WPC E;kdSe0jGESإ=l++uj&u;8|$@ <5WWRi^U,KMrͅ@X^,jFB 5eaNSaא]jQ~V2^8amS$QU֊b6R]_7Ωb }>[rJמe(\0mq i*%Lt|ڵr O-\/Ò0`f}'Ix#}аgYW:EA5Og퍒r] JoK d6445({j$jOȴArmO4f 1"jA(*++$~&nԺ9B~VrкF_{NԾB\ZIf_ =UX ,MU5f(kwHy=pz#vrsU;g).hߥ>T^ ` LCCMzGb#\ % ^ # 0/ U3N w 4 z  i x mz   _ %  0DNuEN z! mmm s {   b 0 B  0 D3O D- 0K ASM 0 0D A\\IB27S11T\stats1,,,,0-s (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular$w%-(ץ C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt3|xU Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(#$  0    R$      1  XiX  _XXiԀWewillnotdiscusstheissuesraisedbytheplaintiffotherthantosaytherecordsupportstheactionofthe  trialjudgeinrulingonDr._Odom_streatmentoftheplaintiff.#XiX~# k R$      2  XiX  _ԀXXiWewillnotdiscussthetestimonyofDr.OdombecauseDr.Odomtestifiedtheinjuryhetreatedcouldnot  havebeencausedbytheMay17,1999injury.#XiX#C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wptH45678- -(|G2$ !.8Hdd8         0  X X d(|3Dž$ !.8Hdd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3Dž$ !.8Hdd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8Mdd8     _M8iXXdd8  LLM@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL & @@ATKNOXVILLE#MLL# L October9,2002Session "r XiXM #MXXi#DEXTER_LEBRON_Ԁ_JOSHEN_v._MCKEE_ԀFOODSCORPORATIONXiXM   p @@ DirectAppealfromtheChanceryCourtforHamiltonCounty  p @@No.990989PartIW.FrankBrown,III,Chancellor  \ FiledDecember9,2002 4  @@*AV) ` dxE<` A   No.E200200194_WC_ԄR3CV   #MXXi#XiXMAV) ` dE<` A       ThisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkersCompensation  AppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)for v hearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Thetrial b courtfoundtheplaintiffhadsustainedacompensableinjurytohisshoulderandfixedanawardof N 30percentvocationaldisabilitytothebodyasawhole.Thedefendantsaysthetrialjudgefixedthis : awardonthebasisofa6percentmedicalimpairmenttothebodyratherthanonthebasisof4 &v percentmedicalimpairment,whichthedefendantassertsisthecorrectmedicalimpairmentrating. b The#MXXi#XiXMԀplaintiffrespondstothedefendantsclaimbysayingheissatisfiedbytherulingofthetrialcourt N ontheawardtotheplaintiff.However,theplaintiffsaysifwereversethetrialcourtsjudgmenthe : wishesustoaddressthefourassignmentsoferrorraisedbyhim.Theseassignmentsconcernthe & treatmentoftheplaintiffbyaDr.Alan_Odom_,whodidsurgeryontheplaintiffsshoulder.Thetrial  courtfoundthetreatmentbyDr._Odom_Ԁwasnotshowntoberelatedtothecompensableinjurythe  plaintiffsufferedwhileworkingforthedefendant.Weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt._ #  1      _Ԁ#MXXi#XiXMԀ#MXXi #XiXM     Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(1999)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheChanceryCourt r!  Affirmed  ^"!     #MXi #XiX.MJohnK.Byers,Sr.J.,#MXi #XiX.Mdeliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichWilliamM.Barker,J.and 6$# HowellN.Peoples,Sp.J.,joined.#MXXib#XiXM "%r $ CharlesD.LawsonandJ._Barlett_ԀQuinn,Chattanooga,Tennessee,attorneysforappellant,_McKee_ &J"& FoodsCorporation. '6#' GaryW._Starnes_,Chattanooga,Tennessee,attorneyforappellee,Dexter_Lebron_Ԁ_Joshen_. )%)  *%* _   MEMORANDUMOPINION #MXXi1#XiXM    #MXXi#  XiXMAtthetimeofthistrial,theplaintiffwasthirtyeightyearsofage.Heisahighschool  graduateandhasnoposthighschooleducation,vocationaloracademic.Heismarriedandthe t fatherofachildwhowasseventeenatthetimeoftrial. `   Forthemostparttheplaintiffsworkhistoryshowshimtohavebeenemployedinlow 8  payingjobssuchasabusboyanddishwasher,workasabrickmasonduringhighschoolandasa $ t cookinarestaurant.  ` Ѐ  Theplaintiffbecameemployedbythedefendantin1985,andcontinuedinthisjobuntilMay  8  17,1999.Theplaintiffsjobrequiredhimtoremovecartonsfromaconveyorandstacktheminto $  atrailer(truck)fordelivery.Thisrequiredlifting,turningandreachingabovetheshoulders.There   isnodisputethattheplaintiffinjuredhisrightarmandshoulderonMay17,1999inthecourseof   doingthestackingrequiredbyhisjob.      MedicalEvidence  #  2       p   Dr.DennisLeeStohler,anorthopaedicsurgeon,firstsawtheplaintiffonJune11,1999.He H diagnosedtheplaintiffsconditionasaresultoftheinjuryasleftrotatorcufftendinitiswith 4 subacromialbursitiswithmildleftbicepstendinitis.Dr.Stohlertreatedtheplaintiffanddetermined  p hehadreachedpermanentmedicalimpairmentof10percenttotheupperextremity,whichin  \ medicaljargonencompassestheshoulder,whichweconsiderapartofthewholebody.He H convertedthisto6percentmedicalimpairmenttothebodyasawhole. 4   Dr.Stohlertestifiedthataclinicalexaminationshowedthattheplaintiffsrangeofmotion   hadimprovedbyDecember21,1999.Hetestifiedthatiftherehadbeenimprovementtheoriginal  assessmentof6percent canbecertainly[inaccurate]inthatoriginalimpairment.Uponbeing  furtherquestionedabouttherangeofmotion,Dr.Stohlertestifieditwouldreflecta4percentwhole  bodyimpairment.Dr.Stohlerbasedthisevaluationonthe4thEditionoftheAMAGuidelines. l    `     h   Uponfurtherquestioning,Dr.Stohlertestifiedhedidnotgiveanyconsiderationforpainin D! reachinghisevaluation.Theevidenceshowstheplaintiffcontinuedtosufferpainandthe4th 0"  Editionconsiderspainaspertinentinfixingtheextentofmedicalimpairmentfromaninjury. #l!    Discussion  $D #   Thereislittlediscussionneededinthiscase.Theonlyquestioniswhetherthetrialcourt &"% shouldhavefoundthemedicalimpairmentwas6percentor4percenttothebodyasawhole. '#&  (#'   Thetrialjudgefoundthe6percentimpairmentratinggivenbyDr.Stohlerwasapplicable.  Weagreewiththisfinding.ThetestimonyofDr.Stohlerconcerningthe6percentratingwasclear  andunambiguous.Theratingof4percentwasnotclearofambiguity.Muchofthedoctors  testimonywasinthecontextof iforcanandthedoctorfailedtoconsiderpaininreachingthe t evaluation,forwhichtheAMAguidesprovide. `   We,therefore,findthejudgmentofthetrialcourtissupportedbytheevidenceandweaffirm 8  thejudgment.Thecostsofthisappealaretaxedtothedefendant. $ t    `     h     0  0` (#(#0 ` (#` (#0 (# (#0h(#(#0h(#h(#  _______________________________$ (#(#    `     h     JOHNK.BYERS,SENIORJUDGE#MXXi#       @7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @ ATKNOXVILLE,TENNESSEEXiXMԈ   #MXXia$#  DEXTERLEBRONJOSHENV.MCKEEFOODSCORPORATION   HamiltonCountyChanceryCourtXiXM    $@! %  %%%  % %% ! %!%% " %"%No.990989Part1   @"December9,2002    AV) ` dE<o` A p  @No.% # E200200194WCR3CV%#&Ԉ k  AV) ` dE<B` A C   #MXXi-%#XiXM@& JUDGMENT #MXXi'#XiXMԈ > #MXXi'#XiXMԀThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferral f totheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'smemorandumOpinionsetting R forthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; >    ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthememorandumOpinionofthePanel  shouldbeacceptedandapproved;and     ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactsandconclusionsoflaware  adoptedandaffirmedandthedecisionofthePanelismadetheJudgmentoftheCourt. v    ` Thecostsonappealaretaxedtotheappellant,McKeeFoodsCorporation,andits N surety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. : ̀#MXXiX(#%  XiXM   ` #MXXi~,#