ÿWPC4 4UBè %*U .0r^ 0Ð]nYm 0rÆ 8 8 0J8 w.‚ 4° 0TÄ 0^ 0hv 0rÞ 0|P 0†Ì 0R 1uâ 0dW AQ»Æ  0DÒ 0@ 0DV D/š BÉ Bæ D36B)ODCx AM»9fA<§v~ãvÓaô\  `*Times New RomanTTô"ÝÆÿA€ArialTT'    0 .   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ÔÔ€ÔÔ€ôÔÔ€XÔÔ€ÔÓ  ÓÝ  ÝÒ  ÒÒ 8 ÒÖ€+ÖÔ  ÔÔ  ÔÑ  ÑÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓÑ\R AØ'\ÑÔ&  ÔÔ€¼ÔÔ€ÔÞ ÞÌIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌÙ€!ÙßR€./-A1-j|·”` ç `€€@ÿRßÌSPECIAL€WORKERS'€COMPENSATION€APPEALS€PANELÌÌAT€NASHVILLEÌ(December€3,€1997€Session)ÌÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓBERYL€JACK,€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)€€€€€CLAIMS€COMMISSIONÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€€€€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Plaintiff„Appellant,€€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€)€€€€€Hon.€William€Robert€Baker,Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€)€€€€€Commissioner.Ìv.€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€ôÔ€Ô€¼Ô€€€€€€)€€€€€No.€01S01„9706„BC„00136ÌSTATE€OF€TENNESSEE,€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ô€Ô€Ô€¼Ô€Ô€,Ô€Ô€¼Ô€€€)Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Defendant„Appellee.€€€€€€€€)ÌÌÌÌÌòòFor€Appellantóó:€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€òòFor€Appellee:óóÌÌLarry€R.€Williams€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€John€Knox€WalkupÌNashville,€Tennessee€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Attorney€General€&ÏReporterÌÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Michael€E.€MooreÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Solicitor€GeneralÌÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Heather€C.€RossÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Assistant€AttorneyÏGeneralÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Nashville,€TennesseeòòÌóóÌÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓòòM€E€M€O€R€A€N€D€U€M€€€€O€P€I€N€I€O€NóóÌÌÔ'  ÔÌòòMembers€of€Panelóó:ÌÌLyle€Reid,€Associate€Justice,€Supreme€CourtÌWilliam€H.€Inman,€Senior€JudgeÌJoe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€JudgeÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓÌÌÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓFFIRMED€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Loser,ÏJudgeÓ {ÀÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓòòMEMORANDUM€OPINIONóóÓ ö€ÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓà àà àThis€workers'€compensation€appeal€has€been€referred€to€theÏSpecial€Workers'€Compensation€Appeals€Panel€of€the€Supreme€Court€inÏaccordance€with€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€section€50„6„225(e)(3)€for€hearing€andÏreporting€of€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law.€€The€employee€contendsÏthe€evidence€preponderates€against€the€commissioner's€finding€that€her€claimÏis€barred€because€of€a€false€statement€contained€in€her€employmentÏapplication.€€The€panel€has€concluded€the€judgment€should€be€affirmed.Ìà àà àThe€claimant€has€been€a€certified€nursing€technician€since€1973.€ÏShe€began€working€for€Bethany€Health€Care,€a€nursing€home,€in€May€ofÏ1990€and€soon€thereafter€injured€her€back€while€lifting€a€patient.€€As€a€resultÏof€that€injury,€she€received€two€laminectomies€at€L5„S1.€€Following€thoseÏsurgeries,€she€had€difficulty€standing,€bending€and€sitting€for€long€periods€ofÏtime.€€The€operating€surgeon€imposed€lifting€and€bending€restrictions.€€SheÏwas€awarded€permanent€partial€disability€benefits€and€applied€for€socialÏsecurity€disability€benefits.€€She€was€terminated€from€Bethany€because€thatÏemployer€did€not€have€work€for€her€within€her€limitations.Ìà àà àOn€October€10,€1991,€she€made€written€application€forÏemployment€at€Middle€Tennessee€Mental€Health€Institute.€€On€thatÏapplication,€she€was€asked,€"Do€you€have€a€limiting€disability€or€handicap?"€ÏShe€responded,€"No."€€In€response€to€a€question€as€to€her€reason€for€leavingÏBethany,€she€wrote,€"Illness€in€the€family."€€On€another€document,€sheÏdenied€having€any€"history€of€physical€defects."Ìà àà àOn€the€strength€of€that€application,€she€was€approved€forÏemployment€by€the€state.€€We€find€in€the€record€no€evidence€that€theÏemployer€had€any€knowledge€of€her€pre„existing€disability.€€It€is€equallyÏclear€in€the€record€that€she€could€not€have€been€employed€as€she€was€if€theÏabove€questions€had€been€accurately€answered.