WPCq 5# UN %O 0UU:P4 w@ 0? 0D: 0J~ 0T 0^ 0hz 0r 0|T 0 0V 1u 0d[ AQ  0D 0@ 0DZ B D/ B D3U>:U *xU*B)DC AM8Xv~ vHP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLh(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX(H=$  HTR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalTX_XXX7XXdXXd7,  AZ"Arial RegularWX$3|x,H s,Vt,u,v,w,x,y,z,{,|,Ӏ((3$ H=!  HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TXXXX7yXXdd7   `   0  (#$  0  2 0Indent123  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  2T 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(3$ !  ("$    ($$   1   d''' dxdP Pd$$$$'dxd<  9p`(&Times New Roman<  9p`(Arial<  9p`(Times% Line 7 d....7Border 1dd "/C << G  !  #d#+    H \RA'\,#d#  !"  ,   YYY FILED,X March3,1998CecilCrowson,Jr.,AppellateCourtClerk   !#d#+    H \RA'\,#d#  !"  ,   YYY FILED,X March3,1998CecilCrowson,Jr.,AppellateCourtClerk PtPtHH(EG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ion-F Geneva  ion-F Geneva ! . +    H \RA'\,#--Xd##--Xd#        X @ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL ٜR01/A1-j| ` 81 `@Rߛ@ ATJACKSON   JOHNW.GRAY,III,   )       )  Plaintiff/Appellee   ) SHELBYCHANCERY      ) v.      ) NO.02S019706CH00054      ) GRAYANDWILLIAMS,INC.and ) HON.NEALSMALL,THEST.PAUL,    ) CHANCELLOR      ) Defendants/Appellants  ) FortheAppellants:   FortheAppellee: BettyAnnMilligan    JamesD.Causey80MonroeAvenue,Suite500  DavidS.WalkerMemphis,TN38103   100NorthMainBuilding,Suite2400        Memphis,TN38103    MEMORANDUMOPINION MembersofPanel: JusticeJaniceHolderSeniorJudgeJohnK.ByersSeniorJudgeWilliamH.Inman%    AFFIRMED       BYERS,SeniorJudge   OPINION    Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. Reviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefinding,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Stonev.CityofMcMinnville,896S.W.2d548,550(Tenn.1995). Thetrialjudgeawardedtheplaintiff60percentpermanentpartialdisability. Thedefendantssaytheevidencepresentedattrialpreponderatesagainstthetrialcourtsawardof60percentpermanentpartialdisabilitytotheplaintiffsbodyasawholeasaresultofhisworkrelatedaccident. Weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt.  FACTS    Theplaintiff,age43atthetimeoftrial,graduatedfromhighschoolandattendedMemphisStateUniversityforonesemester.Fromageeightorten,theplaintiffworkedatJohnGray&SonMarket,hisfathersgrocerystore.Hisonlyotherworkexperiencewasonesummerofconstructionwork. In1990,theplaintiffpurchaseda51percentequityinterestintheMarketfromhisfather,andtheother49percentinterestwaspurchasedbyMichaelWilliams.TheplaintiffandWilliamsoperatedthegrocerystoreunderthenameGrayandWilliams,Inc. TheplaintifftestifiedthatheworkedintheMarketasabutcher,cookingandcuttingmeatalldaylongfrom4:00a.m.until8:00or10:00p.m.Inthiscapacity,theplaintiffconstantlyliftedboxesofmeatwhichweighedanaverageof100pounds.Theplaintifffurthertestifiedthathesackedgroceries,cleanedup,didalotofrestaurantbusiness,andgenerallydideverythingbutthebooksfortheMarket. OnMarch7,1995,theplaintiffinjuredhisbackwhenhewentintothemeatcoolerandreacheddowntopickupsomeribeyes.Theplaintifftestifiedthathecouldnotreachbackupandthatitfeltlikehepulledsomethinginhisback.Theplaintifftestifiedthathehadnobackproblemsorphysicallimitationspriortothisinjury. Asaresultofthisinjury,theplaintiffsawaseriesofdoctorsandeventuallyunderwentsurgeryforaherniateddiscinMay1995.Priortosurgery,theplaintiffstatedthathecouldnotgetoutofbed.Aftersurgery,theplaintifftestifiedthathefeltϜbetter,buthesaidhewasunabletocompletearehabilitationprogramduetotheseverepainandnauseaheexperiencedandbecausetheexercisesaggravatedhisbackproblems.Theplaintiffstillsuffersfrompaininhisneck,back,andlegs. TheplaintifftestifiedthathewasnotabletoreturntoworkattheMarketduetotheheavyliftingandconstantbendinghewasrequiredtodoasabutcher.BeforehisbacksurgeryinMay1995andpursuanttoaclauseinthePartnershipAgreement,theplaintiffsoldhisinterestintheMarkettoWilliams,whodidnotpaytheplaintiffanymoneyfortheinterestbutinsteadassumedalloftheliabilities.WilliamstestifiedthattheplaintiffwasnotabletoreturntotheMarketdoingthejobhewasdoingbeforetheinjury.AlthoughWilliamstestifiedthattheplaintiffcouldhavecontinuedtoworkattheMarketifthey juggledsomethingsaroundtomakeitwork,WilliamsalsostatedthattheMarketcouldnotaffordtheplaintiffssalaryifheonlyworkedasaclerk. Theplaintiff,hiswife,hisfather,andWilliamsalltestifiedthathewouldstillbeworkingattheMarketifhehadnotsufferedabackinjury.SincesellinghisinterestintheMarket,theplaintifftestifiedthathehasexperiencedfinancialdifficultiesandhasdeclaredbankruptcy.WhentheplaintiffworkedattheMarket,histakehomepaywas$800.00perweek;nowtheplaintiffearns$6.00perhourasasecurityguardand$5.00perhourasatelemarketer.Theplaintifftestifiedthathewouldliketobeaministerandthatheearnedsomeincomefromministryin1995.    EXPERTTESTIMONY   Dr.DowenSnyder,aboardcertifiedneurologicalsurgeon,testifiedbydeposition.Dr.SnyderexaminedtheplaintiffonMay4,1995forcomplaintsofback,hip,andlegpain.Dr.Snydertestifiedthattheplaintiffunderwentalumbarlaminectomyfordischerniation.Dr.SnydersawtheplaintiffduringhisrecoveryperiodandstatedthathereachedmaximummedicalimprovementonSeptember18,1995.Dr.Snyderencouragedtheplaintifftocontinuebackexercisesandavoidrepetitivebending,twisting,andlifting,butDr.Snydersaidthathenevertoldtheplaintiffthathecouldnotreturntoworkinthegrocerystorebusiness.Dr.SnyderopinedthattheplaintiffsustainedananatomicalimpairmentoftenpercenttothebodyasawholeaccordingtotheAMAGuides.  ANALYSIS    Inthiscase,asinallworkerscompensationcases,theclaimant'sownassessmentofhisphysicalconditionandresultingdisabilitiesiscompetenttestimonyandcannotbedisregarded.TomStillTransferCo.v.Way,482S.W.2d775,777(Tenn.1972).Theextentofvocationaldisabilityisaquestionoffacttobedeterminedfromalloftheevidence,includinglayandexperttestimony.Worthingtonv.ModineMfg.Co.,798S.W.2d232,234(Tenn.1990). Thedefendantssaytheplaintiffshouldbelimitedto2.5timesthemedicalimpairmentrating,asestablishedbyTenn.CodeAnn.506241(a)(1),becausethereisnoshowingthattheplaintiffcouldnothavereturnedtoworkatthegrocerystore. Theevidenceinthiscasedoesnotpreponderateinfavorofsuchafinding.Wefindtheevidencesupportsthejudgmentofthetrialcourtandweaffirmthejudgment. Thecostsofthisappealaretaxedtothedefendants.      _____________________________      JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudgeCONCUR:________________________________JaniceHolder,Justice________________________________WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge̜ ` @ ,INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ ATJACKSON,X#` pX X#JOHNW.GRAY,III,  ) SHELBYCHANCERY#` p`  X# ) NO.1072781R.D. ` p` xX  Plaintiff/Appellee, ) #` p` , X#  ) Hon.NealSmall,vs.  ) Chancellor  )GRAYANDWILLIAMS,INC.and ) NO.02S019706CH00054THEST.PAUL, )  )J02;+'b|` 81 `@J Defendants/Appellants. ) AFFIRMED.@ ,JUDGMENTORDER,X  ` p`  X ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. CostswillbepaidbyAppellants,andsurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. ITISSOORDEREDthis3rddayofMarch,1998.        PERCURIAM(Holder,J.,notparticipating)̛