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D3 D- 0KCC AS 0 0DK A㔄-s (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular[-3|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 Regular Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5HP LaserJet 4 Plus,,,,,,03#37=CIQYag1.a.i.(1)(a)(i)1)a)i)(;3$2#  0  .3  0  (hH  Z 6Times New Roman Regular(#$  0  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(Times New Roman - -(|G2q$ !.8|dd8         0  X{X d(|3y#$ !.8|dd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3y#$ !.8|dd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8|dd8     _|8{XXdd8  |@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL , @@ATJACKSON#|# X August16,2002Session 4 X{X| #|XX{#_SYLVAIN_Ԁ_KINNON_v.WALMARTSTORE,INC.,etal.X{X|  <  @@ DirectAppealfromtheChanceryCourtfor_Haywood_ԀCounty D  @@No.12178GeorgeR.Ellis,Chancellor 4  @@*AV) ` dE<` A T  No.W200102428_WC_ԄR3CVMailedOctober28,2002;FiledDecember4,2002 S  #|XX{#X{X|AV) ` dE<` A #      Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppeals " PaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingand  reportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Inthisappeal,#|XX{#X{X|the  employer#|XX{#X{X|Ԁinsists#|XX{Q#X{X|Ԁtheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialcourtsfindingsastocausation,  permanencyandextentofpermanentdisability.Asdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedthe  judgmentshouldbeaffirmed.  y   Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2001Supp.)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheChancery b CourtAffirmed  R     JoeC.Loser,Jr,Sp.J.#|X{#X{X.|,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichJaniceM.Holder,J.,andJoe 2 H.Walker,Sp.J.,joined. "r JayL.Johnson,Jackson,Tennessee,fortheappellant,WalMartStores,Inc. !R ChristopherL.Taylor,Memphis,Tennessee,fortheappellee,_Sylvain_Ԁ_Kinnon_ "2!    MEMORANDUMOPINION #|XX{ #X{X| $ #   #|XX{ #X{X|  Theemployeeorclaimant,_Kinnon_,initiatedthiscivilactiontorecoverworkers &!% compensationbenefits,includingpermanentdisabilitybenefits,foraworkrelatedinjury.The '"& employer,WalMart,deniedliability.Afteratrialonthemerits,thetrialcourtawarded,among (#' otherthings,permanentpartialdisabilitybenefitsbasedon16percenttothebodyasawhole.The r)$( employerhasappealed. b*%)    Xn XXX{Appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumption B,'+ ofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.#X{X X Xn#Tenn. .-~(, CodeAnn.506225(e)(2)(2001Supp.). Xn XXX{ԀThereviewingcourtisrequiredtoconductan  independentexaminationoftherecordtodeterminewherethepreponderanceoftheevidencelies.#X{X X Xn# Xn XXX{Ԁ  _Wingert_Ԁv.GovernmentofSumnerCounty,908S.W.2d921,922(Tenn.1995).#X{X X Xn# Xn XXX{Thestandard  governingappellatereviewoffindingsoffactbyatrialcourtrequirestheSpecialWorkers  CompensationAppealsPaneltoexamineindepthatrialcourtsfactualfindingsandconclusions.#X{X X Xn# Xn XXX{Ԁ t _GAF_ԀBldg.Materialsv.George,47S.W.3d430,432(Tenn.2001).#X{X X Xn# Xn XXX{Wherethetrialjudgehasseen `  andheardthewitnesses,especiallyifissuesofcredibilityandweighttobegivenoraltestimonyare L  involved,considerabledeferencemustbeaccordedthosecircumstancesonreview,becauseitisthe 8  trialcourtwhichhadtheopportunitytoobservethewitnessesdemeanorandtoheartheincourt $ t testimony.#X{X X Xn# Xn XXX{Longv.TriConInd.,Ltd.,996S.W.2d173,177(Tenn.1999).#X{X X Xn# Xn XXX{ԀThetrialcourtsfindings  `  withrespecttocredibilityandweightoftheevidencemaygenerallybeinferredfromthemannerin  L  whichthecourtresolvesconflictsinthetestimonyanddecidesthecase.#X{X X Xn# Xn XXX{_Tobitt_Ԁv. 8  Bridgestone/Firestone,Inc.,59S.W.3d57,61(Tenn.2001).#X{X X XnQ# Xn XXX{ԀTheextentofaninjuredworkers $  vocationaldisabilityisaquestionoffact.#X{X X Xn# Xn XXX{Sealsv.England/CorsairUpholsteryMfg.,984S.W.2d   912,915(Tenn.1999).#X{X X Xn# Xn XXX{ԀWherethemedicaltestimonyinaworkerscompensationcaseispresented   bydeposition,thereviewingcourtmaymakeanindependentassessmentofthemedicalproofto   determinewherethepreponderanceoftheprooflies.#X{X X Xna# Xn XXX{WhirlpoolCorp.v._Nakhoneinh_,69S.W.3d  164,167(Tenn.2002).