ÿWPCž …# VU:a %› 0û¡w@œ 4Ü ð ÿ   0J 0T_ 0^³ 0h 0ry 0|ë 0†g 0í 1u} 0dòU*VB)€DC© AMì©9 BâU6ÿv~5vÓ³ D3† 0@¹ AOùÆH 0D D/R B˜HP LaserJet 4HPPCL5MS,ü,,,,,ü0nLhÎ,c½¬AZ‹"Arial RegularX(Ó~Ð$¡¡Ñ  ÑÒH°ÒÒ°ÒÑTR[  AØ'ÿ LegalLˆhÐ (Avery 4167 Post Card AØ'ÿ LegalhÐ (Avery 4167 Post CardTÑÔ€Xm¢XXXÔÑ7€¥3XXdìXXdæ7Ñ uvDwxDyDz{D|V}î~Ó€Úƒç"„àL„ô3|x‰H2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ< Œ 9p`(Arial% Line 7 d!!!!7Border 1dd€-"Cþÿ << Gÿÿ ŸÝ ƒ!ÝÑ  ÑÑ#€d#ÑÔ€ ÔÑ  ÑÒ  ÒÒ H ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ#€d#ÑÝ  ÝÔ€ ÔÓ  ÓÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€ XÔÌÌò òSeptemberÏ30,Ï1997ÌÌCecilÏCrowson,ÏJr.ÌÔ€ ôÔAppellateÏCourtÏClerkó ó d< Œ 9p`(Courier NewPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHÚ(d'hStyl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÒ  h HD: Geneva ÒÒ  h HD: Geneva Ò%%%%'ÿÿdxd("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò€-‚ƒCþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó„„'÷ÿ dxdüÿP PdÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€ ÔÑ  ÑÒ  ÒÒ H ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ#€Xd#ÑÑ#€Xd#ÑÝ  ÝÑ  ÑÙ€€ÙßR€#$"A1-j|` à. `€€@ÿRß›Þ ÞÌÌÌÌò òÓ  ÓIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌWORKERS'€COMPENSATION€APPEALS€PANELÌKNOXVILLE,€APRIL€1997€œSESSION›€€€€€€€€ÌÓ  Óó óÌÌÌÌÌRANDY€LAMBDIN,à àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àCAMPBELL€CHANCERYÌà àPlaintiff/Appelleeà àà àà à)à àÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àNO.€€03S01„9610„CH„00102Ìv.à àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àHon.€Billy€Joe€White,ÌOLD€REPUBLIC€INSURANCEà àà à)à àChancellorÌCOMPANY€and€KOPPER„GLOà àà à)ÌFUELS,€INC.,à àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àDefendants/Appellantsà àà à)ÌÌÌÌÌÌò òòòFor€the€Appellants:à àà àà àFor€the€Appellee:ÌÌó óóóRichard€W.€Mattsonà àà àà àDavid€H.€DunawayÌ210€Third€Avenue€Northà àà àà à100€South€Fifth€StreetÌP.O.€Box€190683à àà àà àà àP.O.€Box€231ÌNashville,€Tenn.€€37219„0683à àà àœLaFollette,›€Tenn.€37766ÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌò òòòÓ  ÓM€E€M€O€R€A€N€D€U€M€€€€€O€P€I€N€I€O€N€ÌÌÌÌMembers€of€Panel:ÌÌó óóóE.€Riley€Anderson,€JusticeÌJohn€K.€Byers,€Senior€JudgeÌRoger€E.€Thayer,€Special€JudgeÌÓ  ÓÌÌÌÌÌÌÌò òà àà àà àà àó óÌò òAFFIRMEDà àà àà àà àà àà àà àTHAYER,€Special€Judgeó óÌÌÓÓà àThis€workers'€compensation€appeal€has€been€referred€to€the€SpecialÏWorkers'€Compensation€Appeals€Panel€of€the€Supreme€Court€in€accordance€withÏTenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(3)€for€hearing€and€reporting€to€the€Supreme€CourtÏof€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law.€Ìà àThe€appeal€has€been€perfected€by€defendants,€Old€Republic€InsuranceÏCompany€and€Kopper„Glo€Fuels,€Inc.,€from€an€award€to€the€plaintiff,€RandyÏLambdin,€of€25%€permanent€partial€disability€to€the€body€as€a€whole.Ìà àDefendants€seek€to€overturn€the€award€on€several€grounds.€€They€contendÏ(1)€the€injury€was€not€work„related,€(2)€proper€notice€of€the€injury€was€not€rendered,Ï(3)€the€claim€was€barred€by€the€one€year€statute€of€limitations,€and€(4)€the€award€ofÏ25%€to€the€whole€body€is€excessive.Ìà àPlaintiff€was€40€years€of€age€and€had€completed€the€eighth€grade.