WPC =[ц ȼdW;NI}9~LݣJEgΙ.ޡ'O7Ožj2,)#(yEJ=R`~zj:=֩y%/^DOɄ#ȧ}O NN-#NF@Ll83~Q AY꿴3Cayk-ݨ(3Mms*a|5 Cc}'nJi+1Hf pQyLB XVf'kCUkM~I6Mt{ߣkl!?ؠd&U~Ӄ=:v)7mʑa< Kb[{qa6Xb,] T!s$u}U`W ~ %Zu/2np“u{o@*|ZÒ?^L"Ǩ/#P<b %\UNb 0U*N8^ w4 z$   m  &   x #> NN zE}U@QQ 0Db 0 B  0 D3 D- 0K AS4 0M 0D A5(9 Z6Times New Roman Regular(`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular{+L L,+@P$A C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt3|xU Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5HP LaserJet 4,,,,,,0C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt(9 Z(Times New Roman (#$  0  - -(|G2$ !.8dd8         0  XX d(|3y/$ !.8dd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3y/$ !.8dd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8dd8     _8XXdd8  g@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL , @@ATJACKSON#g# X August20,2001Session 4 XX #XX#NATHANIELHAMPTONv.CONNECTICUTINDEMNITYCOMPANYXX  <  @@ DirectAppealfromtheCircuitCourtforShelbyCounty D  @@No.306323T.D.JohnR._McCarroll_,Jr.,Judge 4  @@*AV) ` dE<` A T  No.W200002057_WC_ԄR3CVMailedSeptember24,2001;FiledDecember21,2001 S  #XX#XXAV) ` dE<` A 3      Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppeals 2 PaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingand " reportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.#XX#XXԀInthisappeal,the  #XX#XXemployeeinsiststheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialcourt'sfindingthathedidnotsuffera  permanentinjury.#XX#XXԀAsdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed.  E   Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2000)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourt  Affirmed.  r     JoeC.Loser,Jr.,Sp.J.#X#XX.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichJaniceM.Holder,J.,and R RobertL.Childers,Sp.J.,joined. B SteveTaylor,Memphis,Tennessee,fortheappellant,NathanielHampton "r JefferyG.Foster,Jackson,Tennessee,fortheappellee,ConnecticutIndemnityCompany !R $   MEMORANDUMOPINION #XXl #XX "2!   #XXO #XX  OnoraboutJune7,1999,theemployeeorclaimant,Hampton,strainedhiskneeatwork. $ # Hereportedtheaccidenttohisemployer,whoprovidedmedicalcare,includingdiagnostictesting %!$ andphysicaltherapy.AMagneticResonanceImagingscanrevealednoabnormality. &!%   Dr.James_Varner_Ԁviewedthetestreportandexaminedtheclaimant,butfoundnoevidence (#' ofapermanentinjury.Dr.Joseph_Boals_Ԁexaminedtheclaimantandfoundminimaltendernessover r)$( theinjuredkneeandguessedtheclaimantspermanentimpairmentat5percent,basedonsubjective b*%) complaints. R+&*   AcceptingthemedicaltestimonyofDr._Varner_,thetrialcourtfoundthattheevidencefailed 2-(, toestablishtheprobabilityofapermanentinjury.Appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordof  thetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthe  preponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Thistribunalis  notboundbythetrialcourt'sfindingsbutinsteadconductsanindependentexaminationoftherecord  todeterminewherethepreponderancelies._Galloway_Ԁv.MemphisDrumServ.,822S.W.2d584,586 p (Tenn.1991).XXXXWherethetrialjudgehasseenandheardthewitnesses,especiallyifissuesof `  credibilityandweighttobegivenoraltestimonyareinvolved,considerabledeferencemustbe `  accordedthosecircumstancesonreview,becauseitisthetrialcourtwhichhadtheopportunityto L  observethewitnessesdemeanorandtoheartheincourttestimony.#XXXX#Longv.TriConInd.,Ltd.,996 8  S.W.2d173,178(Tenn.1999).XXXXԀTheappellatetribunal,however,isaswellsituatedtogaugethe 8   weight,worthandsignificanceofdepositiontestimonyasthetrialjudge.#XXXXK#Walkerv.SaturnCorp., 8  986S.W.2d204,207(Tenn.1998).XXXXԀTheextentofaninjuredworkersvocationaldisabilityisa 8  questionoffact.#XXXX#Storyv.LegionIns.Co.,3S.W.3d450,456(Tenn.1999)XXXX.#XXXXm# 8    Theclaimantseeksan indepthreviewoftheevidencetodeterminewherethe (x  preponderanceoftheevidencelies.#XX #XXԀXXXXInallbutthemostobviouscases,permanencymayonlybe h establishedthroughexpertmedicaltestimony.#XXXX#ԀThomasv.AetnaLifeand_Cas_.Co.,812S.W.2d278, h 283(1991).XXXXWhenthemedicaltestimonydiffers,thetrialjudgemustchoosewhichviewtobelieve. h Indoingso,heisallowed,amongotherthings,toconsiderthequalificationsoftheexperts,the h circumstancesoftheirexamination,theinformationavailabletothem,andtheevaluationofthe T importanceofthatinformationbyotherexperts.#XXXX#ԀOrmanv.Williams_Sonoma_,Inc.,803S.W.2d672, @ 676(Tenn.1991).XXXXԀMoreover,itiswithinthediscretionofthetrialjudgetoconcludethattheopinion @ ofcertainexpertsshouldbeacceptedoverthatofotherexpertsandthatitcontainsthemoreprobable @ explanation.#XXXX(#ԀHinsonv.WalMartStores,Inc.,654S.W.2d675,6767(Tenn.1983).Thetrialcourt , didnoterrinacceptingDr._Varner_sopinionthattheclaimantwasnotpermanentlyinjured. ,   Forthatreasonandbecausetheevidencefailstopreponderateagainstthefindingsofthetrial   court,thejudgmentisaffirmed.Costsaretaxedtotheappellant.     `     h     ___________________________________ l"    `     h     JOEC.LOSER, \#    ,&|!# XX   @ #XX\#gXXINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @%ATJACKSON , #XXg#   NATHANIELHAMPTONv.CONNECTICUTINDEMNITYCOMPANY  H w @* @*AV) ` dE< ` A߈   @  No.W200002057SCWCMCVFiledDecember21,2001   AV) ` dE< ` A     @( ORDER    XXXX   ` ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtuponmotionforreviewpursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn. f  506225(e)(5)(B),theentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers' R CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffact > andconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; *z    ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthemotionforreviewisnotwelltakenand f shouldbedeniedand R    ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaware > adoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt.  *     ` CostsonappealaretaxedtotheAPPELLANT.     ` ITISSOORDEREDthis21stdayof_December,_Ԁ2001.     `     h   PERCURIAM v Holder,J.Notparticipating. b #XXXXQ"#   `     h