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p àÐ ¦æ  Ðà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  à)ÌV.à ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  à)à p àHon.€Jeffrey€F.€Stewart,à Ð àÐ r²  Ðà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  à)à p àChancellorÐ X˜  ÐINSURANCE€COMPANY€OF€NORTHà  à)à p àÐ >~ ÐAMERICAà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  à)à p àÐ $d Ðà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  à)Ìà ` àDefendant/Appellantà À àà  à)à p àNo.€03S01„9712„CH„00150Ð ð0 ÐÌòòò òÌÌÌÌFor€the€Appellant:à  àà h àà À àà  àà p àFor€the€Appellee:Ð l¬ Ðó óóóÌF.€R.€Evansà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  àà p àThomas€L.€WyattÐ >~ Ð800€First€Tenn.€Bldg.à h àà À àà  àà p à500€Lindsay€StreetÐ $d ÐChattanooga,€Tenn.€€37402à À àà  àà p àChattanooga,€Tenn.€€37402Ð  J ÐÌÌÌÌÌò òòòÓ  ÓM€E€M€O€R€A€N€D€U€M€€€€O€P€I€N€I€O€Nóóó óÐ n#®# ÐÌò òòòMembers€of€Panel:Ð @%€!% ÐÌó óóóWilliam€M.€Barker,€JusticeÐ 'X#' ÐJoe€C.€Loser,€Special€JudgeÌRoger€E.€Thayer,€Special€JudgeÌÓ ÓÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌAFFIRMED.à ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  àà p àà È àTHAYER,€Special€JudgeÐ Ü:7= Ðâ âÐ Â;8> ÐÓÓà ` àThis€workers'€compensation€appeal€has€been€referred€to€the€Special€Workers'Ïâ âCompensation€Appeals€Panel€of€the€Supreme€Court€in€accordance€with€Tenn.€CodeÏAnn.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(3)€for€hearing€and€reporting€to€the€Supreme€Court€of€findings€ofÏfact€and€conclusions€of€law.€Ìà ` àThe€trial€court€awarded€the€employee,€Gary€Charles€Hill,€10%€permanentÏpartial€disability€to€the€body€as€a€whole.€€The€insurance€carrier,€Insurance€CompanyÏof€North€America,€has€appealed€contending€the€evidence€does€not€support€a€findingÏof€permanent€disability.Ìà ` àEmployee€Hill€was€41€years€of€age€at€the€time€of€the€incident€in€question€andÏwas€a€high€school€graduate.€€A€great€deal€of€œñG3ñtñG3ñhis›€work€experience€has€been€as€aÏpainter€but€he€has€operated€construction€equipment€and€worked€as€a€carpenter.€€HeÏhad€been€employed€by€Raytheon€since€1994€and€was€doing€industrial€painting€onÏabout€February€16,€1995.€€He€testified€he€was€operating€a€grinder€under€a€large„likeÏair€compressor€when€he€felt€a€pull€in€a€muscle.€€When€this€pain€occurred€he€wasÏlying€down€in€a€somewhat€twisted€position€and€was€ñF3ñœñF3ñworkñD3ññC3ñINGñC3ññD3ññE3ñingñE3ññF3ñ›ñF3ñ€over€his€head.Ìà ` àHe€reported€the€incident€to€his€employer€and€was€given€a€list€of€threeÏphysicians.€€He€chose€Dr.€Lester€F.€Littell€and€saw€him€on€March€2,€1995.€€Dr.€LittellÏtold€him€he€had€a€pinched€nerve€and€would€probably€need€surgery.€€Hoping€to€avoidÏsurgery,€he€went€to€see€a€private€physician,€Dr.€Ernest€Forsten.€€Dr.€ForstenÏscheduled€an€M.R.I.€examination€and€later€referred€him€to€Dr.