WPC? # VUNa % 0(w@4 1 @ H    0J` 0T 0^ 0h\ 0r 0|6 0 08 1u 0d=U>B) BDC% AMhU * D3 v~  0@v AO 0D D/ B"HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLH(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($ PDӀVӀj"3|xLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 52 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(&Times New Roman% Line 7 d d$$$$7Border 1dd-&C << G<  9p`(Arial !#  ((   YYY FILED(X April17,1997CecilCrowson,Jr.(AppellateCourtClerk %%%%'dxd  !#d##  ((   YYY FILED(X April17,1997CecilCrowson,Jr.(AppellateCourtClerk PtPtHHHV,(hh hd'0F ("$    Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   eskto Geneva  eskto Geneva -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! . #    X   \RA'\#ԛ@ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL@ ATJACKSON@ (February6,1997Session) ` XKENNETHLAYMAN,   ) DYERCHANCERY      ) PlaintiffAppellee,   ) Hon.JoeG.Riley,      ) Chancellor      )ٜL')&;+'h|`  `LVs.      ) No.02S019610CH00090      )HECKETHORNMFG.CO.,  )       ) DefendantAppellant.  )      ForAppellant:     ForAppellee:Mr.R.LeeMoore,Jr.    Mr.GeorgeL.Morrison,IIIFarmer,Moore,Jones,    AttorneyatLaẁHamilton&Lay     P.O.Box182P.O.Box763     Jackson,TN38302̜Dyersburg,TN380250763 @ MEMORANDUMOPINION@ MembersofPanel:@ LyleReid,AssociateJustice,SupremeCourt@ JoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge@ LeonardW.Martin,SpecialJudgeAFFIRMED       Martin,Judge7SXXdXXd7@ MEMORANDUMOPINION  ThisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Intheirappeal,theemployercontendstheawardofpermanentpartialdisabilitybenefitsisexcessive.Thepanelconcludestheawardshouldbeaffirmed.  Theclaimant,Layman,isfiftytwo(52)yearsold,withasixth(6th)gradeeducation,andisatoolanddiemaker.Hispreviousworkexperienceconsistsofmanuallabor.Hewasemployedbythedefendantasashiftsupervisor.Wheninformedofademotion,withasecondpaydecrease,theplaintiffresignedhispositionwiththecompany.  HewasinjuredonthejobinAprilof1994.HetimelyreportedtheinjuryandwassenttoDoctorFredMoore.DoctorMoorereferredhimtoDoctorRileyJonesfortreatment.DoctorJonesdiagnosedtheinjuryasmedialhumeralepicondylitisandlateralnumeralepicondylitis(tendinitisortenniselbow).Afterconservativetreatmentfailed,DoctorJonesperformedsurgery,amodifiedBosworthprocedure.Afterreachingmaximumrecovery,DoctorJonesopinedthattheplaintiffhada2percent(2%)permanentpartialimpairmenttotheupperextremity,basedupona22degree(22$)lossofextensionoftherightarm.Hedidnottestforgripstrength,normeasurebiceps.  AfterbeingreleasedfromDoctorJones,plaintiffwasevaluatedbyDoctorJosephBoals,III,anorthopaedicsurgeon.DoctorBoalsfoundthattheplaintifflacked20degrees(20$)ofextensionofhisrightextremity,andthecircumferenceofhisrightbicepsmusclewasonehalf()inchsmallerthanhisleftbiceps.(Plaintiffisrighthanded.)Plaintiffsgripstrengthwasfoundtobeonehundred,ten(110)poundsontheleft,andeighty(80)poundsontheright.Baseduponhisfinding,DoctorBoalsopinedthattheplaintiffhada23percentϜ(23%)permanentpartialdisabilitytotherightarm.  Thetrialcourtawardedpermanentpartialdisabilitybenefitsonthebasisof35percent(35%)totheinjuredarm.  Appellatereviewis denovo upontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindingoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.Code.Ann.Section506225(e)(2).Thistribunalisrequiredtoconductanindependentexaminationoftheevidencetodeterminewherethepreponderanceoftheevidencelies. Wingertv.GovernmentofSumnerCounty,908S.W.2d921(Tenn.1995).  Thetrialjudgemay,whenthereisadifferenceinopinionbetweenmedicalexperts,accepttheopinionofoneormoreovertheopinionofanotherorothers. Johnsonv.Midwesco,Inc.,801S.W.2d804(Tenn.1990). WhenthemedicaltestimonyispresentedbydepositionthisCourtisabletomakeitsownindependentassessmentofthemedicalprooftodeterminewherethepreponderanceoftheevidencelies. Landersv.FiremansFundIns.Co.,775S.W.2d355,356(Tenn.1989) .  Permanencyandcausationarenotanissue.Theemployerquestionstheextentofdisability,whichmaybedeterminedfromlayaswellasexperttestimony, KellwoodCompanyv.Gibson,581S.W.2d645,648(Tenn.1979) ,andadeterminationofdisabilityrequiresaconsiderationofage,education,training,skills,jobopportunities,andotherrationalfactors. FederatedMutualImplement&HardwareCo.V.Cameron,220Tenn.636,422S.W.2d427,429(Tenn.1967);T.C.A.506241.  Wehavereviewedthetestimony,depositionsandmedicalrecordsinevidence,andfindthatthepreponderanceoftheevidencesupportsthetrialjudgesawardofthirtyfive(35%)permanentpartialdisabilitytotherightarm.  Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisthereforeaffirmed.  Costsonappealaretaxedtotheappellant.      򀀀      HMM*󀀀 LeonardW.Martin,JudgeCONCUR:򀀀LyleReid,AssociateJustice̛JoeC.Loser,Jr.,Judge̜ ` (@ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ ATJACKSON(X#` pX L X#KENNETHLAYMAN,  ) DYERCHANCERY#` p` L X# ) NO.95C114` p` X Plaintiff/Appellee, ) #` p` L X#  ) Hon.J.StevenStafford,vs.  ) Chancellor  )HECKETHORNMFG.CO., ) NO.02S019610CH00090J'+;+'b|J`  `@J  ) Defendant/Appellant. ) AFFIRMED.@ (JUDGMENTORDER(X` p`  X ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. CostswillbepaidbyAppellantandsurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. ITISSOORDEREDthis17thdayofApril,1997.        PERCURIAM(Reid,J.,notparticipating)##