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Clint_Woodfin_ԀandNickPeterson,ofKnoxville,Tennessee,forAppellants,_Heilig_ԄMyersFurniture  andKemperInsuranceCompany.   AnthonyAlan_Seaton_,ofJohnsonCity,Tennessee,forAppellee,GeorgeWayneGreet. ^"!  MEMORANDUMOPINION #VXX#XXV 6$# _  #VXXG #XXV  Theemployer,_Heilig_ԄMyersFurniture,anditsinsurancecarrier,KemperInsurance &^!% Company,haveappealedfromthetrialcourtsdecisionawardingtheemployee,GeorgeW.Greer, &J"& 70percentpermanentpartial_disabilitytothebodyasawhole. '6#'    Facts  )%) M   _Theemployeewasfiftytwoyearsofageatthetimeofthetrialandhehadcompletedthe +&+ tenthgradeinschool#VXX #XXV.Hedidnothaveanyvocationaltrainingandhadworkedintheretailfurniture ,', industryfor_morethan_Ԁthirtyyears.Mostofhisworkexperiencewasthatofawarehouseworker n-(- deliveringfurnitureto_customers._ԀHealsohadsomeexperienceinrepairingdamagedfurniture.His  workwasclassifiedasunskilledandheavyworkbyallvocationalconsultantwitnesseswhotestified.  Therecordindicateshehadstrainedhisbackseveralyearspriortotheincidentinquestionbuthad  recoveredfromthisinjury._ t   _OnNovember11,1999,heandacoworkerweredeliveringfurnitureinJonesboro, L  Tennessee.Hiscoworkerwasapproachingthehousetoseeifthecustomerwasathome.Employee 8  Greerwasinthedeliverytrucknearthebackentrywhenheslippedandfelloutofthetruck.He $ t testifiedhefellaboutfourtofourandonehalffeetandinjuredhisbackand_tailbone_._Xrays  ` confirmedhehadafractureofthecoccyx.HedidnotreturntoworkuntilsometimeinJanuary  L  2000andworkeduntilJuly3,2000.Hetestifiedthatworkingwithmedicationandahelperwas  8  difficultbutanewwarehousemanagerchangedhisdutieswhichhecouldnotperformandhe $  stoppedworkingforthisreason.     Astohispresentcondition,hestatedhewasstillhavingalotofpain,couldnotsitverylong   andcouldnotwalkforoverfivetotenminutes.HewasexaminedonFebruary13,2000fora   functionalcapacityevaluationreportwhichwasfiledinevidence.Thereportindicatedhecould p performworkintheheavycategory.Hetestifiedhecouldnotdothistypeofworkanymoreandthat \ theindividualadministeringthevarioustestsencouragedhimtodomorethanhenormallywould H havedone. 4   Dr.WilliamE.Kennedy,aretiredorthopedicsurgeonnowengagedinconsultingwork,  \ testifiedbydepositionandsaidheperformedanindependentmedicalexaminationonJuly24,2000. H Hewasoftheopiniontheemployeehaddegenerativediscdisease,afractureofthecoccyx,anda 4 spraintoboththelumbarandcervicalspines.Healsofelttheaccidenthadaggravatedhisprior   conditionandthathismedicalimpairmentwas24percenttothewholebody.Hesaidheshould   observerestrictionsonanyworkactivitysuchasnobending,stooping,etc.Hewasoftheopinion  hecoulddosomeworkinalightcategory.    Dr.Norman_Hankins_,avocationalconsultant,testifiedbydepositionandwasoftheopinion l theemployeesvocationaldisabilitywas78percentconsideringDr.Kennedysassessmentand X  recommendations.Hesaidifoneconsideredthefunctionalcapacityevaluationreport,therewould D! benovocationaldisability.HewasalsooftheopinionthatifDr.Duncansfindingand 0"  recommendationswereaccepted,hisvocationaldisabilitywouldbelessthan78percentbutstill #l! substantial. $X"   Theemployerandinsurancecompanypresentedevidencefromavocationalconsultantand %0!$ thetreatingphysician.Dr.RichardDuncan,anorthopedicsurgeon,didnottestifybuthisoffice &"% recordswereintroducedintoevidence.Theserecordsindicatedhesawtheemployeeonfourvisits '#& andhadgivenamedicalimpairmentratingof2percenttothebodyasawhole.Initially,he (#' recommendedcertainrestrictionsonhisworkactivitybutlateromittedtheserestrictionsafterseeing )$( theconclusionofthefunctionalcapacityevaluationreport. |*%)  h+&*   MichaelT._Galloway_,avocationalconsultant,testifiedatthetrialandwasoftheopinionthe  employeehada50percentvocationaldisabilityconsideringDr.Kennedysfindings.Hesaidthere  wouldbenovocationaldisabilityunderthefunctionalcapacityevaluationreportandDr.Duncans  revisedfindings. t   Infixingtheemployeesdisabilityat70percentthetrialjudgeacceptedtheevidenceofDr. L  Kennedyoverotherconflictingevidenceandthecourtalsofoundtheemployeewasnotabletodo 8  heavytypework. $ t    StandardofReview   L  y"  Thecaseistobereviewedonappealdenovoaccompaniedbyapresumptionofthe $  correctnessofthefindingsoffactunlesswefindthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.   Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).      IssuesonAppeal    #  Thedefendantscontendtheevidencepreponderatesagainstthe70percentawardof \ disability.Plaintiffassertstheappealisfrivolous. H    Analysis   p %  Defendantsargumentthattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthe70percentawardof H disabilityisbasedontworeasons.First,itisinsistedthetrialcourtwasinerrorinacceptingDr. 4 KennedysfindingsandrecommendationsoverconflictingevidencebyDr.Duncan.Inthis   connection,wemustcitetheoftenstatedestablishedrulethatwhentheevidenceisinconflict,the   trialjudgehasthediscretiontoconcludethattheopinionofaparticularexpertshouldbeaccepted  overthatofanotherexpert. Thomasv.AetnaLife&_Cas_.Co. , 812S.W.2d278(Tenn.1991);   Johnsonv._Midwesco_,Inc. ,801_S.W._Ԁ2d804(Tenn.1990).Inourreviewoftherecord,wecannot  saytheevidencepreponderatesagainstthecourtsdecisiontoacceptthisevidence. p   Defendantsalsoarguetheawardofdisabilitywasexcessivebecausetheemployeemadea H! meaningfulreturntoworkandthattheprovisionsofTenn.CodeAnn.506241(a)(1)wouldcap 4"  theawardofdisabilityattwoandonehalftimesthemedicalimpairmentof24percent.  #p!   _In_determining_Ԁwhether_an_Ԁemployeesreturntoworkwasmeaningful,thereasonableness $H # testmustbeapplied. Nelsonv.WalMartStores,Inc. ,8S.W.3d625(Tenn.1999); _Newtonv.Scott %4!$ HealthCareCenter ,914S.W.2d884(Tenn.1991).Inthepresentcase,theemployeereturnedto & "% workafterbeingoffsomeperiodoftime.Heworkedwithassistanceforaperiodofaboutsix ' #& monthsandstoppedworkingbecausehisworkdutieshadbeenchangedandhefelthewasunable (#' toperform.Defendantsdidnotpresentanyconflictingevidenceonthisparticularpointandwe )$( concludehiscessationofworkwasreasonableunderthecircumstancesofthecaseandthereforehis *%) returntoworkwasnotmeaningfulunderourcappingstatute.Also,wedonotfindtheawardtobe l+&* excessiveunderotherconsiderations.    _Theemployeecontendstheappealisfrivolous.Althoughwehavenotagreedwithanyof  the_defendants_Ԁarguments,weareoftheopiniontheissueshavemeritandwerenotofafrivolous t nature._ `    Conclusion  8  0  Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Costsoftheappealaretaxedtothedefendants.  `    `     h     ___________________________________      `     h     ROGERE.THAYER,SPECIALJUDGE       VXX@7 7 #XXVm2#VXXINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @ ATKNOXVILLE,TENNESSEE#XXV2#Ԉ   VXX  GEORGEWAYNEGREERV._HEILIG_ԄMYERSFURNITURE,ETAL.#XXV3#VXX   WashingtonCountyChanceryCourt#XXV"4#    3@FF& %  %4%  % 4% ! %!5% " %"05No.33651   @RR FiledAugust19,2002    AV) ` dE<o` A p  @No.% # E200101008_WC_ԄR3CV%#6Ԉ k  AV) ` dE<B` A C   @& JUDGMENT  > 󀀀ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferral f totheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'smemorandumOpinionsetting R forthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; >    ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthememorandumOpinionofthePanel  shouldbeacceptedandapproved;and     ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactsandconclusionsoflaware  adoptedandaffirmedandthedecisionofthePanelismadetheJudgmentoftheCourt. v    ` Thecostsonappealaretaxedtothedefendants,_Heilig_ԄMyersFurniture,andits N surety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. : ̀%     `