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(    H \RA'\)#++Xd##++Xd#        X @ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEEWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELٜR01/A1-j|` 81 `@RߛKNOXVILLE,MARCH1998SESSION   WILLIAMFLETCHER   ) ROANECHANCERY      )  Plaintiff/Appellee   )       )V.      )       ) WAUSAUINSURANCECOMPANY ) Hon.FrankV.Williams,      ) Chancellor Defendant/Appellant  )       ) NATIONALSURETYCORPORATION )andTANKNOLOGYCORPORATION )INTERNATIONAL    )      ) Defendants/Appellees  )   NO.03S019708CH00096 FortheAppellant:     FortheAppellees: RobertR.Davies     JohnD.AgeeStokes,Fansler&Williams   Cooley,Cooley&AgeeOneCentreSquare,Suite200   155EastRaceStreet620MarketStreet     P.O.Box730P.O.Box2644     Kingston,Tenn.37763Knoxville,Tenn.37901       DavidE.Smith       Hodges,Doughty&Carson       617WestMainStreet       P.O.Box869       Knoxville,Tenn.379010869  MEMORANDUMOPINION MembersofPanel: AdolphoA.Birch,Jr.,JusticeWilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudgeRogerE.Thayer,SpecialJudge  AFFIRMED.       THAYER,SpecialJudge Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. Thetrialcourtawardedplaintiff,WilliamFletcher,20%permanentpartialdisabilitytothebodyasawholeandotherstatutorybenefitsagainstdefendant,WausauInsuranceCompany,anddefendantemployer,TanknologyCorporationInternational.Theclaimwasdismissedastodefendant,NationalSuretyCorporation,andtherehasbeennoappealfromtheorderofdismissal. DefendantWausauhasappealedinsisting(1)itwasnottheemployersinsurerinTennesseeandthereforenotsubjecttobeingsuedinTennessee,(2)thatT.C.A.506115hasnoapplicationtothecaseasplaintiffscontractforhirewasnotmadeinTennesseenorwastheemploymentprincipallylocalizedwithinTennessee,and(3)theactioninTennesseeshouldbebarredunderthedoctrineofelectionofremedies. PlaintiffbeganemploymentwithTanknologyduringJanuary1990asaresultofacontractforhireinTexas.Hewasemployedasatesterandtraveledwithamobilizedunitconductingtestsonundergroundstoragetanksformajoroilcompanies.HewasassignedtothesoutheastregionandthisterritorycoveredsevenstatesincludingTennessee.Hetestifiedhetraveledinhisworkaboutseventyfivepercentofthetimeandhespentabout30%ofhistimeworkinginTennessee. OnMarch26,1991,hesustainedabackinjurywhileworkinginAsheville,NorthCarolina.HesawDr.RickLongieonMarch28,1991inChattanooga,Tennessee.HelaterwastreatedbyDr.AlvinSpuntinHarriman,Tennessee,becauseDr.SpuntwasclosertohisresidenceinKingston,Tennessee,whereheandhisfamilywereliving. Dr.Longie,achiropractor,testifiedbydepositionandstatedhisofficereceivedpermissionfromplaintiffsemployerinHouston,TexastotreatplaintiffandthatWausauInsuranceCompany,Houston,Texas,wasidentifiedastheemployersworkerscompensationinsurancecarrier.HeforwardedclaimstotheinsurancecompanyandwaspaidcertainbenefitsbyWausauonplaintiffsaccount.Histotalbillwas$1645. Dr.Spunt,alsoachiropractor,firstsawplaintiffonApril12,1991.HistestimonywasbydepositionandhestatedhehadreceivedpermissiontotreatplaintifffromboththeemployerandWausauInsuranceCompany.Histotalbillwas$5300andabalanceof$1420existedwhenthedepositionwastaken.HetestifiedWausauhadmadecertainpaymentsontheaccount.Atonepoint,WausaudisputedcertainchargesandthedoctorsofficehadtofilloutsomeformswhichweremailedtotheTexasWorkersCompensationBoard. Inawardingbenefitstoplaintiff,thetrialcourtfoundplaintiffwasaresidentofTennessee;hisinjuryoccurredoutofstateinNorthCarolina;thatplaintiffsemploymentwas