#X{X X Xn# p   Theclaimantisfiftythreeyearsoldwithatwelfthgradeeducationandexperienceasa L restaurantownerandtruckdriver.Heworkedprimarilyasanunloaderdriverfortheemployer.On < May4,2000,hereportedtoworkonthethirdshiftandloadedtrucksallnight.Atapproximately ,| 4:00thatmorning,hewaspullingapalletjackthatwassittingagainstawallandhurthisback.He l feltimmediatepainandexperiencednumbnessinhisbackandlegs.Hereportedtheaccidenttohis  \ supervisoraftercollectinghimself.Afterreceivingemergencycare,theclaimantwasauthorizedby L theemployertoseeDr._Pettigrew_.WhenDr._Pettigrew_streatmentprovedineffective,hevisited < Dr._Dowling_,whoreferredhimtoaneurosurgeon,Dr._Parisioon_.Dr._Parisioon_Ԁeventuallyreleased , theclaimantwithnopermanentimpairment.    Ontheadviceofcounsel,theclaimantvisitedDr.Joseph_Boals_,aboardcertifiedorthopedic  surgeon.Afterexaminingtheclaimant,Dr._Boals_Ԁdiagnosedabacksprainandestimatedthe   claimantspermanentimpairmenttobe8percenttothewholeperson,basedonappropriate ! guidelinesandcausallyrelatedtotheaccidentatwork.Theclaimantcontinuestohavedisabling |"  painandnumbness,islimitedinhisabilitytoliftandhastroublesleeping.Hehasnotreturnedto l#! workfortheemployer. \$"   TheemployercontendstheawardisexcessivebasedonDr._Parisioon_sopinionthatthe <&!$ claimantisnotpermanentlyimpaired.Theargumentignoresthetestimony,acceptedbythetrial ,'|"% court,ofDr._Boals_. Xn XXX{Whenthemedicaltestimonydiffers,thetrialcourtmustchoosewhichviewto (l#& believe.Indoingso,thecourtisallowed,amongotherthings,toconsiderthequalificationsofthe )l$' experts,thecircumstancesoftheirexamination,theinformationavailabletothem,andtheevaluation *X%( oftheimportanceofthatinformationbyotherexperts.#X{X X Xn$$#ԀOrmanv.Williams_Sonoma_,Inc.,803 *D&) S.W.2d672,676(Tenn.1991). Xn XXX{ԀMoreover,itiswithinthediscretionofthetrialcourttoconclude +D'* thattheopinionofcertainexpertsshouldbeacceptedoverthatofotherexpertsandthatitcontains  themoreprobableexplanation.#X{X X Xnr&#ԀHinsonv.WalMartStores,Inc.,654S.W.2d675,6767(Tenn.  1983).Whilebothdoctorsappeartobeeminentlyqualified,Dr._Boals_testimonyismoreconsistent  withthelaytestimonyfoundbythetrialcourttobecredible. Xn XXX{Thetrialcourtdidnoterrinaccepting  theopinionofDr._Boals_.    Oncethecausationandpermanencyofaninjuryhavebeenestablishedbyexperttestimony, d  thetrialjudgemayconsidermanypertinentfactors,includingage,jobskills,education,training, P  durationofdisability,andjobopportunitiesforthedisabled,inadditiontoanatomicimpairment,for <  thepurposeofevaluatingtheextentofaclaimantspermanentdisability.#X{X X Xn(#Tenn.CodeAnn.506 ( x  241(b). Xn XXX{ԀTheopinionofaqualifiedexpertwithrespecttoaclaimantsclinicalorphysicalimpairment (x  isafactorwhichthecourtwillconsideralongwithallotherrelevantfactsandcircumstances,but (x  itisforthecourttodeterminethepercentageoftheclaimantsindustrialdisability.#X{X X Xn+#Ԁ_Pittman_Ԁv._Lasco_ d  Industries,Inc.,908S.W.2d932,936(Tenn.1995).Fromaconsiderationoftherelevantfactors, d  totheextenttheywereestablishedbytheevidence,andgivingdueconsiderationtothefindingsof T  thetrialcourt,wecannotsaytheevidencepreponderatesagainstthefindingsofthetrialcourt. D   Fortheabovereasons,thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Costsaretaxedtothe $ appellant.     `     h     ___________________________________     `     h     JOEC.LOSER,JR. t   T @7 7 |XX{INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @==SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL  @''%ATJACKSON 0 @"August16,2002 H    _SYLVAIN_Ԁ_KINNON_Ԁv.WALMARTSTORE,INC.,etal.  ( x 1@  ChanceryCourtfor_Haywood_ԀCounty X  @%No.12178 p  @*AV) ` dE<` A߈   @ No.W200102428_WC_ԄR3CVFiledDecember4,2002   AV) ` dE<` A G  @qq# JUDGMENTORDER  n C |   ` ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorder f ofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel's x MemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,which  areincorporatedhereinbyreference;     ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthe  Panelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and "    ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusions F oflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgment !X oftheCourt. "j Ѐ ,#|    ` CostsonappealaretaxedtotheAppellant,WalMartStore,Inc.,for >$ whichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. P%     ` ITISSOORDERED. t'"" #| C4#||   `     h     PER_CURIAM_ *&% #||)9##X{X|0#