€Larry€Gibson,€aÏneurologist.€€Ìà ` àPlaintiff€continued€to€work€with€his€complaints€and€was€terminated€fromÏemployment€on€August€22,€1995.€€His€employer€told€him€the€termination€was€due€toÏhis€ð ðarrest€record.ðð€€At€the€trial€he€told€the€court€the€accident€caused€neck€pain€andÏnumbness€in€some€of€his€fingers€and€thumb.€€He€said€he€felt€his€recovery€was€aboutÏ75%€back€to€normal€status€but€he€was€still€having€pain€in€the€back€of€his€shoulderÏand€down€his€left€arm.€€He€said€he€could€not€return€to€industrial€painting€work€but€heÏhad€worked€at€small€painting€jobs€such€as€painting€bedrooms,€porches,€fences,€etc.Ìà ` àAll€of€the€expert€medical€testimony€was€presented€by€deposition.Ìà ` àDr.€Larry€Gibson€testified€plaintiff€had€damage€or€a€pinching€of€his€6th€and€7thÏnerve€with€subsequent€weakness€in€the€left€triceps.€€He€stated€a€nerve€conductionÏstudy€confirmed€the€diagnosis.€€Testing€also€revealed€a€bulging€disc€which€was€dueÐ t;´7> Ðto€the€aging€process.€€He€opined€the€nerves€were€pinched€while€he€was€working€inÏthe€awkward€position.€€He€gave€a€15%€medical€impairment€and€imposed€workÏrestrictions€of€not€working€over€his€shoulders.€€He€also€said€he€should€not€lift€over€20„¼25€pounds.€€He€was€of€the€opinion€that€surgery€would€not€improve€his€condition.Ìà ` àDr.€Lester€F.€Littell,€an€orthopedic€surgeon,€saw€plaintiff€on€several€visits€andÏwould€be€classified€as€the€treating€physician.€€His€diagnosis€was€cervical€nerve€painÏbut€was€of€the€opinion€there€was€no€impairment.€€He€noted€the€M.R.I.€resultsÏindicated€a€bulging€disc€which€was€due€to€age€changes€but€he€did€restrict€his€workÏactivities€so€he€would€not€do€overhead€work.Ìà ` àDr.€Hytham€A.€Kadrie,€a€neurologist,€examined€plaintiff€at€the€request€of€a€Dr.ÏLouis€Carter€(who€did€not€testify).€€He€performed€a€nerve€conduction€study,€etc.€andÏwas€of€the€opinion€there€was€no€nerve€damage.€€Thus,€he€did€not€find€any€medicalÏimpairment.Ìà ` àOur€review€of€the€case€is€de€novo€accompanied€by€a€presumption€of€theÏcorrectness€of€the€findings€of€fact€unless€the€preponderance€of€the€evidence€isÏotherwise.€€T.C.A.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(2).Ìà ` àIf€there€is€conflicting€medical€testimony€on€causation€of€any€injury,€the€trialÏjudge€has€discretion€to€conclude€that€the€opinion€of€a€particular€expert€should€beÏaccepted€over€that€of€another€expert€and€that€one€expertððs€testimony€contains€a€moreÏprobable€explanation€than€another€expertððs€testimony.€€òòThomas€v.€Aetna€Life€&€Cas.Ð ä%$"& ÐCo.,óó€812€S.W.2d€278€(Tenn.€1991).Ð ´'ô#( Ðà ` àThe€trial€court€was€confronted€with€conflicting€medical€opinions€regardingÏplaintiffððs€condition€and€accepted€the€opinion€of€Dr.€Gibson€as€opposed€to€the€otherÏevidence€in€the€case.€€In€weighing€the€evidence,€the€court€noted€that€Dr.€Littell€did€notÏdocument€his€observations€as€carefully€as€Dr.