WPCX 9W"{=,]r[g5q0Ur+I$D~:&4`Q*DVėK0t&M7 H38QtP勀Q r3qZb %\UNb 0U.N8^ w4 z$   m  4    L NT #V NE! 1u# 72 0cN- 0D/ zsUNU@               bMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM 0UUUU B @@ 0] D3 D-4 0Kaa AS 0 0Di A(9 Z6Times New Roman Regular(`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman RegularM/ lk.+00 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 e сLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5 \\IB01S02\CLERKJAC,,,,03#37=CIQYag1.a.i.(1)(a)(i)1)a)i)(;3$2#  0  .3  0  (#$  0  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.wpt(hH  Z 6Times New Roman Regular(9 Z(Times New Roman - -(|G2N$ !..8add8         0  XX d(|3w$ !..8add8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3w$ !..8add8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8add8     _a8XXdd8  !a O@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL # @@ATJACKSON#a!# F June10,2003Session i XXa #aXX'#_DERREK_ԀHARPERv.GULFINSURANCECOMPANYXXa   b @@ DirectAppealfromtheCircuitCourtforShelbyCounty  \ @@No.306664T.D.RitaL._Stotts_,Judge  F @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.W200202230_WC_ԄR3CVMailedAugust28,2003;FiledOctober10,_2003_Ԁ   #aXX#XXaAV) ` dE<j` A k      Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppeals c PaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingand L reportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Inthisappeal,#aXX#XXaԀthe#aXX#XXaԀinjured 5 employeeinsiststheawardofpermanentpartialdisabilitybenefits,limitedtothemedical n impairmentratingofferedbythetreatingphysician,isinadequateandthatthetrialcourterredin W failingtoawardtemporarytotaldisabilityandfuturemedicalbenefits.Asdiscussedbelow,the @ panelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbemodifiedbyincreasingtheawardofpermanentpartial ) disabilitybenefitstoonebasedonallrelevantfactorsestablishedbytheproofandbyincluding  temporarytotalandfuturemedicalbenefits.     Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2002Supp.)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuit } CourtAffirmedasModified  g     JoeC.Loser,Jr.,Sp.J.#aX:#XX.a,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichJaniceM.Holder,J.,and :  _Goldin_,Sp.J.,joined. #!s  CarlaE.Ryan,Memphis,Tennessee,fortheappellant,_Derrek_ԀHarper "E" WilliamC.Sessions,_Shuttleworth_,Williams,Harper,_Waring_Ԁ&Derrick,Memphis,Tennessee,for $ $ theappellee,GulfInsuranceCompany %!%    MEMORANDUMOPINION #aXX #XXa '"'   #aXX #XXa  Theemployeeorclaimant,Mr.Harper,initiatedthiscivilactiontorecoverworkers U)$) compensationbenefitsforaworkrelatedinjury.Theonlyissuepresentedfortrialwastheextent >*%* oftheinjuredemployeespermanentpartialdisability.Thetrialcourt,consideringonlythetreating '+w&+ physiciansestimateofmedicalimpairment,awardedbenefitsbasedon5percentpermanentpartial ,`', disabilitytotheleg.Theemployeehasappealed.XFXXX ,I(-   Appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumption -2). _ofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.#XXXXFM#Tenn.  CodeAnn.506225(e)(2)(2002Supp.).XFXXXԀThereviewingcourtisrequiredtoconductan  independentexaminationoftherecordtodeterminewherethepreponderanceoftheevidencelies.#XXXXF#XFXXXԀ  Wingertv.GovernmentofSumnerCounty,908S.W.2d921,922(Tenn.1995).