WPC  QUWC  :,!Dz{ܦ՜ilgeON"V0LS$A<4BT=[6R /tWp!m9:V__7B&bܗlD2o5⏙HY-?'%?ȯB +#~W9A:J3smRyeQ e#<nk6 |}on_wi.5An{׳Bopb{ji[e޿kIWD`kz1W.[(cȢ&لκeJJSTtz ฺiQ/-J $7<[4u Ry3-xr,^- V;TЭai—J,\vS=UpmߣQp1oVqm (wmਨܓ>\Yb٢ىGNǠ Db %\U@b 0UN*^ xw4 z   m   t :  0DN  #EU*b 0     B  0 D3 D- 0K AS` 0y 0D Aa(9 Z(Times New Roman (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman RegularR+ yG*\P 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  RH$      1  XKyX  _Ԁ XXKy   WehavereviewedthedepositionofDr.CraigR.Colvin,aspecialistinvocationalrehabilitationanddonot  finditrelevanttotheissueraisedinthiscase.#   #ԁLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(%$  1   HP LaserJet 40500%2A`Arial- -(|G2H$ !..8 udd8         0  XKyX d(|3p$ !..8 udd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3p$ !..8 udd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8 udd8     _ u8KyXXdd8   u@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL & @@ATKNOXVILLE# u# L May24,2001Session "r XKyX u # uXXKy6#_LOUANA_Ԁ_KLOPFENSTEIN_v._WINDWOOD_ԀHEALTH_REHAB_Ԁ_CTR_.,et  p al.XKyX u  4  @@ DirectAppealfromtheCircuitCourtforAndersonCounty 4  @@No.99LA0087JamesB.Scott,Judge  p  @@*AV) ` dE<` A 4  No.E200002706_WC_ԄR3CV# uXXKyu#XKyX uԀMailedJuly31,2001 /  __FILED:_ԀOCTOBER18,_2001__  # uXXKy##XKyX uAV) ` dE<` A       # uXXKy#XKyX uThis_workers'_ԀcompensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppeals  PaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTennesseeCodeAnnotated506225(e)(3)for v hearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.# uXXKy#XKyX u b    Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(1999)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourt : Affirmed  &v     JohnK.Byers,Sr.J.# uXKyu#XKyX. u,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichWilliamM.BarkerJ.,and N WilliamH._Inman_,Sr.J.,_joined_. : DavidM.Sanders,Knoxville,Tennessee,fortheappellants,WindwoodHealthRehabCtr.,etal.  RogerRidenour,Knoxville,Tennessee,fortheappellee,LouanaKlopfenstein. !  g   MEMORANDUMOPINION # uXXKy #XKyX u r#"   # uXXKy #XKyX u  Reviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovoupontherecordofthetrial 6&!% court,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindings,unlessthepreponderance "'r"& oftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Stonev.CityofMcMinnville,896 (^#' S.W.2d548,550(Tenn.1995).TheapplicationofthisstandardrequiresthisCourttoweighinmore (J$( depththefactualfindingsandconclusionsofthetrialcourtsinworkerscompensationcases.See )6%) Corcoranv.FosterAutoGMC,Inc.,746S.W.2d452,456(Tenn.1988). *"&* @))% Discussion  ,',  -(-   Thetrialcourtfoundtheplaintiffhadsufferedaseventypercentpermanentpartialdisability  _totherightlegandheldthatWindwoodHealthRehabCenterwasliableforcompensationtothe  plaintiff.ThedefendantWindwoodHealthRehabCentersaysthetrialcourterredinnotfindingthe  defendantClinchRiverHomeHealthInc.liableunderthelastinjuriousinjuryrule.Weaffirmthe t judgmentofthetrialcourt ` ̀ 8  @  ( Facts  $ t   OnJanuary2,1998,theplaintiffwasworkingforthedefendantWindwoodwhenshefellin  L  ashowerwhileassistingapatientandsufferedaninjurytoherrightknee.Windwooddidnot  8  contestthecompensabilityoftheinjury.Windwoodfurnishedmedicalcaretotheplaintiff.Shewas $  offfromworkfora fewweeks,returnedtoworkfora fewweekswithoutrestrictionandleftthe   employmentofWindwoodafterabout twoweeks.Theplaintiffwenttoworkforthedefendant   ClinchRiverinMarchof1998.TheplaintifftestifiedthatonFebruary12,1999,shewasgivinga   patientabathinthepatientshomewhichrequiredthatthepatientbeplacedonashowerchair.   