WPC ?9|.%`:?r"ed3fbN;ǭXcf&_u33|>8aw{]l:В毈kW <6#C+Qs=Us*s1C)wYQ'ZuxLWS[JDWS] HEIhBYӊwp cG- TR) Y-{|K`?%,=`s&`$$( t_uZ$O $,ٶvoI ]JK{HUwcb#\UN %k 0(q w 4   N ^  m z i /    NSUNUUNE 0 B~~ 0D D3 D- 0K?? AS 0D 0D A+HP LaserJet 4000 Series PCL 60(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($pm)x3|xӒ|) UC:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5C:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt("  Z6Times New Roman Regular(9 Z 6Times New Roman Regular(G2,$ !      0  XXXX d(3$ !  VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !  _  yXXINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL  ATNASHVILLE#XXy7#   February2000Session  * +   PAMELAHARPER_v.TRAVELERS_ԀINSURANCECOMPANY,_ET.AL_.    W  DirectAppealfromtheCriminalCourtforMaconCounty r  No.9869HonorableJamesO.Bond,Judge X    _________________________ >     M199901913_WC_ԄR3CVMailedOctober24,2000  Z  @FiledNovember28,2000 @    _________________________  &  ThisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkersCompensation  AppealsPanelinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.Section506225(e)(3)forhearingand n reportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Plaintiffcommencedthiscauseofactionon T March18,1998allegingthatshehaddevelopedbilateralcarpaltunnelsyndromeduetothe : repetitiveuseofherhandsandarmswhileemployedatFlexTechnologies,Inc.Thetrialcourt  p awardedpermanentpartialdisabilitybenefitsbasedonthefunctionalequivalentof75%toboth V arms.FlexTechnologies,Inc.andTheTravelersInsuranceCompany,respectively,filedthis < appeal.Appellantscontendthatthetrialcourterred1)bydenyingAppellantsmotionfora " continuanceofthetrial,2)inacceptingtheopinionofanindependentmedicalexpertoverthe  opinionofthetreatingphysician,and3)inawardingexcessivepermanentpartialdisability  benefits.Asdiscussedbelow,thePanelholdsthatthetrialcourtsawardofpermanentpartial  disabilitybenefitswasnotexcessiveandthatthejudgmentofthelowercourtshouldbeaffirmed. j  Tenn.R.App.P.3AppealasofRight;JudgmentofthetrialcourtAFFIRMED.  6 _GAYDEN_,Sp.J.deliveredtheopinionofthePanel,inwhich_DROWOTA_Ԁ,J.andLOSER,Sp. !R J.joined. !8  DeannaB.Johnson,_Spicer_,_Floynn_Ԁ&_Rudstrom_,Nashville,Tennessee,fortheAppellants,Flex #" Technologies,Inc.andTheTravelersInsuranceCompany. $# FrankD.FarrarandWilliamJosephButler,Farrar&_Holliman_,Lafayette,Tennesseeforthe f&!% Appellee,PamelaHarper. L'"&   OPINION  *4&*  Claimant/Appellee,PamelaHarper,isa23yearoldfemalewithaneighthgradeeducation.Ms. ,(,  -(- ЇHarperhasneverpassedthe_G.R.E._Ԁandclaimstohavenospecialskillsortraining.Herwork  experiencehasbeenlimitedtoworkwithherhands,orwhatAppelleecalls justlaborwork.  InMarch1998,Appelleecommencedthissuittoobtainworkerscompensationbenefitsafter b allegedlydevelopingcarpaltunnelsyndromefromtherepetitiveuseofherhandsandarms H duringthecourseandscopeofheremploymentatFlexTechnologies,Inc.Appelleewasreferred . ~ toDr.JackMillerwhodiagnosedbilateralcarpaltunnelsyndromeandrecommendedbilateral  d carpaltunnelreleasesurgerywhichwasperformedonSeptember19,1997.Postsurgicalnotes  J indicatethatDr.Milleralsodiagnosed_synovitis_.Dr.Millerassignedapermanentimpairment  0 ratingof5%toeacharmforresidualbilateralcarpaltunnelsyndrome,butdidnotaddressthe    _synovitis_.Dr.MilleralsonotedontheC32form thattheAMAGuidesortheOrthopaedic    ManualdoesnotadequatelyassessthemedicalimpairmentoftheClaimant.Anindependent   medicalexaminationwasperformedonOctober26,1998byDr.S.M.Smith,anorthopaedic x  surgeon.Dr.SmithassignedAppelleeatotalof26%permanentpartialimpairmenttoeach ^  upperextremity. D  ThecasewassetfortrialonDecember17,1998.DefendantsreceivedaNoticeofDepositionon ` November13,1998indicatingthatAppelleewouldbetakingDr.Smithsdepositionon F December2,1998.Appellants,therefore,attemptedtoschedulethedepositionofthetreating , physician,Dr.Miller,butwereunabletodosobecauseDr.Millerhadjustundergonesurgery  andwasunavailableuntilafterthefirstoftheyear.Appellantsthenmovedforacontinuance,  withoutsupportingaffidavits,sothattheymightbeabletoobtainDr.Millersdepositionpriorto  trial.SaidMotionwasapparentlydenied,becausethetrialoccurredasscheduled,however,the t recordonappealdoesnotcontainanywrittenOrderdenyingAppellantsMotionfora Z Continuance.Attrial,AppelleesubmittedtheStandardFormMedicalReportforIndustrial @ Injuries(C32Form)ofDr.Smith.Similarly,AppellantsubmittedDr.MillersC32Form.The &v trialcourtawardedpermanentpartialdisabilitybenefitsbasedonthefunctionalequivalentof  \ 75%tobotharms,findingDr.SmithsopinionregardingtheextentofAppelleespermanent B medicalimpairmenttobemorepersuasivethanthatofDr.Miller. ( Tenn.CodeAnn.Section506225(e)(3)instructsthat, Reviewoffindingoffactbythetrial  courtshallbedenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthe   correctnessofthefinding,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Applyingthis p!  standardofreviewtothefirstissuetobeaddressed,whetherthetrialcourterredbydenying V"! AppellantsMotionforContinuance,itisthePanelsdeterminationthatthetrialjudgedidnot <#" abusehisdiscretionindenyingsaidmotionandrefusingtopostponethetrial.Furthermore, "$r# sincebothpartieswereabletoobtainandpresentC32Formsasproofandwereonanequal %X $ playingfield,Appellantswerenotprejudiced.Blakev.PlusMark,Inc.,952_S.W._Ԁ2d413,415 %>!% (Tenn.1997). &$"& Secondly,thetrialcourtsdecisiontoapplygreaterweighttoDr.Smithsimpairmentratingdoes (#( notconstituteanabuseofdiscretionandisaffirmed.ConsideringDr.Millersfailuretofollow )$) theAMAGuidesorOrthopaedicManualinassigningAppelleesimpairmentratingasrequired l*%* byTenn.CodeAnn.Section506204(d)(3),Dr.Millersfailuretoaddresshisdiagnosisof R+&+ _synovitis_,aswellastheAppelleeslostearningcapacity,thisPanelcannotreversethetrial 8,', courtsdecision. -n(- ЇFinally,itisthisPanelsdecisionnottodisturbthetrialcourtsawardofpermanentpartial  disabilitybenefits.Deferencemustbegiventothedecisionofthetrialjudge,ashehadthe  opportunitytoobserveandevaluatethecredibilityofthePlaintiff/Appellee.Bowlingv.Horsing | Around,Inc.,No.,03S019510CV00113(Tenn.November15,1996),nomotionforreview b filed,citingWallsv.MagnoliaTruckLines,622_S.W._Ԁ2d526(Tenn.1981).Apparentlythetrial H courtfoundAppelleetobeacrediblewitness. . ~ Thus,aftercarefulreviewoftherecord,thisPanelaffirmstheholdingsofthetrialcourt.Costs  J ofappealaretaxedtoAppellant.  0   ________________________________________ x  HAMILTONV._GAYDEN_,JR,SPECIALJUDGE  ^  yXX8XXdd8@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL  #XXy!$# yXXPAMELAHARPERv.TRAVELERSINSURANCECOMPANY,etal.#XXy+%#   @@ CriminalCourtforMaconCounty   @@No.9869   @@*AV) ` dE<K` A L  No.M199901913_WC_ԄR3CVFiledNovember28,2000 A  AV) ` dE< ` A  ]       yXX#XXy'#z'  JUDGMENT yXX#XXy'#    yXX#XXyX(#XXXX  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltothe  SpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforth  itsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. f   Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbe 2 acceptedandapproved;and h   Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadopted 4 andaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt.    Costswillbepaidbytheappellant,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.    ITISSOORDERED. b      `     h     PERCURIAM #J$   #XXXX(#