#XXXXF#XFXXXThestandard k governingappellatereviewoffindingsoffactbyatrialcourtrequirestheSpecialWorkers T CompensationAppealsPaneltoexamineindepthatrialcourtsfactualfindingsandconclusions.#XXXXFi#XFXXXԀ =  GAFBldg.Materialsv.George,47S.W.3d430,432(Tenn.2001).#XXXXF#XFXXXԀThetrialcourtsfindingswith & v respecttocredibilityandweightoftheevidencemaygenerallybeinferredfromthemannerinwhich  _ thecourtresolvesconflictsinthetestimonyanddecidesthecase.#XXXXFA#XFXXXTobittv.Bridgestone/Firestone,  H Inc.,59S.W.3d57,61(Tenn.2001).#XXXXF}#XFXXXԀ#XXXXF#XFXXXԀWherethemedicaltestimonyinaworkerscompensationcase  1  ispresentedbydeposition,thereviewingcourtmaymakeanindependentassessmentofthemedical    prooftodeterminewherethepreponderanceoftheprooflies.#XXXXF^#XFXXXWhirlpoolCorp.v.Nakhoneinh,69   S.W.3d164,167(Tenn.2002).#XXXXF#XFXXX     Theclaimantistwentyeightyearsoldwithahighschooleducation,lessthanoneyearof n  collegecreditandexperienceasahockeyplayer.Atthetimeoftheinjury,hewasadefenseman W  fortheMemphisRiverKings,aprofessionalhockeyteam.OnFebruary20,1999,heinjuredhis @ rightkneeinacollisionwithanopposingplayer.Hecontinuedplayingprofessionalhockeyuntil )y April28,1999,whenarthroscopicsurgerywasperformedbyDr.BarryPhillips.Dr.Phillips b insertedthreescrewstoreplaceapieceoffemurwhichhadbecomedisplacedinthekneejoint. K Afteraperiodofrecuperation,Dr.Phillipsreleasedtheclaimanttoreturntoworkwithout 4 restrictions.TheclaimantreturnedtotheRiverKingsthefollowingseasonandresumedhiscareer  asaprofessionalhockeyplayer.HehassinceretiredfromhockeyandnowlivesinCanada.Heis  anativeofBritishColumbiaand,becauseofhiskneeinjury,unabletoplayprofessionalhockey.#XXXXFD##aXX#XXaԀ  Atthetimeofthetrial,hewasnotworking.Hehasminimalexperienceasabartenderand  constructionworker,jobsheperformedduringtheoffseasonfromhockey. q   Dr.Phillipsestimatedtheclaimantspermanentanatomicalimpairmenttobe5percentto C theleg.Anotherdoctor,towhomtheclaimantwasreferredforasecondopinion,estimatedhis ,| permanentanatomicalimpairmenttobe7percenttothelegandprescribedsomerestrictions,but e thetrialcourtaccreditedtheopinionofDr.Phillips.Theclaimanttestifiedthathehasbeenunable N tofindajobinprofessionalhockeyandthathelackstrainingforotherwork.Thegeneralmanager  7 oftheRiverKingstestifiedthatjobswouldbeavailabletotheclaimantincoachingifhehadavisa !   thatwouldpermithimtoworkintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.However,itisundisputedthatthe " ! claimantdoesnothavesuchavisa. #"   Theappellantcontendsthetrialcourterredinlimitingtheawardofpermanentpartial t% $ disabilitybenefitstothetreatingphysiciansestimateofanatomicalimpairment.XFXXXThejudgment, ]&!% preparedbythetrialjudge,concludes,inpertinentpart,asfollows: F'"& 8   ` Itseemspropertohonorthepermanentpartialimpairmentratingwhichwas )h$( testifiedtobyDr.Phillips.Therefore,theCourtfindsthatthePlaintiffsustaineda *Q%) fivepercent(5%)permanentpartialdisabilitytotherightleg.*:&*   8   ` ITISTHEREFORE,ORDEREDADJUDGEDANDDECREEDthat_the +#'+  O  e    plaintiffbeawardedthesumofeightthousandfivehundredand00/100dollars e ($8,500.00)whichrepresentsafivepercentpermanentpartialdisabilitytotheleg.N     Althoughthelanguageofthejudgmentisconfusing,wehaveconcludedthetrialjudge   intendedtomakeanawardbasedontheimpairmentrating,withoutconsideringotherfactors.   