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AKdU *:f/yv~v&\  `*Times New RomanTT' * 6Gordon Chadwick Aulgur60Gordon Chadwick Aulgur .   h:Default ParaDefault Paragraph FontXXXW\  `*Times New RomanTTW        W\  `*Times New RomanTTW`:footnote reffootnote referenceXXXW\  `*Times New RomanTTW        W\  `*Times New RomanTTW(e2i1$ Y!> > >    'dxd Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5(e2i1$ Y!> > >    ($    (e2i1$ Y!> > >     C<< c2 0Indent123  3|x\  `*Times New RomanTTC\  P6QP\  `*Times New RomanTTXXP\  P6QXP\  `*Times New RomanTT&&J\  P6Q&P(JY$jjj  YEYEYYYdDgDHDDVӀӀ5K#  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  ԁLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 526 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   !" ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X d&&&&'dxd% Line 7 d----7Border 1dd .C << G<  9p`(Arial 0 !  #d#   00   YYY FILED0X December9,1997CecilCrowson,Jr.0AppellateCourtClerk  \\RA'\ % !#d#   00   YYY FILED0X December9,1997CecilCrowson,Jr.0AppellateCourtClerk PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ion-F Geneva  ion-F Geneva ! .      7> dd7    X    \RA'\  @ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE R/1.A1-j|`  `@R@ SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL@ ATJACKSON@ (May23,1997Session)______________________________________________________________________________DENNISHODGE, Plaintiff/Appellee,VS.        NO.02S019611CV00098M.S.CARRIERS,INC.,     SHELBYCOUNTYLAW        JUDGEROBERTL.CHILDERS Defendant/Appellant.______________________________________________________________________________FORAPPELLANT:      FORAPPELLEE:DavidM.Rudolph      CharlesA.SevierMemphis,Tennessee      Memphis,Tennessee@ MEMORANDUMOPINION@ MailedNovember_____,1997@ MembersofPanel:@ JaniceM.Holder,AssociateJustice,SupremeCourt@ RobertA.Lanier,SpecialJudge@ DonR.Ash,SpecialJudge AFFIRMED         Ash,SpecialJudge@ MEMORANDUMOPINION ThisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)(1996Supp.)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Inthisappeal,theemployer,M.S.Carriers,Inc.,contends:(1)thatMr.Hodge,thePlaintiffdidnotmeethisburdenofprovingbyapreponderanceofmedicalevidencethathehadanypermanentdisabilitytohislowerbackbecauseoftheallegedworkaccidents;(2)thatthetrialcourterredinapplyingamultipleoffourtimesplaintiffsanatomicalimpairmentrating,givenplaintiffsage,extensivevocationalhistoryandcurrentemployment. @ STANDARDOFREVIEW   AppellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordoftheTrialCourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2)(1996Supp.).Thistribunalisrequiredtoconductanindependentexaminationoftherecordtodecidewherethepreponderanceoftheevidencelies.Wingertv.GovernmentofSumnerCounty,908S.W.2d921(Tenn.1995).@ FACTS  Theclaimant,Mr.DennisHodge,wasfortyoneyearsoldatthetimeoftrial.HiseducationalbackgroundconsistsofaGEDandtwoyearsofjuniorcollege.Mr.Hodgesworkhistoryconsistedofservinginthearmedforces,workingasasalesman,workingforarailroadanddrivingcommercialvehicles.Heiscurrentlyemployedasarecruiterforacommercialtruckdrivingschool.Mr.HodgeinjuredhisneckandbackonDecember7,1993,whileworkingforM.S.Carriers.Mr.Hodgeattemptedtoreturntowork.Hereinjuredhimself,however,aggravatingthepreexistinginjuryofDecember7,1993.Priortotheseincidents,Mr.Hodgehadnodifficultywithhisneckandback. Mr.HodgewasexaminedbyDr.K.L.Vandervoortwhotreatedhimconservatively.Initially,Dr.VandervoortgaveMr.Hodgea7%impairmentratingtothebodyasawhole.Dr.VandervoortopinedthatMr.Hodgehadreachedmaximummedicalimprovementandimposedpermanentworkrestrictionsofliftingamaximumof25poundsoverhead,40poundsliftingfromthefloortowaist,andlimitedhimtopushpullof50pounds.Later,Dr.Vandervoortassessed2%ofthe7%impairmentratingtotheallegedworkinjuryand5%toMr.Hodgespreexistingtorticolliscondition,whichhesustainedwhenhewasseverelyburnedasachild.Dr.VandervoortfurtheropinedthatMr.Hodgedidnothaveanyanatomicalimpairmenttohislowerbackfromtheallegedworkinjury,althoughhenotedMr.Hodgehadlimitedmotioninhiscervicalspine. Next,Mr.HodgesawDr.PaulWilliamsforanindependentmedicalexaminationwhereheconductedanMRIandtookXraysofMr.Hodgesback.Dr.Williamsnotednoremarkableoutstandingabnormalities,buthedidobservethatMr.Hodgesufferedfrommusclespasmsandpersistentlimitationsofmotioninhislowerback.Dr.Williamsassesseda3%permanentanatomicalimpairmenttoMr.Hodgesbodyasawholeforhislumbarspineanda3%permanentanatomicalimpairmenttoMr.Hodgesbodyasawholeforhiscervicalspine. @ FINDINGOFDISABILITY  AppellantcontendsthatPlaintifffailedtoprovebyapreponderanceofmedicalevidencethathehadanypermanentdisabilitytohislowerbackasaresultoftheallegedworkaccidents.Intheinstantcase,thereexistsdisparityinthemedicalopinionsofthedoctors.Therefore,thispanelmustdecidewhetherthetheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialjudgesdecisiontochooseDr.WilliamsopinionoverDr.Vandervoortsopinion. Whenthetrialjudgehasanopportunitytohearthewitnesses,especiallywhereissuesofcredibilityandweightoforaltestimonyareinvolved,onreviewconsiderabledeferencemustbeaccordedtothosecircumstances.Humphreyv.DavidWitherspoon,Inc.,734S.W.2d315,315(Tenn.1987).Alloftheproofinthiscasewastakenbydepositionorwasdocumentary.Accordingly,allimpressionsofweightandcredibilitymustbedrawnfromthecontentsthereof,andnotfromtheappearanceofwitnessesonoraltestimonyattrial.Landersv.FiremansFundIns.Co.,775S.W.2d355,356(Tenn.1989).Moreover,whilecausationandpermanencyofaninjurymustbeprovedbyexpertmedicaltestimony,suchtestimonymustbeconsideredinconjunctionwiththelaytestimonyoftheemployeeastohowtheinjuryoccurredandtheemployeessubsequentcondition.Smithv.EmpirePencilCo.,781S.W.2d833,835(Tenn.1989). Intheinstantcase,thePlaintifftestifiedthathehadnodisabilitypriortotheaccident.ThetestimonyissupportedbytherecordshowingMr.Hodgepassedtheemployersphysicalexaminationpriortoreceivingemployment.Moreover,thetreatingphysician,Dr.Vandervoort,opinedinhisfirstvisitwithPlaintiffthatMr.Hodgesinjurieswereworkrelated.However,itwasnotuntilDr.VandervoortsdepositionsthathechangedthevalueoftheimpairmentratinghegavetoMr.Hodge.Dr.Vandervoortseparated5%oftheoriginal7%impairmentratingtoPlaintiffspreexistingcondition,leavingonly2%causallyrelatedtotheonthejobinjury.Nevertheless,Dr.VandervoortopinedthatPlaintiffsinjurywascompensable,thoughtheimpairmentratinghegavewaslessthanDr.Williamsopinionof3%tothebodyasawholeforthecervicalspineconditionand3%tothebodyasawholeforthelumbarspinecondition. ThetrialcourtfoundMr.HodgeandDr.Vandervoorttobeacrediblewitnesses.Thecourt,however,foundDr.Vandervoorttobeconfused,baseduponhiswrittenmedicalrecordsandhistestimonyatdeposition.DuetotheconflictinDr.Vandervoortstestimonyandthewrittenmedicalrecordsavailable,thetrialjudgewasentitledtogiveDr.WilliamstestimonygreaterweightinfindingthePlaintiffhadadisabilityof6%tothebodyasawhole.Therefore,theevidencedoesnotpreponderateagainstthetrialjudgesfindingthatthePlaintiffsinjurywascompensableandtheimpairmentratingwasnotexcessive.    