WPC\ @xCTPcQC"//\3ʛzRuhW"9/KtL|V>:wY[ Ais; iO`#hQͤI"@ A$cy6cu/gH|IU }?Ĩ>u#2c}NFmxW4VEK2 <6e4[4"@LƽJJ~?3TO)+ <`#UHd{gj?>/ tG$њF'Bf!SKywK6j I|7|x$0xqv]Ex]" |*SI}Ar xt69Dm\@۷3]+#) ā%o%F!A,?:|@TSQn6$ SVȼ@套z _L̛y St+p1TMO/9&-_FCK\Gu b#\ % ^ # 0/ U'N w 4 z  i x mz   _ %  NN z/EUNbQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ 0YYYY B DD 0a D3 D-8 0Kee AS 0 0Dm AHP LJ 4000/4050 PCL 5e,,,,0%l- (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regulardb,bk1P C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt3|xU Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt(9 Z 6Times New Roman Regular- -(|G2η$ !.8[5dd8         0  XiX d(|3}$ !.8[5dd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3}$ !.8[5dd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8H1dd8     _H18XXdd8  BH1@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL & @@ATNASHVILLE#H1B# L August26,2002Session "r XXH1 #H1XX#CATHY_JUDKINS_v.FINDLAYINDUSTRIES/GARDNER  p MANUFACTURINGDIVISIONXXH1  4  @@ DirectAppealfromtheChanceryCourtforWarrenCounty 4  @@No.7251CharlesD._Haston_,Chancellor  p  @@*AV) ` dE<` A 4  No.M200102560_WC_ԄR3CVMailedOctober11,2002 /  #H1XX#XXH1FiledNovember12,2002  AV) ` dE<` A       ThisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkersCompensation  AppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)for  hearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.This v complaintwasnonspecificastotheoccurrenceofajobrelatedaccidentandanycompensable b injuries.Theessentialthrustoftheappealbytheemployerisdirectedtotheissueofwhetherthe N purportedfailureoftheemployeetorevealpreexistingmedicalconditionstoanindependent : medicalexaminernullifieshistestimony.#H1XX#XXH1 &v    Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(1999)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheChanceryCourt N Affirmed  :     #H1X#XX.H1WilliamH._Inman_,Sr.J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhich_Adolpho_ԀA.Birch,Jr.,J.  andJoeC.Loser,Sp.J.,joined.   BruceTimothy_Pirtle_ԀandMaryM.Little,_McMinnville_,Tennessee,fortheappellant,Findlay "! Industries/GardnerManufacturingDivision. r#" BarryH.Medley,_McMinnville_,Tennesseefortheappellee,Cathy_Judkins_. J% $    MEMORANDUMOPINION #H1XX #XXH1 (^#'   #H1XX #XXH1  Theplaintiffisasinglefortyyearoldfemalewithaseventhgradeeducation.Shehasno )6%) workskills,andisqualifiedonlyformenialjobs.ShefiledacomplaintonFebruary24,2000,for *"&* workerscompensationbenefitsallegingthatwithinthecourseandscopeofheremploymentshe +'+  receivednewinjuries,cumulative,consecutive,exacerbationsand/oraggravationofinjuries,and/or ,', conditionsinDecember1999. -(- Ї  Thedefendantsoughtnofactualspecificity,butallegedanybasisfortheclaimwasanon  compensable,preexistingconditionunrelatedtoplaintiffsemployment.    Theplaintifftestifiedthatshehadbeenemployedbythedefendantforfouryearswhenshe t wasinjuredonDecember16,1999.Thedetailsofthenatureofherworkareskimpy;shetestified ` that: L  8  8`   [_Y]ou_Ԁgobackandgetracks,youbringthemupthere...Iwas $ t squatteddownlookingthroughtheparts,huntingwhatIneededwhen  ` thisguywasputtingupadie.Andhecamebackwithatowmotor,  L  backedup,andhittheracks,whichknockedmeover. 8 ` x` x   Theplaintifffinishedhershift,althoughherbackwashurting;shereportedtheoccurrence   andwasgiventhenamesofthreephysicians,oneofwhomwasDr.Rogerswhomshesaw twoor   threeweekslater.ShesawDr.Rogersthreetimes,thensawDr._Zwemer_Ԁtwice,andfinally,Dr.   RobinsonDyer.     Shetestifiedthatshehadbackproblemspreviously,but thattheyallgotbetter.Shedenied \ havinganybackproblems immediatelybeforethisinjuryhappened.Dr._Zwemer_Ԁtestified,as H nearlyascanbeascertained,thattheplaintiffmadenomentionofpriorbackproblems;thatxray 4 examinationofherrevealed degenerativediscdiseaseinherlumbarspine,confirmedbyanMRI  p examination,andthat Ididntgiveheranyrating.  \   CounselreferredhertoDr.Dyer,whoreportedthat,baseduponhisexaminationofthe 4 plaintiffandareviewofavailablemedicalrecords,shehadapermanentpartialimpairmentrelated   toherinjuryof5percenttoherwholebody.#H1XX, #XXH1     ThetrialjudgeacceptedthetestimonyofDr.Dyerandfoundthattheplaintiffhada17  percentvocationaldisability.Thedefendantappeals,insistingthattheevidencepreponderates  againstthisfinding,whichispresentedforreview.Ourreviewisdenovoontherecordwitha l presumptionthatthejudgmentiscorrectunlesstheevidencepreponderatesagainstit.Rule13(d) X  Tenn.R.App.P. D!   TheessentialthrustofthedefendantsargumentisthattheopinionofDr.Dyerisofnovalue #l! becauseitwaspremisedonthefalseassumptionthattheplaintiffhadsufferednopriorback $X" problems.Dr.DyersubmittedaFormCC2,whichdoesnotindicatethathisopinionwasbased $D # upontheabsenceofpriorbackproblems,andtheplaintifftestifiedthatshedidnotrecallwhether %0!$ sherelatedherpriorproblemstoDr.Dyerornot. &"%   Thecredibilityoftheplaintiffwasassailed,butwemustaccorddeferencetothetrialjudge, (#' whocreditedhertestimonynotonlyastohowtheaccident,ifany,occurred,butalsoastothe )$( sustainingoftheinjury,ifany,andtheextentofit. _Kellerman_Ԁv.FoodLionInc. ,929S.W.2d333 |*%) (Tenn.1996).ThetrialjudgealsoacceptedthetestimonyofDr.Dyerwhotestifiedthatthe h+&* plaintiffhadsustainedaworkrelatedinjurywitharesulting5percentimpairment.Weareunable  tofindthattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthejudgmentwhichisaffirmedatthecostsofthe  appellant.     `     h     ___________________________________ L     `     h     WILLIAMH._INMAN_,SENIORJUDGE  8  __H1XX  @@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL  #XXH1'!# H1XXCATHY_JUDKINS_v.FINDLAYINDUSTRIES/GARDNER " MANUFACTURINGDIVISION#XXH1"#   6  ChanceryCourtforWarrenCounty  6 @@No.7251  " @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.M200102560_WC_ԄR3CVFiledNovember12,2002   AV) ` dE<h` A i       H1XX#XXH1$#$  JUDGMENT H1XX#XXH1$# <   H1XX#XXH1b%#H1XX#XXH1%#XXXX  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltothe d SpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforth P itsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. <   Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbe  acceptedandapproved;and    Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadopted  andaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. t   Costswillbepaidbytheappellant,FindlayIndustries/GardnerManufacturing_Division,_Ԁfor L  whichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. 8!    ITISSOORDERED. #`"    `     h     PERCURIAM &"&   #XXXX%#