€€HeÏtestified€he€was€lifting€a€belt€structure€off€a€flat€bed€truck€when€he€felt€pain€in€hisÏback.€€He€said€he€reported€the€incident€a€day€or€two€later€to€his€supervisor,€JamesÍThacker.€€He€also€said€he€told€the€superintendent,€Kore€Chedester,€about€the€sameÏtime.Ìà àPlaintiffððs€brother,€Ronald€Lambdin,€was€working€with€plaintiff€and€anotherÏemployee.€€He€also€testified€Mr.€Thacker€was€told€about€the€incident€causing€theÏinjury.Ìà àSometime€after€the€event,€plaintiff€saw€Dr.€Mary€Anne€Woodring,€a€familyÏpractice€physician€who€had€seen€plaintiff€for€prior€health€problems.€€He€told€the€trialÏcourt€he€did€not€think€the€injury€was€serious.€€Dr.€Woodring€treated€him€for€a€muscleÏstrain€by€giving€medication€and€prescribing€therapy.€€He€continued€to€work€and€sawÏher€several€times€through€April,€1993.€€Since€he€did€not€get€better,€he€went€to€see€aÏchiropractor.€€Later,€during€October,€1993,€he€saw€Dr.€Ronald€Dubin,€whoÏdetermined€his€condition€was€more€serious€and€that€he€had€a€ruptured€disc.€€Dr.ÏDubinððs€office€notified€defendant€employer€of€the€plaintiffððs€compensation€claimÏwhen€the€office€requested€the€identification€number€of€the€insurance€company.Ìà àPlaintiff€testified€he€was€repeatedly€told€by€company€representatives€hisÏmedical€expenses€would€be€paid;€that€they€stated€there€was€a€dispute€between€twoÏinsurance€companies€as€to€which€company€might€be€responsible;€that€DavidÏBurton,€office€manager,€said€his€expenses€would€be€paid€as€soon€as€the€disputeÏwas€resolved.€€During€the€early€part€of€November,€1993,€he€gave€a€statement€toÏinsurance€adjuster,€Jack€Hammons,€who€advised€him€to€get€a€lawyer€soon€or€heÏwould€be€beat€out€of€his€claim.€€He€said€Mr.€Burton€told€him€he€did€not€need€aÏlawyer.Ìà àPlaintiff€employed€an€attorney€and€suit€was€filed€on€November€17,€1993.€€TheÏcomplaint€alleged€the€injury€occurred€on€November€22,€1992.€€The€22nd€was€on€aÏSunday€and€Plaintiff€testified€this€date€was€wrong€because€he€did€not€work€onÏSundays.€€He€told€the€trial€court€he€did€not€remember€the€exact€date€of€the€accidentÏbut€thought€it€was€shortly€before€Thanksgiving.€€Thanksgiving€fell€on€November€26thÏduring€1992.Ìà àDefendantsðð€witness,€James€Thacker,€testified€he€did€not€recall€being€told€byÏplaintiff€that€he€was€injured€on€the€job.€€He€said€he€was€not€stating€this€did€notÏhappen€but€just€could€not€recall€being€told€of€the€accident;€he€said€he€knew€plaintiffÏwas€having€problems€with€his€back€as€he€was€laying€down€during€lunch€breaks;€heÏstated€the€company€did€not€know€the€claim€was€work„related€until€œDr.›€Dubinððs€officeÏcalled€seeking€information€in€order€to€process€the€claim.€€He€then€prepared€anÏaccident€report€after€talking€with€plaintiff€and€selected€the€22nd€day€of€November,Ï1993€as€the€date€of€the€accident.€€He€denied€telling€plaintiff€he€did€not€need€anÏattorney€but€admitted€he€told€plaintiff€the€insurance€adjuster€advised€he€shouldÏemploy€a€lawyer€as€the€period€for€filing€suit€was€about€to€expire.Ìà àWitness€David€Burton€testified€he€did€not€recall€telling€plaintiff€he€would€notÏneed€a€lawyer€but€he€could€have€made€that€statement.