WPC 7Uq1fp~{HY*h=텍+^E L ΢Ȱ5la+4vaVNDD6l32APP ʞ];:)xoQc2Y JF6俲bms5 4a@O%nw8zj iܝ t}19& !gthY|w_x!!o~n4g#a[ku" Nҳ=2L0ch(}4[i?%{N➎Vg]i2C~ IbCAx,)69jo4g^ }1=N 2 /28!UW=Jlis8N]PdW#c WP*[x 0ԬLDe b\4RZY-c_qcHEVb %\^ b 0nU6NwD4H\ zk m UN #   k 1NN zE}UNQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQb 0 B  0 D3S D- 0K ASQ 0 0D At- (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regulardb,x+00d3|x C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wptU(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularHP LJ 4000/4050 PCL 5e,,,,0Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5 C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt(9 Z 6Times New Roman Regular- -(|G2r5$ !..8 dd8         0  XLX d(|3?i$ !..8 dd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3?i$ !..8 dd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8 dd8     _ 8LXXdd8   @@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL & @@ATNASHVILLE# # L August26,2002Session "r XLX  # XXL#CHARLES_JURICAK_v.EXCLUSIVELYTEMPORARY,INC.,etal.XLX    p @@ DirectAppealfromtheCriminalCourtforMaconCounty  p @@No.00215J.O.Bond,Judge  \ @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.M200103101_WC_ԄR3CVMailedNovember1,2002   # XXL#XLX FiledDecember9,2002   AV) ` dE<` A       Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppeals  PaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingand v reportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Inthisappeal,# XXL#XLX the# XXL#XLX ԀSecond b InjuryFund(thefund)questionsthecompetencyandsufficiencyofaStipulationofSettlementfrom N anotherstatetopermitrecoveryfromthefund.Asdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedthe : judgmentshouldbeaffirmed. &v M   Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2001Supp.)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCriminal N CourtAffirmed  :     # XL#XLX. JoeC.Loser,Jr.,Sp.J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhich_Adolpho_ԀA.Birch,Jr.,J.,and  WilliamH._Inman_,Sr.J.,joined.  PaulG.Summers,AttorneyGeneralandReporter,andE.Blaine_Sprouse_,AssistantAttorney   General,Nashville,Tennessee,fortheappellant,JamesFarmer,Director,DivisionofWorkers r!  Compensation,TennesseeDepartmentofLaborandWorkforceDevelopment,SecondInjuryFund ^"! B.KeithWilliams,Lebanon,Tennessee,fortheappellee,Charles_Juricak_ 6$# D.BrettBurrow,Brewer,Krause&Brooks,Nashville,Tennessee,fortheappellees,Exclusively &^!% Temporary,Inc.andZurichAmericanInsuranceCompany &J"& &   MEMORANDUMOPINION # XXLU #XLX  ("$(   # XXL #XLX   Theemployeeorclaimant,Mr._Juricak_,initiatedthiscivilactionagainsttheemployer, *%* ExclusivelyTemporary,Inc.,itsinsurer,ZurichInsuranceCompany,andtheSecondInjuryFundto +&+ recoverworkerscompensationbenefitsforanallegedlyworkrelatedshoulderinjurythatoccurred ,', onAugust2,2000.Thecomplaintfurtherallegedthattheinjuryandresultingdisabilitywere n-(- _superimposeduponapreviousinjuryforwhichtheclaimanthadreceivedanawardunderFloridas  WorkersCompensationLaw.Theemployeranditsinsurer,byacrossclaimagainsttheSecond  InjuryFund,averredthattheclaimantwastotallyandpermanentlydisabledasaresultofthesecond  injuryandthattheemployersliabilityshouldnotexceed100percentdisability.TheSecondInjury t Funddeniedanyliability.Afteratrial,thetrialcourtawardedpermanentpartialdisabilitybenefits, ` infavoroftheclaimantandagainsttheSecondInjuryFund,basedon95percentpermanentpartial L  disabilitytothebodyasawhole.Thefundhasappealed. 