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HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TXXXX7%ZXXdd7  ݛX     ќ 8  @@  INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  .t(>.*jx` `@Eg` ttx$ tߛ.@@B B SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL@@ATJACKSON   DAVIDMICHAELHODGE,    )    `     h     ) p     ` Plaintiff/Appellee h     ) p CARROLLCIRCUIT  (#     `     h     ) p  l  v. `     h     ) p NO.02S019712CV00107 R   `     h     ) p  8x CIGNAINSURANCECOMPANIES,  ) p HON.JULIANP.GUINN, ^  `     h     ) p JUDGE D  ` Defendant/Appellant    ) *  FortheAppellant:   h     FortheAppellee:  `  GregoryD.Jordan   h     LarryC.Sanders 8 JefferyG.Foster   h     SandersLawOffice  Rainey,Kizer,Butler,Reviere    42SouthMainStreet  Ѐ&Bell,P.L.C.   h     Lexington,TN38351    105SouthHighlandAvenueP.O.Box1147Jackson,TN383021147  \##    MEMORANDUMOPINION  *&+  MembersofPanel: v,(-  JusticeJaniceHolder N.*/ SeniorJudgeJohnK.ByersSpecialJudgeJohnR.McCarrollt AFFIRMED    h      p   BYERS,SeniorJudge =9@( Ї   OPINION      ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. ` Reviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovouponthe    recordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindings,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Stonev.CityofMcMinnville,896S.W.2d548,550(Tenn.1995). 0p TheapplicationofthisstandardrequiresthisCourttoweighinmoredepththefactualfindingsandconclusionsofthetrialcourtinaworkerscompensationcase.See   Corcoranv.FosterAutoGMC,Inc.,746S.W.2d452,456(Tenn.1988).   ` Thetrialcourtfoundtheplaintifftobetotallyandpermanentlyvocationallyimpairedandenteredjudgment..accordingly.The..defendantcontendstheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialjudgesfindingoftotaldisability. ` Wefindtheevidencedoesnotpreponderateagainstthefindingofthetrialjudgeandweaffirmthejudgment. ` ThecruxofthiscaseiswhethertheopinionofDr.Ray..Hester..concerningthemedicalimpairmentistobeto..accepted,..alongwiththetestimonyofthe..plaintiff,..asthebasisforthetrialcourts..award,..orwhethertheextentoftheplaintiffsdisabilityislessthanthatfoundbythetrialcourtifthefindingisprimarilybasedupontheopinionofDr.LowellStonecipher. ` Therearereportsintherecordfromvariousotherphysicianswhichdonotgivemuchsupporttotheplaintiffsclaimofhisdisabilitybutdonotundermineit..either,with..theexceptionofthereportofDr.JohnNeblett,whotreatedtheplaintiffandfelttheplaintiffhadnotsufferedanypermanentneurologicalimpairmentasaresultofhisinjury.Ourreadingofthereportsandtestimonyofthevariousdoctorssatisfiesusthatthecaseismostclearly...???..def...ube...ined...fromamedicalstandpointbetweenDr.HesterandDr.Stonecipher. ` ThedepositionofDr.Hester,..aneurosurgeonandthe..treatingphysician,goesintoconsiderabledetailabouttheplaintiffsconditionanddescribesthesurgeryheperformedontheplaintiffs..spine..torelievethe..pain..fromaprotruding..disc,..which ;7> occurredasaresultofafallwhileworkingforPat..Salmon..&Sons,Inc.asatruckdriver.Dr.Hesterdescribedtheplaintiffsconditionandtestifiedonthemedicaldisabilityasfollows:` Thismanhasa38%impairmenttothebodyasawhole.Hecannotbendfromhiswaistwhilestanding.Hecannot..