Accordingtotheplaintiffsheheardherkneepopandcrackasshewasperformingthistask. p     TheplaintifftestifiedshewentfromthepatientshomebacktoClinchRiverandreported H thisincidenttoLindaDarland,asecretary/receptionist.TheplaintifftestifiedshetoldLindaDarland 4 thatshewasatworkandherkneebegantohurtandswellup.ShetestifiedMs.Darlandmadea  p doctorappointmentforher.ShewastreatedbyDr.Malagan,whohadtreatedherpreviously,until  \ hereferredhertoDr.CletusJ.McMahon,Jr.,anorthopedicsurgeon.Ms.Darlandtestifiedthe H plaintiffnevertoldherthatshehadinjuredherselfwhileworkingforClinchRiver.Shedenied 4 makinganappointmentfortheplaintiffwithadoctor.Ms.Darlandtestifiedtheplaintiffwouldtell   herthatherkneehurtandthatshebelieveditwascausedbyanaccidentatherpreviousemployment.   Ms.DarlandsaidtheplaintiffnevertoldhershewashurtwhileworkingforClinchRiver.    JoyceChattin,thedirectorofnursingatClinchRiver,testifiedtheplaintiffcametoheron  February12,1999,andbroughtanotefromadoctorthatlimitedtheplaintifftoliftingnomorethan l thirtypounds.TheplaintifftoldMs.Chattinnottoworrythatthecauseofherproblemhappened X  ataplaceofpreviousemployment. D!   PamelaSueObenshain,executivedirectoratClinchRiver,testifiedshetalkedtotheplaintiff #l! afterFebruary12,1999,andthattheplaintiffcouldnotpointtoanyspecificincidentwhileworking $X" forClinchRiverwhichcausedaninjurytoherrightknee.TheplaintifftoldMs.Obenshainshe $D # thoughttheworkforClinchRiveraggravatedthepreviousinjury. %0!$ ̀@" MedicalEvidence  (#'   Dr.CletusJ.McMahon,Jr.anorthopedicsurgeonfirstsawtheplaintiffonFebruary24, |*%) 1999,whenshewasreferredtohimbyDr.Malagon.Aftertestingoftheplaintiffsrightknee,Dr. h+&* McMahondiagnosedherproblemasatearofthemedialmeniscusandchondromalaciatotheright  patella(softeningofthearticularcartilage).Dr.McMahonwasoftheopinionthecauseofthe  plaintiffskneeproblemswasthefallofFebruary24,1999.Heopinedshehadsustainedaseven  percentpermanentpartialimpairmenttoherrightlegasaresultoftheinjury.Hefixedpermanent t restrictionsof beingcarefulaboutsquatting,doingbentkneeactivitiessuchasgoingupanddown ` stairs.Dr.McMahonwasquestionedcloselybyWindwoodaboutwhethertheplaintiffreported L  tohimaninjuryonFebruary12,1999whileworkingforClinchRiver.Hetestifiedsheonlytalked 8  aboutliftingpatientsbutnotaboutaspecificinjury.Dr.McMahonstestimonyonwhetherthere $ t wasasecondinjuryandtotheeffectupontheplaintiffissofarspeculativeastohavenovaluein  ` determiningtheissueraisedinthiscase._  %  1      _  L  @))% Discussion      ThereisnoquestionthattheholdingoftheCourtinMcCormickv.SnappyCarWash,806   S.W.2d527(Tenn.1991)thatwhenanemployeehashadapreviousinjuryforoneemployerand   thensustainedasubsequentinjurywhileemployedwithasuccessiveemployer,thesuccessive p employerisliablefortheentiredisabilitycausedbythesubsequentinjury.Whetherthereisa \ subsequentinjurywhileintheemploymentofthesuccessiveemployeris,however,aquestionoffact H tobedeterminedbythetrialjudgefromtheevidencepresentedinthecase. 