Ìà àJack€Hammons,€an€adjuster€for€Southeastern€Adjustment€Company,€testifiedÏhe€began€his€investigation€on€November€2,€1993€and€took€a€statement€from€plaintiffÏon€November€10,€1993.Ìà àDr.€Mary€Ann€Woodring€testified€by€deposition€and€said€she€first€saw€plaintiffÏfor€back€complaints€on€November€11,€1992,€but€her€records€were€incomplete€as€sheÍdid€not€have€a€history.€€This€was€explained€as€having€occurred€because€plaintiffÏcame€to€the€office€at€the€end€of€the€day€as€everyone€was€about€to€leave,€and€thereÏwas€not€time€to€take€a€long€history.Ìà àFrom€this€evidence€the€chancellor€found€plaintiff€had€sustained€a€work„related€injury€which€at€first€did€not€appear€to€be€serious;€that€notice€to€the€employerÏwas€given;€and€that€the€action€was€filed€within€the€one€year€statute€of€limitations.Ìà àThe€case€is€before€us€for€review€òòde€novoóó€accompanied€by€the€presumption€ofÏthe€correctness€of€the€findings€of€fact€unless€we€find€the€preponderance€isÏotherwise.€€T.C.A.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(2).Ìà àThe€trial€court€is€in€a€better€position€to€judge€credibility€of€witnesses€andÏweigh€evidence€where€oral€testimony€is€involved.€€However,€where€evidence€isÏintroduced€by€deposition,€the€appellate€court€is€in€as€good€a€position€as€the€trialÏcourt€to€judge€credibility€and€weigh€evidence.€€òòLanders€v.€Firemanððs€Fund€Ins.€Co.óó,Ï775€S.W.2d€335,€356€(Tenn.€1989).Ìà àThe€work„related€injury€question€and€the€notice€question€had€to€be€decidedÏby€the€trial€court€in€examining€and€weighing€the€evidence€of€plaintiff,€plaintiffððsÏbrother€and€company€witness€James€Thacker.€€All€of€this€testimony€was€oralÏevidence€and€the€court€did€not€find€a€great€deal€of€conflict€in€the€testimony.€€PlaintiffÏand€his€brother€gave€positive€testimony€on€the€issues.€€Witness€Thackerððs€testimonyÏwould€have€to€be€classified€as€negative€testimony.€€In€determining€these€issuesÏfavorable€to€the€plaintiff,€we€certainly€cannot€say€the€evidence€preponderatesÏagainst€the€conclusion€of€the€trial€court.Ìà àœThe›€issue€regarding€the€statute€of€limitations€presents€a€closer€question€ofÏfact.€€The€chancellor€found€the€complaint€was€filed€prior€to€the€expiration€of€the€oneÏyear€statute.€€In€so€finding,€he€did€not€reach€the€question€of€whether€plaintiff€wasÏmisled€to€his€detriment€by€company€officials€to€such€an€extent€the€doctrine€ofÏestoppel€would€preclude€defendants€from€relying€on€this€defense.€€The€courtÏaccepted€the€testimony€of€plaintiff€and€his€brother€that€the€accident€occurred€shortlyÏbefore€Thanksgiving,€1992.€€Since€the€complaint€was€filed€on€November€17,€1993,Ïand€Thanksgiving€fell€on€November€26th€during€1992,€this€would€make€the€actionÏtimely€instituted.€€The€only€conflicting€evidence€on€the€issue€was€the€medical€recordÏof€Dr.€Woodring€indicating€she€saw€plaintiff€for€his€back€injury€on€November€11,Ï1992,€which€would€have€placed€the€accident€earlier€during€November€and€aboutÏtwo€weeks€before€Thanksgiving.€€The€chancellor€commented€her€records€wereÏincomplete,€which€made€him€reluctant€to€rely€on€them.Ìà àFrom€our€examination€of€the€record,€we€cannot€conclude€the€evidenceÏpreponderates€against€this€finding€of€fact.Ìà àThe€last€issue€requires€us€to€determine€whether€the€award€of€25%€disabilityÏis€excessive.