WPC# 7U3B %TU.Zr 0 0C 0Jn$ 0 r E 0TE  0^ 0h 0r_ 0| w@M4 0 0' 1u 0d, AQ 0 0@5 0Du D/ B B D3"UB)nDC AM<'cf?9v~xv\  `*Times New RomanTT"AArialTT'    0 .   (e2$ ?!XXXhXXX   ($    2 0Indent123  3|x\  `*Times New RomanTTC\  P6QP"AArialTTomanTTXXaptQXp\  `*Times New RomanTT^\  P6QP\  `*Times New RomanTTXXP\  P6QXP\  `*Times New RomanTT6\  P6QP\  `*Times New RomanTT,,)\  P6Q,P\  `*Times New RomanTTRAn\  P6QRP(J?$XXXhXXX  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  Ӏ  D DDDVDeH#a2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23    ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X!"#$&C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(f3\q$ ?!XXXhXXX   ("$    ($$   1  ((' dxd dP Pd'''''dxd  !X     8    ` ` X    @      A     ` X% Line 7 d----7Border 1dd!#.C << G 2 !  X   ""     YYY FILEDXDecember2,1997CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk   u ! X     8  ` X  R    XԀ 506110.InjuriesnotcoveredDrugandalcoholtesting. (a)Nocompensationshallbeallowedforaninjuryordeathduetotheemployee'swillfulmisconductorintentionalselfinflictedinjury,orduetointoxicationorillegaldrugs,orwillfulfailureorrefusaltouseasafetyapplianceorperformadutyrequiredbylaw.  ! X     8    ` XR        XԀ(b)Iftheemployerdefendsonthegroundthattheinjuryaroseinanyoralloftheabovestatedways,theburdenofproofshallbeontheemployertoestablishsuchdefense. \\RA'\ 5 ! X   ""     YYY FILEDXDecember2,1997CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk  PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ion-F Geneva  ion-F Geneva ! . X     8 ,         ` ` X\RA'\&   INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEESPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL!R/0.A1-j|9`  `@RATNASHVILLE(September25,1997Session)   ` XFAYETTETUBULARPRODUCTS)INC.andNATIONALUNIONFIREԀԀ)INSURANCECOMPANY,)OVERTONCHANCERỲXԀԀ)̀PlaintiffsAppellants,)Hon.VernonNeal,̀ԀԀ,ԀԀ)Chancellor.v.XԀԀԀԀ)̀ԀԀԀԀ)No.01S019704CH00091ANTHONYS.BELLI,)̀ԀԀXԀԀ)̀DefendantAppellee.,ԀԀ)ForAppellants:ForAppellee:JerryW.CarnesS.RogerYorkJoelT.Galanter,ԀԀYork,Bilbrey&DavisStewart,Estes&DonnellCrossville,TennesseeNashville,Tennessee   ` ` XMEMORANDUMOPINIONMembersofPanel:'  LyleReid,AssociateJustice,SupremeCourtWilliamS.Russell,SpecialJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge   ` X   ` ` X   ` XAFFIRMEDandREMANDEDLoser,Judge     ` ` XMEMORANDUMOPINION rA   ` X  Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Theemployeranditsinsurercontendtheclaimshouldbedisallowedbecausetheemployeeengagedinwillfulmisconductorwillfullyfailedtouseasafetyappliance.Asdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed.  Atthetimeofhisinjury,theemployeeorclaimant,Belli,wasworkingonabender,amachinedesignedtobendandcontourparts.Themachinewasequippedwithalightcurtain,whichisasafetydevicedesignedtopreventthemachinefromoperatingifthebeamoflightisbroken.  Whenthemachinedidnotworkproperly,theclaimantreachedoverthelightbeamtopresstheresetbutton.Heinadvertentlypressedthewrongbuttonandhishandbecamecaughtinthemachine,injuringhim.  Thechancellorfoundtheclaimtobecompensable.Appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(2).Wherethetrialjudgehasseenandheardthewitnesses,considerabledeferencemustbeaccordedthosecircumstancesonreview.McCalebv.SaturnCorp.,910S.W.2d412(Tenn.1995).  Anemployermayrefusetopaycompensationbenefitsforaninjuryresultingfromaclaimant'swillfulorintentionalmisconductorselfinflictedinjury,orbecauseofintoxicationorwillfulfailuretouseasafetyapplianceorperformadutyrequiredbylaw.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506110(a).     - u`  1   ׀Theburdenofprooftoestablishsuchdefense(s)isontheemployer.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506110(b). 2     Thedefenseofwillfulmisconductisgenerallylimitedtodeliberateandintentionalviolationsofknownregulations.SeeLarson,Workmen'sCompensationLaw(1979)section32.Theessentialelementsofthedefenseare(1)anintentiontodotheact,(2)purposefulviolationofordersand(3)anelementofperverseness.Rogersv.KrogerCo.,832S.W.2d538(Tenn.1992).  Whenanemployeeisperformingthedutiesassignedtohimbyhisemploymentcontractandisactinginfurtheranceofhisemployer'sinterests,regardlessofthefactthatheperformsthosedutiesinanunnecessarilydangerousorrashmanner,itcannotbesaidthathisresultinginjuriesdidnotariseoutofhisemployment,providedhisconductcouldbereasonablyanticipated.Wrightv.GuntherNashMiningConstructionCo.,614S.W.2d796(Tenn.1981).Disobedienceofaruleisnotwillfulmisconductwheretheruleishabituallydisregardedwiththeknowledgeandacquiescenceoftheemployer.Bryanv.ParamountPackagingCorp.,677S.W.2d453(Tenn.1984).Merenegligenceonthepartofanemployeewillnotdefeathisrighttorecovery.Loyv.NorthBros.Co.,787S.W.2d916(Tenn.1990).  Thereisevidenceintherecord,acceptedbythechancellor,thattheclaimanthadbeeninstructedonatleastonepreviousoccasiontobypassthelightbeamandhittheresetbuttontoimprovetheperformanceofthemachine,anditisimplicitintherecordthattheclaimantwasactinginfurtheranceoftheinterestsoftheemployerwhentheaccidentoccurred.Fromourdeliberateconsiderationoftherecord,theevidencefailstopreponderateagainstthechancellor'sfindingthattheinjuryaroseoutofandinthecourseoftheemployment.  ThejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmedandthecauseremandedtotheChanceryCourtforOvertonCounty.Costsaretaxedtotheplaintiffsappellants. *b   ` ` X_______________________________   ӀJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge   ` XCONCUR:________________________________LyleReid,AssociateJustice_________________________________WilliamS.Russell,SeniorJudge3    J/4;+'b|`  `@J@ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ ATNASHVILLEFAYETTETUBULARPRODUCTS, } OVERTONCHANCERYINC.andNATIONALUNIONFIRE } No.16395BelowINSURANCECOMPANY,  }       }  Plaintiffs/Appellants  }      } Hon.VernonNeal,vs.      } Chancellor      }ANTHONYS.BELLI,   } No.01S019704CH00091      } Defendant/Appellee  } AFFIRMEDANDREMANDED.@ JUDGMENTORDER  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference.  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. ` ` X  CostswillbepaidbyFayetteTubularProducts,Inc.andNationalUnionFireInsuranceCompanyandtheirSurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.  ITISSOORDEREDonDecember2,1997.       PERCURIAM