WPC HUm&Q>-!8ѾH>mźd21PW+v?%}G3.}\{`2,Sk+qu.*jxA` `@E'` 8ttxP_ A tSPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL r )<,(j 8` `@EF ` 8ttxP~  r r )<,(j 8` `@EF ` 8ttxP~  rATNASHVILLE(July20,1998)  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?WILLIEGOOCH, h      p ) p DAVIDSONCHANCERY    `     h     ) ` PlaintiffAppellant     p )    `     h     )v. `     h     ) p Hon.EllenHobbsLyle, 4  `     h     ) p Chancellor J McKINNONBRIDGECOMPANY,  ) `  `     h     ) p No.01S019708CH00169 &v  ` DefendantAppellee    ) p  < ForAppellant:   h      p ForAppellee: & MichaelL.Weinman h      p JamesH.Tucker,Jr. "R Tatum,Tatum&Weinman     p Manier&Herod #h Henderson,Tennessee h      p Nashville,Tennessee .$~   <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION *&# MembersofPanel:  0p+( BenCantrell,SpecialJusticeWilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge t )>.*jx` `@E4` 8ttxP'3 t ! :L62 !  ?+ ` hp x (#` X?AFFIRMED   h      p      x Loser,Judge :L623   <( ` hp x (#X<MEMORANDUMOPINION    ?+ ` hp x (#` X? ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Theissueonappealiswhetherthedenialoftheemployee'smotiontosetasidetheworkers'compensationsettlementwasanabuseofdiscretion.Asdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedthetrialcourtdidnoterrandthatthetrialcourt'sactionshouldbeaffirmed. ` Theemployee,Mr.WillieGooch,amanuallaborer,injuredbothhandsonMarch14,1995duringthecourseandwithinthescopeofhisemploymentforMcKinnonBridgeCompany.Dr.FredTorstrickhadassignedthefollowingimpairmentratings:eightpercenttotheleftindexfinger,twentyninepercenttotheleftlongfinger,twentyninepercenttotheleftringfinger,twelvepercenttotheleftsmallfinger,fifteenpercenttotherightindexfinger,fifteenpercenttotherightlongfinger,andtwelvepercenttotherightringfinger. ` Mr.ToddSmith,arepresentativefortheinsuranceadjustingagency,advisedMr.Goochofthetreatingphysician'sdisabilityratingsandofferedhimasettlementbasedonthoseratings.However,thesettlementeliminatedanyfuturemedicalbenefitsfortheinjury.Mr.Smith,admittedly,didnotreadthedocumentstoMr.Gooch,whocannotreadandcanbarelywritehisname.Thesettlementproposedalumpsumpaymentinthesumof$11,962.19,inadditiontomedicalexpensesalreadypaidtotaling$2,766.01. ` Mr.JamesTucker,attorneyforMcKinnonBridgeCompany,testifiedthathepersonallycalledMr.Goochandexplainedthesettlement,includingtheomissionofanyfuturemedicalexpensesandthesettlement'sfinality.Mr.TuckerandMr.Goochmetandwentovertheprepareddocuments,whichMr.Goochthensigned.Mr.TuckertestifiedthathedidnotreadthedocumentstoMr.Goochverbatimbutthathedidcoverthesubstanceofthematerialportionsinquestion. ` OnOctober31,1996,McKinnonBridgeCompanyandtheinjuredemployeefiledaPetitionforApprovalofFinalSettlementintheChanceryCourtofDavidsonCounty.Mr.Goochwasnotrepresentedbycounsel.Ahearingwasheldthatsameday.ThechancellorrepeatedlytoldMr.Goochhewouldlikelyreceivemoremoneyifhetookhiscasetotrial.ThechancellorfurtherinformedMr.Goochthathecertainlywouldbeawardedfuturemedicalbenefitsiftakentotrial.Moreover,thechancelloradvisedMr.Goochthathewasentitledtohireanattorney. ` Despitetheinformationprovidedbytheinsuranceadjuster,thedefendant'sattorney,aswellasthechancellor,Mr.Goochstillexpressedadesiretosettlethematter.Thus,thechancellorenteredanOrderApprovingtheSettlement,afterfindingthesettlementtobeintheemployee'sbestinterest. ` Onhisdrivehomefromthecourthouse,Mr.Goochconcludedhehad 8 40 