WPC 3# UN %3 0(9w@a4 0J 0T 0^j 0h 0r0 0| 0 0 1u4 0d B AQ* { 0DA 0@ 0D D/ B8 D3U U> B) DC AM2 U*  ! v~vFHP LaserJet 4 PlusHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLH(  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($ D VӀӀuj"3|x2 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 d!"#$&C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  ("$    ($$   1  ((' dxdP Pd'dxd<  9p`(&Times New Roman% Line 7 d++++7Border 1dd!#,C << G<  9p`(Arial !*  ""  ..   YYY FILED.XSeptember12,1997CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk    !#d#*  ""  ..   YYY FILED.XSeptember12,1997CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk  PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'hStyl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   h HD: Geneva  h HD: Geneva ! . *         \RA'\  \RA'\7XiXXdd7* INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEESPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL̜!R-/,A1-j|`  `@RATNASHVILLE̜(June9,1997Session)̛̜  ABIGAILS.HACKETT,  )  WILSONCHANCERY      ) Plaintiff/Appellee,   )  Hon.C.K.Smith,      )  Chancellorv.      )      )  NO.01S019701CH00003THEFIDELITY&CASUALTY )COMPANYOFNEWYORKand ) G.F.OFFICEFURNITURE,  )      ) Defendant/Appellant.  )FortheAppellant:      FortheAppellees:ElaineYoungblood     E.GuyHollimanOTALE,KELLY,HERBERT&CRAWFORD Lafayette,TennesseeNashville,Tennessee      MEMORANDUMOPINION MembersofthePanel:AdolphoA.Birch,Jr.,ChiefJustice,SupremeCourtRobertS.Brandt,SeniorJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge  AFFIRMED0 Brandt,SeniorJudge             7XiXXdXXd7   ThisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. Thiscasepresentstheissueofwhetherpermanentpartialdisability( PPD)awardsof50%and25%areexcessiveinlightofanatomicaldisabilityratingsof12%and5%.Weconcludethattheawardswerenotexcessiveandaffirmthetrialcourtsdecision. Theemployee/appellee,AbigailHackett,slippedandfellwhilecomingoffhershiftatheremployersfactory.Shesufferedextensiveinjurytobothknees.Dr.RobertLandsberg,theorthopaedicsurgeonwhooperatedonherknees,testifiedthatshehada12%impairmentinherleftleganda5%impairmentinherrightleg. Hackett,age44,hasaGEDandhasworkedinthepastasamaintenanceworker,schoolbusdriverandsewingmachineoperator.Asaresultoftheinjuriestoherknees,shecannolongerperformthesejobs.Afterthesurgery,Hackettreturnedtoworkasaforkliftdriver.Theemployer,G.F.OfficeFurniture,hasaccommodatedherdisabilitybymodifyingassemblylineprocedures.ThetrialcourtawardedHackettalumpsumof$41,350.50,whichrepresentedaPPDassessmentof50%toherleftlegand25%toherrightleg.̀ Theemployer/appellantarguesthatthetrialcourtsawardwasexcessivebecauseitfarexceededtheanatomicaldisabilityratings.  Therelevantfactorindeterminingaworkerscompensationawardisvocationaldisability.Anatomicaldisabilityratingsarebutonefactortoconsiderinmeasuringvocationaldisability.Thetestiswhethertherehasbeenadecreaseintheemployeescapacitytoearnwagesinanylineofworkavailabletotheemployee.Corcoranv.FosterAutoGMC,Inc.,746S.W.2d452,459(Tenn.1988).Thiscapacityisdeterminedbyexpertandlaytestimony,employeesage,education,skillsandtraining,localjobopportunities,andcapacitytoworkatthetypesofemploymentavailableinhisdisabledcondition.Ormanv.WilliamsSonoma,803S.W.2d672,678(Tenn.1991). Inthepresentcase,therehasbeenadecreaseinHackettscapacitytoearnwages.Specifically,thetreatingphysicianrestrictedherfromliftinganythingovertwentypounds.Also,Hackettshusbandtestifiedthatshecannolongerperformsimplehouseholdchoreslikecleaningthebathroomormakingthebeds.Finally,Hackett'sage,educationallevelandlackoftrainingfurtherdetractfromhercapacitytoearnwages.Thus,theemployersargumentthattheawardwasexcessivesimplybecauseitexceededtheanatomicaldisabilityratingsiswithoutmerit. Theemployeralsoarguesthattheawardwasexcessivebecausetheplaintiffhasnotlostanyearningcapacity.Specifically,theappellantcitesHackettspresentincomelevelandnotesthatitishigherthanbeforeshewasinjured. Thequestionisnotwhethertheemployeeisabletoreturntotheworkbeingperformedwheninjured,butwhethertheemployeesearningcapacityintheopenlabormarkethasbeendiminishedbyresidualimpairmentcausedbyaworkrelatedinjury.Corcoran,746S.W.2dat458(emphasisadded). WhileHackettiscurrentlyemployed,shewouldmostcertainlyhaveadifficulttimefindingajobforwhichsheisqualifiedifsheweretolosehercurrentjob.Herinabilitytolift,climb,squatorcrawlprecludesherfromanyofherformeroccupations.Hackettsageandeducationallevelfurtherlimitherjobchoices.Thus,herearningcapacityontheopenlabormarkethasbeensubstantiallyimpairedbyherinjuries.Forthatreason,weaffirmthetrialcourtsdamageawardwithcoststothedefendant.   _________________________RobertS.Brandt,SeniorJudge  CONCUR:_____________________________AdolphoA.Birch,Jr.,ChiefJustice_____________________________JoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge̜       J-0;+'b|`  `@J@ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ ATNASHVILLEABIGAILS.HACKETT,   } WILSONCHANCERY      } No.10036Below Plaintiff/Appellee   }      } Hon.C.K.Smith,vs.      } Chancellor      }THEFIDELITY&CASUALTY }COMPANYOFNEWYORKand } No.01S019701CH00003G.F.OFFICEFURNITURE,  }      } Defendant/Appellant  } AFFIRMED.@ JUDGMENTORDER  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference.  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. ` ` X  CostswillbepaidbyDefendant/AppellantandSurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.  ITISSOORDEREDonSeptember12,1997.       PERCURIAM̛