Accordingly,wehaveconductedanindependentexaminationoftherecordforthepurposeof  determiningtheadequacyofanawardbasedon5percenttotheleg.Theextentofaworkers  v vocationaldisabilityisaquestionoffact.Sealsv.England/CorsairUpholsteryMfg.,984S.W.2d  _ 912,915(Tenn.1999).#XXXXF##  H   XFXXXOncethecausationandpermanencyofaninjuryhavebeenestablishedbyexperttestimony,    thetrialjudgemayconsidermanypertinentfactors,includingage,jobskills,education,training, h  durationofdisabilityandjobopportunitiesforthedisabled,inadditiontoanatomicimpairment,for Q  thepurposeofevaluatingtheextentofaclaimantspermanentdisability.#XXXXF)#_McCaleb_Ԁv.SaturnCorp., :  910S.W.2d412,416(Tenn.1995).XFXXXԀTheopinionofaqualifiedexpertwithrespecttoaclaimants #  clinicalorphysicalimpairmentisafactorwhichthecourtwillconsideralongwithallotherrelevant    factsandcircumstances,butitisforthecourttodeterminethepercentageoftheclaimants  industrialdisability.#XXXXF,#FederatedMut.Imp.&HardwareIns.Co.v.Cameron,220Tenn.636,422 y S.W.2d427,429(1967).Fromourexaminationoftherecord,wehaveconcludedbothexpert b medicalopinionsaredueconsideration.Inaddition,fromafairconsiderationoftheinjured K employeesage,jobskills,education,training,durationofdisabilityandthelackofjob 4 opportunitiesavailabletohiminhisdisabledcondition,inadditiontohismedicalimpairment,we  haveconcludedtheawardshouldbeincreasedtoonebasedon20percentpermanentpartial k disabilitytotheleg.Wethereforemodifytheawardtoonebasedon20percenttotheleg. T   Beforethetrialbegan,thepartiesagreedtheclaimantwasentitledtoanadditional$1,730.19 & intemporarytotaldisabilitybenefits.Theappelleeconcedesthetrialcourtfailedtoawarditand  thatthejudgmentshouldbemodifiedtoincludeit.Thejudgmentisthereforemodifiedtoprovide  foranawardof$1,730.19intemporarytotaldisabilitybenefits,inadditiontotheawardof | permanentpartialdisabilitybenefits. e   Althoughthejudgmentissilentastofuturemedicalbenefits,theappelleeconcedesitis  7 liableforsuchbenefits.Thejudgmentisthereforefurthermodifiedbyawardingtheinjured !   employeesuchfuturemedicalandhospitalbenefitsasareprovidedbylaw. n" !   Asmodified,thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Costsaretaxedtotheappellee. @$#    `     h     ___________________________________ &"&    `     h     JOEC.LOSER,JR. '#'   (h$( @9 9 aXXINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE e @@@SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL u @((%ATJACKSON   @CC#June10,2003 0    _DERREK_ԀHARPERv.GULFINSURANCECOMPANY   P 6@u u  CircuitCourtforShelbyCounty  q @%No.306664   @*AV) ` dE<` A߈    @> > No.W200202230_WC_ԄR3CVFiledOctober10,2003 )  AV) ` dE<J` A K   @tt# JUDGMENTORDER  j S a   ` ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorder ) ofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel's 9 MemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,which I areincorporatedhereinbyreference; Y    ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthe y Panelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and     ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusions  oflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgment  oftheCourt. .  Ѐ >!    ` CostsonappealaretaxedtotheAppellee,GulfInsuranceCompany,for N" whichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. ^#    ` ITISSOORDERED. ~%!! #a So9#aa   `     h     PER_CURIAM_ '9## #aa=##XXa5#