APPLICATIONOFMULTIPLIER  AppellantcontendsthattheTrialCourterredinapplyingamultipleoffour(4)timesplaintiffsanatomicalimpairmentrating,givenplaintiffsage,extensivevocationalhistoryandcurrentemployment. Thetrialcourtisjustifiedintheconsiderationoffactorssuchasage,jobskills,education,training,andthelike,inadditiontoanatomicalimpairment.Worthingtonv.ModineMfg.Co.,798S.W.2d232,234(Tenn.1990).ThefactorsthisCourtistoconsiderindeterminingtheamountofdisabilityaretheclaimantsage(Jacksonv.GreyhoundLines,Inc.,734S.W.2d617,621(Tenn.1987));hisjobskills,education,training,andlengthofdisability(EmployersIns.v.Heath,536S.W.2d341,34243(Tenn.1977));jobopportunitiesinthemarketplace(Hinsonv.Walmart,654S.W.2d675,677(Tenn.1983));whethertheclaimanthasreturnedtowork(Corcoranv.FosterAutoGMC,746S.W.2d452,459(Tenn.1987));theclaimantsownassessmentofhisorherphysicalconditionandresultingdisability(Corcoran,746S.W.2dat458);andwhetherdespitereturningtowork,whethertheclaimantsabilitytoearnwagesinanyformofemployment(thatwouldhavebeenavailabletohiminanuninjuredcondition)isdiminishedbyaninjury(Prostv.CityofClarksville,688S.W.2d425,427(Tenn.1984)). Intheinstantcase,Mr.Hodgeisa41yearoldmanwithaG.E.D.andtwoyearsofjuniorcollege.&ԀXMr.Hodgeslimitededucationalbackgroundprovidesnospecializedtrainingthatcouldbetransferredtoalessmanuallabororientatedfieldofemployment.Mr.Hodgehasworkedasaservicemaninthearmy,boilerfireman,switchman/trainmanandrepairmanforarailroad,insurancesalesperson,longdistancesalesperson,carsalesperson,meatprocessor,truckdriver,andasarecruiterforacommercialdrivingschool.&ԀMr.Hodgesonlyspecializedtrainingisthatofatruckdriver.However,hismedicalrestrictionslimithiscapacitytooperateatruck.Therefore,Mr.Hodgesabilitytofindemploymentintheopenlabormarket,inviewofhisage,education,physicalcondition,workrestrictions,andskillsisimpairedbyhisinjury. Basedontheproof,thisCourtfindsthatthemultiplieroffourtimesMr.Hodgesimpairmentratingisappropriate.Therefore,theevidencedoesnotpreponderateagainstthetrialjudgesfindingof24%tothebodyasawhole.X Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaccordinglyaffirmed.Costsonappealaretaxedtothedefendantappellant.       ____________________________________       DonR.Ash,SpecialJudgeCONCUR: ____________________________________RobertLanier,SpecialJudge____________________________________JaniceM.Holder,AssociateJustice2 ` 0@ 0INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ ATJACKSON0X#` pX L X#DENNISHODGE,   ) SHELBYCIRCUIT#` p` L X# ) NO.64526T.D.` p` X Plaintiff/Appellee, ) #` p` L X#  ) Hon.RobertL.Childers,vs.  ) JudgeJ/3;+'b|_`  `@J  )M.S.CARRIERS,INC., ) NO.02S019611CV00098  ) Defendant/Appellant. ) AFFIRMED.@ 0JUDGMENTORDER0X  ` p`  X ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. CostswillbepaidbyAppellant,andsurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. ITISSOORDEREDthis8thdayofDecember,1997.        PERCURIAM(Holder,J.,notparticipating)