8     XLXXXLForinjuriesoccurringonorafterJuly1,1985,appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecord  ` ofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthe  L  preponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.#XLXX XLJ#Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2)(2001Supp.). XLXXXLԀThe  8  reviewingcourtisrequiredtoconductanindependentexaminationoftherecordtodeterminewhere $  thepreponderanceoftheevidencelies.#XLXX XL# XLXXXLԀWingertv.GovernmentofSumnerCounty,908S.W.2d921,   922(Tenn.1995).#XLXX XL# XLXXXLThestandardgoverningappellatereviewoffindingsoffactbyatrialcourt   requirestheSpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPaneltoexamineindepthatrialcourts   factualfindingsandconclusions.#XLXX XLv# XLXXXLԀGAFBldg.Materialsv.George,47S.W.3d430,432(Tenn.2001).   #XLXX XL# XLXXXLWherethetrialjudgehasseenandheardthewitnesses,especiallyifissuesofcredibilityandweight p tobegivenoraltestimonyareinvolved,considerabledeferencemustbeaccordedthose \ circumstancesonreview,becauseitisthetrialcourtwhichhadtheopportunitytoobservethe H witnessesdemeanorandtoheartheincourttestimony.#XLXX XLP# XLXXXLLongv.TriConInd.,Ltd.,996S.W.2d 4 173,177(Tenn.1999).#XLXX XL+# XLXXXLԀThetrialcourtsfindingswithrespecttocredibilityandweightofthe  p evidencemaygenerallybeinferredfromthemannerinwhichthecourtresolvesconflictsinthe  \ testimonyanddecidesthecase.#XLXX XL# XLXXXLTobittv.Bridgestone/Firestone,Inc.,59S.W.3d57,61(Tenn. H 2001)#XLXX XL# XLXXXL.Theextentofaninjuredworkersvocationaldisabilityisaquestionoffact.#XLXX XL# XLXXXLSealsv. 4 England/CorsairUpholsteryMfg.,984S.W.2d912,915(Tenn.1999).#XLXX XL5# XLXXXLԀWherethemedicaltestimony   inaworkerscompensationcaseispresentedbydeposition,thereviewingcourtmaymakean   independentassessmentofthemedicalprooftodeterminewherethepreponderanceoftheprooflies.  #XLXX XL# XLXXXLWhirlpoolCorp.v.Nakhoneinh,69S.W.3d164,167(Tenn.2002).#XLXX XL<#Ԁ XLXXXLConclusionsoflawaresubject  todenovoreviewonappealwithoutanypresumptionofcorrectness.#XLXX XL#ԀNuttv.ChampionIntern.  Corp.,980S.W.2d365,367(Tenn.1998). l   Theonlywitnessesattrialweretheclaimantandanexaminingphysician,Dr.Francisca D! Lytle.Theclaimantsuncontradictedtestimony,insummary,isthathewas,priortobecoming 0"  disabledtowork,aperipateticshortordercook,andaverygoodone,whohassufferedaseriesof #l! devastatinginjuries.Atthetimeofthetrial,hewas59yearsoldandhadaneleventhgrade $X" educationandaGED. $D #   In1961,theclaimantwasworkingataconveniencestorecalledJacksonsMiniMarketwhen &"% herupturedadiscinhisbackwhileunloadingatruck.Theinjuryrequiredhimtohavebacksurgery '#& andhelostsixweeksfromwork,butdidnotmakeaworkerscompensationclaimorreceivean (#' award.Asecondbackinjuryoccurredin1984whilehewasworkingforFatBoysBarBQuein )$( Florida.Theinjuryoccurredwhentheclaimantslippedandfellwhileremovingaboxofsausage |*%) fromafreezer.Asaresultofthesecondinjury,hewasawardedpermanenttotaldisability_benefits h+&* underFloridalaw,accordingtohisuncontradictedtestimony,whichwassupportedbyuncertified  documentation.Hewasunabletoworkatallforfiveyearsbut,afterrehabilitatinghimself,he  workedforWaffleHouseforseveralyearsdespiteseverepain.HereturnedtoNashvilleandworked  forWaffleHouseuntil1996,whenhequitworkingtocareforhiswife,whohadterminalcancer. t OnAugust2,2000,hewashiredbyExclusivelyTemporary,afterfirsttellingtheemployerabout ` hisdisabilitiesandlimitations.Onthesameday,heslippedandfellatwork,landingonhisleft L  shoulder.Hehasnotworkedsincethattime. 