WPC^ 9# .UN9 % 0U:4 0D)w@1 0?q 0D  0J 0T> 0^ 0h 0rX 0| 0F 0 1u\ AQ " 0 0@ B? 0d\ D/ B D3 U>?U *}U*B)DC AM=Qv~ vHP LaserJet 4 PlusHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLH(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX(H=$  HTR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalTX_XXX7XXdXXd7,  AZ"Arial Regularc$ 3|xc($$   1   QDRSTUӀVVWXӀbc((3}$ H=!  HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TXXXX7XXdd7   `   0  (#$  0  2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)!"#&C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3}$ H=!  HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TXXXX7XXdd7  ("$     dP 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X((' dxdP Pd$$$$'dxd<  9p`(&Times New Roman<  9p`(Arial<  9p`(Times% Line 7 d22227Border 1dd!#3C << G  !  #d#/    H \RA'\0#d#  ""  0   YYY FILED0XMay8,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk    !#d#/    H \RA'\0#d#  ""  0   YYY FILED0XMay8,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk  PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ion-F Geneva  ion-F Geneva ! . /    H \RA'\0#11Xd##11Xd#  !    //R453A1-j|` . `@Rߛ @ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL@ ATNASHVILLE   J.C.PENNEY,INC.,   ) DAVIDSONCHANCERY      )  Plaintiff/Appellee   ) NO.01S019707CH00167      )       ) CAROLMCCOYDEBRASUECRAWFORD,  ) CHANCELLOR      ) Defendant/Appellant  ) FortheAppellant:   FortheAppellee: JohnE.Dunlap    Wm.RitchiePigue1433PoplarAvenue   WilliamG.McCaskill,Jr.Memphis,TN38104   TAYLOR,PHILBIN,PIGUE      MARCHETTI&BENNETT,PLLC      OneUnionStreet      P.O.Box198169      Nashville,TN372198169  MEMORANDUMOPINIONMembersofPanel: JusticeJaniceM.HolderSeniorJudgeWilliamH.InmanSpecialJudgeWilliamS.Russell  AFFIRMEDasMODIFIED     INMAN,SeniorJudge Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. Theemployeefiledthiscomplaintforadeterminationofthebenefitsavailabletothedefendantonaccountofassertedcompensableinjuriestoherarms/hands,i.e.,carpaltunnelsyndrome.TheChancellorawardedbenefitsforathreepercentpermanentpartialdisabilitytoeacharm.Theemployeeappeals,andpresentstwoissuesforreview,whichwerestateaswhethertheawardwasinadequate,andwhethertheemployeeshouldhavebeenallowedtostateanopinionconcerningherabilitytoperformcertainjobs. Reviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefinding,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Stonev.CityofMcMinnville,896S.W.2d548,550(Tenn.1995).00X //Ms.Crawfordis37yearsold.Sheisahighschoolgraduate,fivefeetthreeinchestallandweighs295pounds,accordingtotheIME,Dr.DavidGaw. ShebeganworkingasacustomerservicerepresentativeinthetelemarketingdivisionofJ.C.PenneyCompanyin1990,wheresheremainsemployed.InJanuary1995shereportedsymptomsofhandpaintoheremployerwhoreferredhertoDr.JamesLanter,orthopedicspecialist.Dr.LanterfirstsawheronFebruary22,1995anddiagnosedherconditionastendinitiswithpossiblecarpaltunnelsyndrome.Herecommendedareductioninherworkinghoursto32perweek,andcontinuedtoseeherthroughFebruary21,1996.DuringthistimeDr.Lanterstreatmentwasextensive;heobtainedtwoEMGsandnerveconductionstudieswhichindicatedmildbilateralcarpaltunnelsyndrome,notprogressive.Hecontinuedtreatingherformorethanayear,apparentlycarefully,andrecommendedthatshenothavesurgery.Hereaffirmedhisopinionthatherworkinghoursshouldbereduced,butassignedhernoimpairment. Ms.CrawfordwasreleasedbyDr.LanterinFebruary1996andshehasnotreturnedforfurthertreatment. Ms.Crawfordtestifiedthatsincebeingdiagnosedin1995shehascontinuedtowork,havingmissedonlyoneday.Sheworksnotlessthan24normorethan30hoursperweek,dependingupontheavailablework.Sheperformsasedentaryjobsatisfactorily,usingacomputerterminal,monitorandkeyboardonwhichshetypesordersfromcustomers.Shetestifiedthatalthoughshecontinuestowork,shehaspaininherneckandshouldersandthatherhandsbecomenumb,makingitdifficulttowrite.Shehasdifficultydoinghouseholdchores,mostlyonaccountofthenumbnessinherhands. ShewasreferredbyhercounseltoanIME,Dr.DavidGaw,whotestifiedthatshehadafivepercentimpairmenttoeacharm,orsixpercenttothewholebody,onaccountofthecarpaltunnelsyndromeforwhichshewilllikelyrequirefuturemedicaltreatment.Heopinedthattheonlywaytocontrolhersymptomswastocontroltherepetitiveuseofherhands,andthatsheshouldwearwristsupports. Theemployerhasabenefitprogramforitsemployeeswho,underappropriatecircumstances,areentitledtosickpay.Ms.Crawfordwaspaid$6,013.00pursuanttothisbenefitplanbecauseshewasunabletoworkasmanyhoursasnormally,owingtotheworkrestrictionsimposedbyDr.Lanter.Theplanprohibitsdoublecompensation,thatis,anemployeeisnotentitledtoreceivebothsickpayandworkerscompensationforthesameillnessorinjury.Ifanemployeerecoverssickpayandfutureeventsrevealthattheinabilitytoworkwasjobrelatedandcompensableunderworkerscompensation,withanawardofbenefits,theemployeemayberequiredtoreimburseorrefundthebenefitsreceivedunderthesickplan. Theappellantarguedthatthecompensationawardwasthussubrogable,andthatthisfactsomehowredoundedagainsther.Neithertheoryiscorrect.Theplannowhereprovidesforsubrogation;anemployeewhoactuallyreceivesdoublebenefitsmayberequiredtorefundthebenefitspaidundertheplan. Theappellantarguesthatthetrialjudgeerredinnotallowinghertotestifyconcerningherabilitytoperformpriortasks.Whenaskedspecificquestionsaboutjobrequirementsatpriorworkplaces,sheansweredbeforeobjectionwasmade[ WhatdifficultieswouldyouhaveworkingatTennesseeWoolenMillsAnswer:Icouldnt.]TheChancellorthoughtsuchtestimonywasspeculative,butRule701(a),Tenn.RulesofEvidence,providesthatalaywitnessmayexpressanopinionthatisrationallybasedonperceptionandwhichwouldbehelpfultoanunderstandingoftestimonyorthedeterminationofafactinissue.Wethinktheopinionoftheappellantthatshecouldnolongerperformcertaintaskswasadmissibleontheissueofdeterminingtheextentofvocationaldisability. Followingacarefulconsiderationoftheevidenceweconcludethatthejudgmentshouldbemodifiedtoawardbenefitsbaseduponafifteenpercentpermanentdisabilitytoeacharm.Costsareassessedtotheemployer.̜      _________________________________      WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudgeCONCUR:_____________________________JaniceM.Holder,Justice_____________________________WilliamS.Russell,SpecialJudge       J46;+'b|` 0* `@J@ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ ATNASHVILLEJ.C.PENNEY,INC.,   } DAVIDSONCHANCERY      } No.951805IIBelow Plaintiff/Appellee   }      } Hon.CarolMcCoy,vs.      } Chancellor      }DEBRASUECRAWFORD,  } No.01S019707CH00167      } Defendant/Appellant  } AFFIRMEDASMODIFIED.@ JUDGMENTORDER  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference.  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. ` ` X  Costswillbepaidbytheemployer,J.C.Penney,Inc.,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.  ITISSOORDEREDonMay8,1998.       PERCURIAM̛