€€The€expert€medical€evidence€was€presented€by€depositions.€€Dr.ÏWilliam€œE.›€Kennedy,€an€orthopedic€surgeon,€saw€plaintiff€during€December,€1993,Ïand€agreed€with€Dr.€Dubin€as€to€the€diagnosis€of€a€herniated€disc.€€Surgery€was€notÏrecommended€at€the€time,€and€he€was€of€the€opinion€plaintiff€had€a€14%€medicalÏimpairment.€€He€imposed€restrictions€of€not€lifting€more€than€20€pounds€occasionallyÏand€7€pounds€frequently.Ìà àDr.€Archer€W.€Bishop,€an€orthopedic€surgeon,€examined€plaintiff€duringÏSeptember,€1994,€and€gave€a€diagnosis€of€degenerative€disc€disease€andÏspondylosis.€€He€said€this€condition€developed€over€a€period€of€years.€€A€5%Ïmedical€impairment€was€given.Ìà àPlaintiff€has€continued€to€work€for€Kopper„Glo,€and€his€continuedÏemployment€has€resulted€in€his€receiving€a€greater€wage€than€the€amount€he€wasÏreceiving€at€the€time€of€his€accident.Ìà àThe€trial€court€fixed€the€impairment€at€10%€and€applied€the€multiplier€of€2.5Ïtimes€the€impairment€for€a€total€award€of€25%.€€We€find€the€award€reasonable€underÏthe€proof.Ìà àThe€judgment€entered€by€the€trial€court€is€affirmed€in€all€respects.€€Costs€ofÏthe€appeal€are€taxed€jointly€to€defendants€and€sureties.ÌÌÓÓà àÔ% € Ôà àà àà àà àà à__________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àRoger€E.€Thayer,€Special€JudgeÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌ_______________________________ÌE.€Riley€Anderson,€JusticeÌÌÌÌ_______________________________ÌJohn€K.€Byers,€Senior€œJudgeÇ›Ñ h ÑÒ € ÒÒ H ÒÒ € ÒÒ À ÒÔ€&ÔÔ€&&ÔÌà@ àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌÌà@ àAT€KNOXVILLEÌÌÌRANDY€LAMBDIN,à àà àà àà à)ÌÒ € ÒÒ h Ò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€à à)Bradley€CircuitÌÒ € ÒÒ jÿ Ò€€Plaintiff„Appellee,à àà à)No.€13,483Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Hon.€Billy€Joe€White,Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)ChancellorÌV.à àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)S.€Ct.€No.€03S01„9701„CH„00102€ÌOLD€REPUBLIC€INSURANCE€COMPANYà à)ÌAND€KOPPER„GLO€FUELS,€INC.,à à)€Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ì€€Defendants„Appellants.à àà à)AFFIRMED.Ì€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ÌÌÒ € ÒÒ ² Òà@ àòòJUDGMENT€ORDERóóÌÌÌÓÓà àThis€case€is€before€the€Court€upon€motion€for€reviewÏpursuant€to€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(5)(B),€the€entireÏrecord,€including€the€order€of€referral€to€the€Special€Workers'ÏCompensation€Appeals€Panel,€and€the€Panel's€Memorandum€OpinionÏsetting€forth€its€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law,€whichÏare€incorporated€herein€by€reference;€Ìà àWhereupon,€it€appears€to€the€Curt€that€the€motion€forÏreview€is€not€well€taken€and€should€be€denied;€andÌà àIt€is,€therefore,€ordered€that€the€Panel's€findings€of€factÏand€conclusions€of€law€are€adopted€and€affirmed,€and€the€decisionÏof€the€Panel€is€made€the€judgment€of€the€Court.Ìà àCosts€will€be€paid€by€the€defendants„appellants€andÏsureties,€for€which€execution€may€issue€if€necessary.ÌÓÓà àIT€IS€SO€ORDERED€this€___€day€of€September,€1997.ÌÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àPER€CURIAMÌÌÌAnderson,€C.J.€„€Not€participating.ÓÓÔ€&XÔÔ€ Ô