8    Thethirdinjury,diagnosedasamassiverotatorcufftear,requiredopensurgery.Dr._Lytle_  ` estimatedtheclaimantspermanentimpairmentfromthethirdinjurytobe20percenttothewhole  L  body.Thetrialcourtaccreditedtheclaimantsowntestimonyandexpresslyfoundhimtobe 100  8  percentdisabledatthetimehisemploymentwiththeDefendantbegan,makingtheSecondInjury $  Fundliablefortheawardedpermanentpartialdisabilitybenefitsbasedon95percenttothebody   asawhole.     Thefundcontendsthejudgmentshouldbesetasidebecausethedocumentationbywhichthe   claimantstestimonywascorroboratedwasinadmissableunderTenn.R._Evid_.902(4),asnotbeing p selfauthenticating.However,perTenn.R._Evid_.901,the requirementofauthenticationor \ identificationasaconditionprecedenttoadmissibilityissatisfiedbyevidencesufficienttothecourt H tosupportafindingbythetrieroffactthatthematterinquestioniswhatitsproponentclaims.The 4 testimonyofawitnesswithknowledgethatamatteriswhatitisclaimedtobe,forexample,is  p sufficienttoprovetherequiredauthenticationoridentification.SeeTenn.R._Evid_.901(a)(b)(1).  \ Theclaimant,whomthetrialcourtfoundtobecredibleandwhosetestimonywasnotcontradicted H providedtherequiredauthenticationoridentificationinthepresentcase.Thefundofferedno 4 countervailingevidence.Theissueisthereforeresolvedinfavoroftheappellee.     Byareplybrief,thefundfurthercontendstheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialcourts  awardof95percentpermanentpartialdisabilitybenefitstothebodyasawholeandinfavorofa  findingofpermanenttotaldisability.Theonlyevidenceonthesubjectisthetestimonyofthe  claimantthatheisrighthandedandabletoworkinajobrequiringtheuseofhisrighthandandarm l only.Healsotestifiedthathismindisgoodandthatheiswillingtoworkwithinhislimitations. X  Again,thefundofferednoevidencetheclaimantispermanentlyandtotallydisabledasdefinedby D!  XLXXXLTenn.CodeAnn.506207(4)(B).#XLXX XL`3#ԀAccordingly,wecannotsaytheevidencepreponderatesagainst 0"  thefindingofthetrialcourt. #l!   Fortheabovereasons,thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Costsaretaxedtothe $D # appellant. %0!$    `     h     ___________________________________ )$(    `     h     JOEC.LOSER,JR.  |*%) _ XXL  @@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL  #XLX 6#  XXLCHARLESJURICAKv.EXCLUSIVELYTEMPORARY,INC.,etal.#XLX 6#  " @@ CriminalCourtforMaconCounty  " @@No.00215   @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.M200103101WCR3CVFiledDecember9,2002 }  AV) ` dE<T` A U        XXL#XLX 9#9  JUDGMENT  XXL#XLX 9# (x    XXL#XLX 9# XXL#XLX 4:#XLXXXL  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltothe P SpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforth < itsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. (   Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbe  acceptedandapproved;and    Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadopted t andaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. `   Costswillbepaidbytheappellant,JamesFarmer,Director,DivisionofWorkers' 8 Compensation,TennesseeDepartmentofLaborandWorkforceDevelopment,SecondInjuryFund $ t forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. !`    ITISSOORDERED. "8"    `     h     PERCURIAM &!&   #XLXXXLv:#_