(sic)lift...Hecan..not(sic)..walkanydistance.Hecantsitverylongatatime.Heisinmyopinion,totallyunabletoworkinanykindofemployableenvironmentbecauseofhiscontinuedproblemswithpainandrestrictionofmotionand..weakness...` We..Dr...Hestertestifiedthatusingthe..DiagnosticRelated....Estimates..oftheAMAGuides..   theplaintiffsuffereda10percentimpairment. ` Reportsfromvariousdoctorswhohadseentheplaintiffduringthecourseofhistreatmentindicatedtherewasno..need..forsurgeryand..lack..ofneurologicalimpairment.Someofthesedoctorsfelttheplaintiffwasmagnifyinghissymptoms..and/or..sufferedpsychologicalimpairmentasaresultofhisinjuries. ` Dr.Stoneciphersopinionwasthattheplaintiffexhibitedsignsofpainanddisabilitywhichhecouldnotdocumentbyobjectivetesting.Hewasoftheopiniontheplaintiffhadsustaineda10percentmedicalimpairmenttothebodyasawhole. ` Theplaintiffattimeoftrialwas45yearsof..ageand..hada..ninth..grade..education.He..hadworkedinasawmill,..onasurveycrewwith..theStateofTennesseeEngineering..Department,..inafamilyownedgrocerystore,asapoliceofficer,asamobilehomesalesman,andasatruck..driver.The..plaintifftestifiedhecontinuedtosufferpaininhisbackandlegsandwasunabletoperformanyofthejobshehadpreviouslyperformed. ` Theplaintiffmustestablishthepermanencyofaworkrelatedinjurybyexperttestimonyinmostcases...Corcoran..v.FosterAutoGMC,..Inc.,746S.W.2d452 L+', (Tenn.1988).....That..hasbeendoneinthiscasebythetestimonyofDr.HesterandtheopinionofDr.Stonecipher.Thequestionbecomes..which..ofthephysiciansopinionsistobeused,inconjunctionwiththelaytestimony,todeterminetheextentoftheimpairment. ` Thetrialjudgemayaccepttheopinionofoneofthemedicalexpertsovertheopinionofothermedicalexpertswhotestifyinthiscase.Johnsonv.Midwesco,Inc., 6X28 801S.W.2d804(Tenn...1990).It..appearsfromthefindingofthetrialjudgethathe primarilyacceptedtheopinionofDr.Hester. 95<  ` Whenthemedicalevidenceissubmittedbydepositionsandbyrecords,asit isinthiscase,wemayevaluatetheweightandvalueofthemedicalevidence.Humphreyv.DavidWitherspoon,Inc.,734S.W.2d315(Tenn.1987).However,we X donotdisregardthefindingsofthetrialjudgeonthemedicalevidenceunlessthereissomecompellingreasontodoso.Wefindnoreasoninthiscasetodiscountthe..finding..ofthetrialjudgeinthisregard. ` Weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourtandtaxthecostofthisappealtothedefendant. `     h     _____________________________ `     h     JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudgeCONCUR:________________________________JaniceHolder,Justice________________________________JohnR.McCarroll,SpecialJudge.  j!! ....` @  XXINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@)ATJACKSON#XX '#Ԉ x  ...-XXp XX-......-Xp XX-.....-XpxXX-..DAVIDMICHAELHODGE, p )  CARROLLCIRCUIT P ..<Xp XXpxX<....r (<,(j 8` `@E0=` ttx$h6 r....<p XXpxX<...<pxXXpxX<. p )  NO.2877 6 ..6pXpxX6....9` p XpxX9...<` pxXpxX<. ` Plaintiff/Appellee, p )    ..<p X` pxX<....<` p X` pxX<.... `  p )  Hon.JulianP.Guinn,  vs. `  p )  Judge    `  p ).t (>.*jxF` `@E` ttx$ 2 t.CIGNAINSURANCECOMPANIES, p )  NO.02S019712CV00107 T   `  p ) ` Defendant/Appellant. p )  AFFIRMED.   @' XXJUDGMENTORDER#XX /#Ԉ    6` pX` pxX6 ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. CostswillbepaidbyAppellant,andsurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. ITISSOORDEREDthis5thdayofJanuary,1999.      x   (#    PERCURIAM b;27 Ї..    ..