4   Thetestimonyofthewitnesseswhotestifiedbeforethetrialjudge,withtheexceptionofthe  \ plaintiff,testifiedtheplaintiffnevertoldthemshehurtherselfwhileworkingforClinchRiver.The H plaintiffstestimonyonwhethertherewasanaccidentalinjuryonFebruary12,1999islessthan 4 certainatmost;shetoldthedoctortheworkmighthaveaggravatedtheinjuryshereceivedwhile   workingatWindwood.Thetrialjudgefoundtestimonyofthewitnessesthattherewasnonew   injurywhiletheplaintiffworkedforClinchRivermorecredible.      Wherethetrialjudgehasmadeadeterminationbaseduponthetestimonyofwitnesseswhom  hehasseenandheard,greatdeferencemustbegiventothatfindingindeterminingwhetherthe l evidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialjudgesdetermination.SeeHumphreyv.David X  Witherspoon,Inc.,734S.W.2d315(Tenn.1987). D!   Wefindtheevidencedoesnotpreponderateagainstthefindingofthetrialjudgethatnonew #l! injuryoccurredonFebruary12,1999andthatthelastinjuriousinjuryruledoesnotapplyinthis $X" case. $D #   Windwoodarguesthattheawardofseventypercentlossofuseoftherightlegfoundbythe %0!$ trialjudgeisexcessive.Thisargumentisbaseduponthefactthedoctoronlyfoundasevenpercent &"% medicalimpairmentandtherestrictionsplacedupontheplaintiffwereminimal.Further,Windwood '#& arguestheplaintiffhasreturnedtowork. (#' _ԇ  Thedeterminationoftheamountoflossofuseofascheduledmemberwhenthelossisless  thantotalisdifficulttoquantify.Aworkerdoesnothavetoshowvocationaldisabilityorlossof  earningcapacitytobeentitledtothebenefitsforlossofuseofascheduledmember.Duncan_v._  BoeingTenn.,Inc.,825S.W.2d416(Tenn.1992).Theapplicableruleissimplewhenthereisatotal t lossofuseofascheduledmemberbecausetheWorkersCompensationActprovidesfortheamount ` ofcompensationtobeawardedinsuchcases.Whenthelossofuseislessthantotal,the L  determinationoftheamounttowhichtheworkerisentitledtorecoverislesscertain.Forthemost 8  part,theissueisbestresolvedbythetrialjudgeintheexerciseofdiscretionafterhearingallthe $ t evidenceinthecase.Onreview,wewouldnotdisturbsuchfindingsunlessthereisaclearshowing  ` ofanabuseofthatdiscretion.  L    Wefindthetrialjudgedidnotabusehisdiscretioninawardingtheplaintiffseventypercent $  impairmenttoherrightleg.     Thecostofthisappealistaxedto_Windwood_.      `     h     ___________________________________ H    `     h     JOHNK.BYERS,SENIORJUDGE#XKyXXXKy #  4 XKyXXXKy uXXKy X @7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @$ATKNOXVILLE     _LOUANA_Ԁ_KLOPFENSTEIN_,Appelleev. 6 _WINDWOOD_ԀHEALTH_REHAB_ԀCENTER,etal.,Appellants  J 5 #XKyX u4#  CircuitCourtforAndersonCounty  J No.99LA0087JamesB.Scott,Jr.,Judge  6 6@*AV) ` dE< ` A߈      No.E200002706WCMR3CV   7AV) ` dE<` A    @& JUDGMENT    @Filed:_October18,_2001__Ԁ x    ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtuponApplicantsmotionforreviewpursuanttoTenn.Code d Ann.506225(e)(5)(B),theentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers' P CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffact < andconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; (x   Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthemotionforreviewisnot_welltaken_Ԁandshould P beDENIED;and <   Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadopted  andaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt.O@ N  @    Costswillbeassessedto_Winwood_ԀHealth_Rehab_ԀCenterforwhichexecutionmayissueif  necessary. 6    `     h     PER_CURIAM_ 0! N#@  <#O#X @<# uXXKy#XKyX u>#Barker,J.,not_praticipating_ #XKyXXXKy4#