€Gibson.Ìà ` àFrom€our€independent€examination€of€the€record,€we€cannot€conclude€theÏevidence€preponderates€against€the€findings€of€the€trial€court.€€Therefore,€theÏjudgment€is€affirmed€with€costs€of€the€appeal€taxed€to€defendant€insurance€company.ÌÌÔ% € ÔÓÓà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  à___________________________________Ìà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  àRoger€E.€Thayer,€Special€JudgeÌÌÌÌÐ b<¢8? ÐCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌ________________________________ÌWilliam€M.€Barker,€JusticeÌÌÌÌ________________________________ÌJoe€C.€Loser,€Special€Judge€œñH3ñÐ  ¼ ü  ÐñH3ññI3ñ›ñI3ññI3ñÔ‡¼¡¼XXHˆÔà ` àÔ#†XHˆX¼¼¡@#ÔÔ‡Š(ÉŠXXHˆÔà ¸ àà  àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEE€€Ô#†XHˆXŠŠ(ÉŽ#ÔÐ À Ðà@ÌÌ.ÌàˆÌà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àAT€KNOXVILLEÌÒÒà è àà @ àà ˜ àà ð àà H àà   àà ø àà P àà ¨ àà  àÌà è àà @ àà ˜ àà ð àà H àà   àà ø àà P àà ¨ àà  àà X àà °" àÌà è àà @ àà ˜ àà ð àà H à€€€à   àÐ P Ðà 8 àà à àà 8 àà  àà 8 àà  àà è àà @ àà ˜ àà ð àà H àà   àà ø àÌÒ(HÒà è àà @ àÌà è àGARY€CHARLES€HILL,à H àà   àà ø à)€RHEA€CHANCERYÐ  B Ðà è àà @ àà ˜ àà ð àà H àà   àà ø à)€No.€8451ÌÒ (Òà è àà @ àPlaintiff„Appellee,à H àà   àà ø à)à P àà ¨ àà  àà X àÐ Î   Ðà è àà @ àà ˜ àà ð àà H à€€€€à   àà ø à)à P àà ¨ àà  àà X àÐ ´ ô  Ðà è àà @ àà ˜ àà ð à€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€à ø à)€No.€€03S01„9712„CH„00150Ð šÚ  Ðà è àv.à @ àà ˜ àà ð àà H àà   àà ø à)Ð €À  Ðà è àà @ àà ˜ àà ð àà H àà   àà ø à)Ìà è àà @ àà ˜ àà ð àà H àà   àà ø à)€Hon.€Jeffrey€F.€Stewart,Ìà è àINSURANCE€COMPANY€OF€NORTHà ø à)€ChancellorÐ 2r Ðà è àAMERICAà ˜ àà ð àà H àà   àà ø à)Ð X Ðà è àà @ àà ˜ àà ð àà H àà   àà ø à)Ìà è àà @ àDefendant„Appellant.à   àñI3ññJ3ññI3ñà ø àñI3ññJ3ññI3ñà ø à)à P àà ¨ àÓ€ÓÐ ä$ ÐÌà è àà @ àà ˜ àà ð àà H à€€€€ñI3ññK3ñ€€ñK3ññI3ñJUDGMENT€ORDERÌÌ€€€€€€€€Ô‡ Xú(XXXHˆÔà è àà @ àThis€case€is€before€the€Court€upon€the€entire€Ð Hˆ Ðà è àrecord,including€the€order€of€referral€to€the€à X àÐ °ð Ðà è àSpecial€Workers'€Compensation€Appeals€Panel,€and€the€¼à è àPanel's€Memorandum€Opinion€setting€forth€its€findings€¼à è àof€fact€and€conclusions€of€law,€which€are€incorporatedÏà è àherein€by€reference;Ìà è àà @ àWhereupon,€it€appears€to€the€Court€that€the€à X àÐ õ!5' Ðà è àmemorandum€Opinion€of€the€Panel€should€be€accepted€andÏà è àapproved;€andÌà è àà @ àIt€is,€therefore,€ordered€that€the€Panel's€à X àÐ ¸%ø!- Ðà è àfindings€of€facts€and€conclusions€of€law€are€à X àÐ ù&9#/ Ðà è àadopted€and€affirmed,€and€the€decision€of€the€Panel€isÏà è àmade€the€Judgment€of€the€Court.Ìà è àà @ àCosts€on€appeal€are€taxed€defendant/appellant,€¼à è àInsurance€Company€of€North€America€and€F.€R.€Evans,€¼à è àSurety,for€which€execution€may€issue€if€necessary.€¼à è àÌà è à11/02/98à ˜ àÔ#†XHˆXX Xú(ž(#ÔñI3ñ›