principallylocalizedwithinTennessee;thatthedoctrineofelectionofremediesdidnotbartheactionasplaintiffhadmadenochoiceorelectionofremediesbutmerelyreceivedbenefitsfromWausaubypaymentofcertainmedicalexpenses;andthattheemployer,Tanknology,identifiedWausauastheworkerscompensationinsurancecarrier,ithadpaidbenefitsonplaintiffsbehalfandshouldnotnowbeheardtodenyresponsibilityforbenefitsinthepresentaction. Thecaseistobereviewedonappealdenovoaccompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindingsoffactunlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.T.C.A.506225(e)(2). WausauInsuranceCompanyarguesthatitmerelyprovidedcompensationbenefitsunderTexasworkerscompensationinsurancelawsandthatplaintifffailedtoestablishthatitprovidedcompensationcoverageforclaimsinTennessee.Wedonotfindtheburdenofproofrestsontheemployeeinthisrespect.Whilethegeneralburdenofproofisontheemployeetoestablishtheessentialelementsofaclaim,weareoftheopinionanemployerand/orinsurerhastheburdenofprooftoestablishfactswhichtheemployerorinsurerclaimsasabartothecompensationclaim.SeeLunsfordv.A.C.LawrenceLeatherCo.,225S.W.2d66(Tenn.1949). WausaudidnotofferanyevidencetoestablishitdidnotinsureclaimsinTennessee.TheonlywitnesstotestifyotherthanplaintiffandthetwochiropractorswasaninsuranceadjusterwithemploymentconnectionsfordefendantNationalSuretyCorporation.ThewitnessadmittedshehadnoknowledgewhetherWausauprovidedworkerscompensationinsurancecoverageforclaimsinTennessee.Whileourfindingsmaydifferinsomerespectfromthetrialcourtsreasonsfornotdismissingthecaseonthisissue,theevidencedoesnotpreponderateagainstthetrialcourtsultimateconclusion. WausaucontendsthatT.C.A.506115hasnoapplicationtothefactsofthecase.Thisstatuteprovidesanemployeemayreceivebenefitsunderourworkerscompensationstatuteswhentheemployeeisinjuredinanotherstateif(1)theemploymentwasprincipallylocalizedwithinTennesseeor(2)thecontractforhirewasmadeinTennessee.PlaintiffscontractofhirewasinTexas.Theevidenceindicatedplaintiffwastravelinginhisemploymentthroughoutsevenstatesmostofthetime.ThetrialcourtfoundhisemploymentinTennesseewasabout30%ofhistotalworktimeandwassufficienttoconstitutebeing principallylocalizedunderourextraterritorialstatute.Wedonotfindtheevidencepreponderatesagainstthisconclusion. Lastly,Wausauarguestheclaimshouldbebarredbythedoctrineofelectionofremedies.Wedonotagreewiththisinsistence.Plaintiffwasneverinapositiontomakeaninformedchoicebetweentworemedies.Heonlybenefitedbyhavingaportionofhismedicalexpensespaidasaresultofhismedicalproviderscontactinghisemployerandinsurancecompanyforpermissiontotreat.Thisisnotsufficienttoinvokethedoctrineinbaroftheclaim.SeeHalev.CommercialUnionAssur.Cos.637S.W.2d865(Tenn.1982)andHalev.Fraleys,Inc.,825S.W.2d690(Tenn.1992). Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.CostsoftheappealaretaxedtoWausauInsuranceCompany. %        ___________________________________      RogerE.Thayer,SpecialJudgeCONCUR:________________________________AdolphoA.Birch,Jr.,Justice________________________________WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge   H  INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEEJ02;+'b|` 81 `@J         ATKNOXVILLE    H         S  H  WILLIAMFLETCHER.,   )ROANECHANCERY         )      Plaintiff/Appellee,    )No.12,620̀  )vs.      )            )HonFrankV.Williams,       )ChancellorWAUSAUINSURANCECOMPANY, )            )No.03S019708CH00096 Defendant/Appellant.  )      )NATIONALSURETYCORPORATION )andTANKNOLOGYCORPORATION )INTERNATIONAL    )      ) Defendants/Appellees.  )̀            JUDGMENTORDER    f  ` X XThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkersCompensationPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference;  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadetheJudgmentoftheCourt.    H  CostsonappealaretaxedtoWausauInsuranceCompanyandRobertR.Davies,surety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.06/18/98̀