmildtomoderatebilateralcarpaltunnelsyndromebyDr.RichardRubinowicz,aneurologist. $ t   OnMarch2,1998,theclaimantbeganworkingattheemployerappellant,WalMartStores,  8  Inc.AtWalMart,theclaimantworkedasafloormaintenanceattendantusingvibratingfloor $  cleaningmachines,specificallybutanebuffers.Attimes,hewasrequiredtousethebuffersfor   periodsaslongasfourtofivehours.Theclaimantbeganwearinghandbracesinanattemptto   alleviatetheincreasedpainofhiscarpaltunnelcondition.HealsotookunscheduledbreaksatWal   Martto resthishandsandrelievethepain.TheclaimantwasterminatedfromhisjobatWalMart   onApril28. p   Dr.ThomasE.Tompkins,anorthopedicsurgeon,performedcarpaltunnelreleasesurgery H ontheclaimantshands;hislefthandonAugust12,1998,andhisrighthandonSeptember2,1998. 4 OnOctober23,1998,Dr.Tompkinsestimatedafivepercentpermanentimpairmentineachhand.  p Dr.Tompkinsreleasedtheclaimantfrommedicaltreatmentwithinstructionstoavoidrepetitive  \ forcefulgrippingforthreemonths. H   OnFebruary23,1999,Dr.DavidW.Gaw,anorthopedicsurgeon,assignedatenpercent   partialpermanentimpairmenttoeacharm,constitutingtwelvepercenttothebodyasawhole.Dr.   GawsaidthatthecarpaltunnelsyndromewascausedbytheclaimantsjobatGaylord.However,  heacknowledgedthatiftheclaimantssymptomsworsenedatWalMart,thenthatwouldbe  evidenceofanactualaggravationofthecondition.Dr.Gawrecommendedthattheclaimantavoid  continuousgripping,squeezingorconstantmanipulationwithhishands. l   DuringtheapplicationprocessatWalMart,theclaimantindicatedthathewouldbeableto D! performthephysicalfunctionsofthejob,includingrepetitivehandgraspingandfirmhandgripping. 0"  WalMartdidnotinquireabouttheclaimantsphysicalcondition. #l!   Fromtheabovesummarizedevidence,thetrialcourtfoundthattheclaimantscarpaltunnel $D # syndromewasaggravatedbyhisemploymentatWalMartanddismissedtheclaimagainstGaylord. %0!$ Thetrialcourtawardedmedicalanddisabilitybenefitsagainstthesecondemployer,WalMart#X2XXX2#X2XXX2. &"%   Whenanemployeebecomesdisabledasaresultofanoccupationaldisease,theemployerfor (#' whomtheemployeewasworkingwhenhewaslastinjuriouslyexposedtothehazardsofthedisease )$( isresponsibleforpaymentofcompensationbenefits.Tenn.CodeAnn.506304.Asimilarrule |*%) applieswhenaworkersufferstwoormoredisablinginjuriesbyaccidentwhileworkingfor_different h+&* employees.Baxterv.Smith,364S.W.2d936,943(Tenn.1962).#X2XXX2#Whereaconditiondevelops  graduallyoveraperiodoftimeresultinginadefinite,workconnected,unexpected,fortuitousinjury,  itiscompensableasaninjurybyaccident.X2XXX2#m}XX2]#X2Xm}ԀSee#X2XXX2 "#BrownShoeCo.v.Reed,209Tenn.106,350  S.W.2d65(1961).#m}XX2O"#X2Xm}X2XXX2ԀAgraduallyoccurringinjurysuchastheonesufferedbyMr.Falcon,normally t resultsfromrepetitivetrauma,justasanoccupationaldiseaseresultsfromrepetitiveexposuretothe ` hazardsofthedisease.Wethereforeholdthelastinjuriousexposureruleapplicabletogradually L  occurringinjuries,asthetrialcourtconcluded.Theclaimantsinjuryisthuscompensableasan 8  injurybyaccidentandtheemployerforwhomhewasworkingatthetimehewaslastinjuriously $ t exposedtorepetitivetraumaisliableforcompensationbenefitsundertheWorkersCompensation  ` Law.  L    ThetrialcourtaccreditedDr._Gaw_sopinionthattheclaimantsworkactivitiesatWalMart $  advancedorresultedinactualprogressionofhiscarpaltunnelsyndromeorthattheclaimants   conditionwasaggravatedbyhisworkatWalMart#X2XXX24##X2XXX2Ԁeventhoughhebeganexperiencingdifficulty   withhishandswhileemployedat_Gaylord_.Wecannotsaythepreponderanceoftheevidenceis   otherwise.   #X2XXX2'#X2XXX2#m}XX2##X2Xm}  Afalsestatementinanemployeesapplicationforemploymentwillbarrecoveryofworkers \ compensationbenefitsifallthreeofthefollowingelementsexist:first,theemployeemusthave H knowinglyandwillfullymadeafalserepresentationastohisphysicalcondition;second,the 4 employermusthaverelieduponthefalserepresentationandsuchreliancemusthavebeena  p substantialfactorinthehiring;andthird,theremusthavebeenacausalconnectionbetweenthefalse  \ representationandtheinjury.Banev.DanielConstructionCo.,793S.W.2d256,258(Tenn.1990). H   #X2XXX2(#X2XXX2  Theevidencealsofailstopreponderateagainstthetrialcourtsfindingthattheclaimantdid   notintentionallyorwillfullymakeafalserepresentationastohisphysicalcondition.WalMartdid   notasktheclaimantifhehadcarpaltunnelsyndromeoranyothermedicalcondition.Theclaimant  saidthathewasnotawareatthetimeofapplicationthathewouldnotbeabletoperformtheduties  ofafloormaintenanceattendant.    Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaccordinglyaffirmed.Costsaretaxedtotheemployer, X  WalMartStores,Inc.#X2XXX22,##m}XX2)#X2Xm} D!    `     h     ___________________________________ #l!    `     h     JOEC.LOSER,JR.  $X" m}XX2@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @$ATNASHVILLE  #X2Xm}0# m}XX2  _EMMETT_ԀEARLFALCONv._GAYLORD_ԀENTERTAINMENT  COMPANY,#X2Xm}N1#ETAL.  $ m1@   CircuitCourtforDavidsonCounty  $ @$No.98C2436   @*AV) ` dE<` A߈   @< < No.M200002948SCWCMCVDecember4,2001   AV) ` dE<V` A W   @( ORDER  R    ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtuponmotionforreviewfiledonbehalfofWalMartStores,Inc., f pursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(5)(B),theentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferral R totheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsetting > forthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; *   Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthemotionforreviewisnotwelltakenandshould  bedenied;and    Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadopted v andaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. b   CostswillbepaidbyWalMartStores,Inc.,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. :   ITISSOORDERED. !b     `     h     PER_CURIAM_