madeamistake.Hehiredanattorney,who,onNovember8,1996,filedatimelyMotiontoSetAsideTheOrderApprovingtheWorkers'CompensationSettlement,groundedonhislackofsophisticationandilliteracy,andthathehadchangedhismindafterconsideringwhathehadbeentoldbythejudgeandrepresentativesoftheemployer,asreflectedbyaffidavitsfromMr.Goochandhiswife.Afterahearing,thechancellorfiledexhaustivefindingsandconclusionsdisallowingthemotionandreiteratingherearlierfindingthatthesettlementwasintheemployee'sbestinterest.Wefindintherecordnoevidencetheemployeeretainsagreaterdisabilitythanthatforwhichhehasbeencompensated. { `  Althoughclaimsundertheworkers'compensationlawmaybesettledbetweenoramongtheinterestedparties,suchsettlementsarenotbindingoneitherpartyunlessreducedtowritingandapprovedbythejudgeofacircuit,chanceryorcriminalcourtofthecountywheretheclaimforcompensationisentitledtobemade.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506206.Anagreementwhichlackssuchapprovalisnotbindingoneitherparty.Grossv.NationalHealth 1 Enterprises,Inc.,582S.W.2d379(Tenn.1979).Thecostoftheproceedingis G bornebytheemployer,whomustalsoforwardcertifiedcopiesofthesettlementpaperstothedivisionofworkers'compensationofthedepartmentoflaborwithintendaysafterentryofjudgment.Withinthirty(30)daysafterreceiptofsuchpapersbythedivisionofworkers'compensation,theapprovingtrialjudgemay,intheexerciseofdiscretion,vacatethesettlementupontheapplicationoftheemployeeorthesuperintendentofthedivisionofworkers'compensationinhisbehalf,ifitismadetoappearthatthesettlementfailedtosecuretotheinjuredemployee,inasubstantialmanner,thebenefitsprovidedbylaw.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506206. ` { ` Byenteringintolumpsumsettlements,bothpartiesrunariskofinjury.Theemployeerunstheriskthathisdisabilitymayincreaseinthefutureandtheemployerrunstheriskthatthedisabilityoftheemployeemaydecreaseinthefuture,butbothpartiesareboundandforeclosedbytheentryofavalidjudgmentapprovingalumpsumsettlement.Corbyv.Matthews,541S.W.2d )b$" 789(Tenn.1976). ` Underthecircumstancesofthiscase,wherethechancellorhasfound,afteracarefulexaminationofthefacts,thatthesettlementwasinthebestinterestoftheemployee,wecannotsaysheabusedherdiscretioninrefusingtovacateit.Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Costsonappealaretaxedtoplaintiffappellant. `     h     ___________________________ `     h     JoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudgeCONCUR:___________________________   6j1. BenH.Cantrell,SpecialJustice___________________________ \941 WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge  XhXXvXXXh  , 8TR[A' Legal[A'A' LegalA' LegalT##@bbINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  ###t )>.*jxk` `@E@` 8ttxPxh4 t#@NN)ATNASHVILLE##"r )<,(j 8` `@E` 8ttxP  r"#"r )<,(j 8` `@E` 8ttxP  r"#WILLIEGOOCH,   h     } p DAVIDSONCHANCERY  (  `     h     } p No.963428IIIBelow    ` Plaintiff/Appellant    }    `     h     } p Hon.EllenHobbsLyle l   vs. `     h     } p Chancellor H    `     h     }McKINNONBRIDGECOMPANY    } p No.01S019708CH00169 P   `     h     } ` Defendant/Appellee    } p AFFIRMED   @(JUDGMENTORDER `  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. `  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and `  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. XX `  CostswillbepaidbyPlaintiff/AppellantandSurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. `  ITISSOORDEREDon"*US , US , *October12,1998. `     h      p PERCURIAM