Ìà àà àThe€commissioner€denied€compensation€benefits€because€of€theÏfalse€application.€€Appellate€review€is€de€novo€upon€the€record€of€the€trialÏcourt,€accompanied€by€a€presumption€of€correctness€of€the€findings€of€fact,Ïunless€the€preponderance€of€the€evidence€is€otherwise.€€Tenn.€Code€Ann.Ïsection€50„6„225(e)(2).€€Where€the€trial€judge€has€seen€and€heard€theÏwitnesses,€especially€if€issues€of€credibility€and€weight€to€be€given€oralÏtestimony€are€involved,€considerable€deference€must€be€accorded€thoseÏcircumstances€on€review.€€òòKellerman€v.€Food€Lion,€Inc.óó,€929€€S.W.2d€€333Ï(Tenn.€1996).Ó ±ÓÌà àà àA€false€statement€in€an€employee's€application€for€employmentÏwill€bar€recovery€of€workers'€compensation€benefits€if€all€three€of€theÏfollowing€elements€exist:€first,€the€employee€must€have€knowingly€andÏwillfully€made€a€false€representation€as€to€his€physical€condition;€second,€theÏemployer€must€have€relied€upon€the€false€representation€and€such€relianceÏmust€have€been€a€substantial€factor€in€the€hiring;€and€third,€there€must€haveÏbeen€a€causal€connection€between€the€false€representation€and€the€injury.€ÏòòFederal€Copper€and€Aluminum€Company€v.€Dickeyóó,€493€€S.W.2d€€463Ï(Tenn.€1973).€€The€causal€connection€required€is€a€factual€showing€that€theÏinjury€upon€which€the€claim€is€based€is€causally€related€to€the€employee'sÏprior€injury€or€physical€condition€which€was€wrongfully€concealed€from€theÏemployer.€€òòDaniels€v.€Gudis€Furniture€Co.óó,€541€€S.W.2d€€941€(Tenn.€1996).Ó 4áÓÌà àà àFrom€a€deliberate€consideration€of€the€record,€the€panel€findsÏthe€evidence€to€be€virtually€undisputed€that€the€statements€made€by€theÏclaimant€were€false,€that€the€employer€relied€on€the€false€statements€and€suchÏreliance€was€a€substantial€factor€in€the€hiring,€and€that€there€was€a€causalÏconnection€between€the€false€representation€and€the€injury.€€The€claimantÏtestified€at€trial€and€maintains€in€this€appeal,€however,€that€she€did€not€knowÏher€statements€were€false€and€that€they€were€not,€therefore,€willfully€false.€ÏThus,€this€appeal€turns€on€her€credibility.Ìà àà àThe€commissioner€had€the€opportunity€to€and€did€observe€theÏclaimant€during€the€trial,€including€her€live€testimony.€€In€order€to€overturnÏhis€material,€this€tribunal€would€have€to€ignore€that€finding€and€findÏsomething€in€the€record€to€corroborate€her€testimony€that€she€did€not€knowÏof€her€limitations.€€The€evidence€does€not€support€such€a€finding.€€Under€theÏcircumstances,€we€must€defer€to€the€commissioner€and€affirm€his€finding.Ìà àà àThe€judgment€of€the€trial€court€is€affirmed.€€Costs€on€appeal€areÏtaxed€to€the€plaintiff„appellant.Ó  2ÓÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ` ‹XÓ_______________________________Ó ÓÌÓ  Ó€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Joe€C.€Loser,€Jr.,€Special€JudgeÌÓ  ÓÓ ` ŒXÓCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌLyle€Reid,€Associate€JusticeÌÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌWilliam€H.€Inman,€Senior€JudgeÌÑ€0ÑÇÒ  ÒÒ £ Òòòà@ àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌßJ€.1;+'b|ÂF` ç `€@ÿJßÌà@ àAT€NASHVILLEÌÌÌÌBERYL€JACK,à àà àà àà à}à àTN.€CLAIMS€COMMISSIONÌà àà àà àà àà àà à}à àNo.€204684€BelowÌà àPlaintiff/Appellantà àà àà à}Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à}à àHon.€William€Robert€Baker,Ìvs.à àà àà àà àà àà à}à àCommissionerÌà àà àà àà àà àà à}ÌSTATE€OF€TENNESSEEà àà àà à}à àNo.€01S01„9706„BC„00136Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à}Ìà àDefendant/Appelleeà àà à}à àAFFIRMED.ÌÌÌà@ àJUDGMENT€ORDERÌÌÌÓ€Óà àà àThis€case€is€before€the€Court€upon€the€entire€record,€including€theÏorder€of€referral€to€the€Special€Workers'€Compensation€Appeals€Panel,€and€theÏPanel's€Memorandum€Opinion€setting€forth€its€findings€of€fact€and€conclusionsÏof€law,€which€are€incorporated€herein€by€reference.Ìà àà àWhereupon,€it€appears€to€the€Court€that€the€Memorandum€OpinionÏof€the€Panel€should€be€accepted€and€approved;€andÌà àà àIt€is,€therefore,€ordered€that€the€Panel's€findings€of€fact€andÏconclusions€of€law€are€adopted€and€affirmed,€and€the€decision€of€the€Panel€isÏmade€the€judgment€of€the€Court.ÌÓ ` ` šXÓà àà àCosts€will€be€paid€by€Plaintiff/Appellant€and€Surety,€for€whichÏexecution€may€issue€if€necessary.ÌÓÓà àà àIT€IS€SO€ORDERED€on€March€5,€1998.ÌÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà àPER€CURIAMÌóóÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