WPC 8M<iFM;G9~"Zst|F/qr2~ xcF7v !/宺LS58ЉduFUP "Ro*d÷DuB4諿sk ](;Mh[jJj))Ȥ@)# ?#J[_İݾ+]&)C?v+n+~O[xAU%r8@;1aIFDe~ )|t+T,+GrM`2 uʔQ oPJ<7ō$[| TA}cHF.ٰY~ Ŋ?MY_W{6O9]>Ц%,b[e z1$v%֔6׭x憩w[$IK@߅0ַ"憗p2 Qr+K̜OxM:ZCbU5N\ % 0#8   ^ g zs  V  m w  j04N N E&(U,7 bc ^ # ) 1 9 AU@IUN  b 0 B  0 D5 D- 0K ASH 0a 0D AI("  Z6Times New Roman Regular(`$.8dd8    HP LaserJet 4000 Series PCL6V,,,,V0C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\CUSTOM~1\OPINION3.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\Custom WP Templates\opinion3.wpt;1  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.wptULevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5we0 MELLY3|x,yAZArial ?\Appellants Attorney Name & Appellant's Name.?\Appellees Attorney Name & Appellee's Name.H1234(9 Z(Times New Roman (9 Z6Times New Roman Regular79- -(|G2b$ !..8dd8         0  XNX d(|3$ !..8dd8     VVVV)!dxdx)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3$ !..8dd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8dd8     _8NXXdd8    {@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL # @@ATNASHVILLE F #{#February26,2004##ԀSession i #M#XNX #XXN#%  ԀMELLYL.LEE%v.%  ԀSATURNCORPORATION%G##XNX   b  Appeal%  %Ԁfromthe%  ChanceryCourt%forMarshallCounty  \ @@No.12002% " ԀJ.B.Cox,Judge%"u  F @@*AV) ` dE<` A     No.M200300390_WC_ԄR3CVMailedAugust10,2004   #XXN#XNXFiledSeptember27,2004   AV) ` dE<j` A k    Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppeals c PaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewiththeTennesseeCodeAnnotatedsection506 L 225(2)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. 5 Inthiscasethetrialcourtfoundthattheemployeegaveactualnoticeofherneckinjuryandthatthe n injurywasworkrelated.Theemployee'sawardwasbasedonapermanentpartialimpairmentrating W of18%.Theemployerraisesthefollowingissues:1)Whetherthetrialcourterredinconcluding @ thattheunionrepresentativehadapparentauthoritytoreceivenoticeofemployee'sworkrelated ) injury;2)Whetherthetrialcourterredinconcludingthattheemployeegavetheemployeractual  noticeofherinjury;and3)Whetherthetrialcourterredinconcludingthatemployee'sinjurywas  workrelated.Wefindnoerrorandaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt.  t % $     Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2003Supp.)AppealasofRight%$ ;Judgmentofthe f ЀChanceryCourtAffirmed  P 5     #XN#XNX.RitaL._Stotts_,SP.J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichRogerA.Page,SP.J.,and #!s  _Adolpho_ԀA.Birch,Jr.,J.,joined.  "\! %  ThomasH.Peebles,IVandStephen_Zralek_,Columbia,Tennessee,fortheappellant,Saturn #.# Corporation. $ $ %W %  %$LarryR.McElhaney,II,Nashville,Tennessee,fortheappellee,MellyL.Lee. &!& #XXN7 #  '"'    XNXMEMORANDUMOPINION    b  STANDARDOFREVIEWbL       InTennessee,appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedby V apresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindings,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceis ?  otherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).ThereviewingCourtisrequiredtoconductan ( x independentexaminationoftherecordtodeterminewherethepreponderanceoftheevidencelies.  a _Wingert_Ԁv.GovernmentofSumnerCounty,908S.W.2d921,922(Tenn.1995).  J @! b  FACTUALBACKGROUNDb         OnSeptember5,2000,theemployee,MellyLee,heardapopinherneckasshereachedto   pulllongitudinalrailsoverherheadwhileworkingattheSaturnplant.Althoughshedidnotbelieve   herinjurytobeseriousatthetime,shedidnotifyFrankWilson,herOperationsModuleAdvisor q  (hereinafter"_OMA_").SaturnCorporationrequiresthatemployeescompleteaTeamMember Z  IncidentAssessmentForminorderforaworkrelatedclaimtobeinvestigated.Leecompletedthis C onOctober9,2000.Shehadsurgeryinthatyearandhadreachedmaximummedicalimpairment ,| asofApril19,2002,withnopermanentrestrictions. e #XXN#  XNXThetrialcourtfoundthatLeegaveactualnoticetoheremployerbecauseMr.Wilsonhad ^ apparentauthority.Further,thetrialcourtfoundthatLee'sinjurywasworkrelated.%   G #XXN#@bb' b  XNXNOTICEb Ԉ @ #XXN#   XNXAsan_OMA_,FrankWilsonwasinvolvedintheworker'scompensationprocessandSaturn : Corporationhadtrainedhimonwhattodowhenemployeesreportedinjuries.InOctober2000, # afterbeingnotifiedbytheemployeethatherproblemswereworsening,Wilsonaccompaniedher   tothemedicalofficewhereawrittennoticeofinjurywascompleted.Attrial,Wilsondidnot  disputethathehadbeenadvisedthattheactualdateoftheinjurywas34daysearlier.    Moreover,theemployer,attrial,didnotallegeanyprejudiceduetotheactualTeamMember `! IncidentAssessmentformnothavingbeencompleteduntilOctober2000.TennesseeCode I"  Annotated506202(a)(2)recognizesthattheremaybedeficienciesinthenoticeprovidedtoan 2#! employeeandplacestheburdenontheemployertoproveprejudice.ThisCourtagreeswiththetrial $k" court'sdetermination.XNXXXN %T # #XNXXXN#@& CAUSATION  &&"%   Theemployerarguesthatthetrialcourtshouldhavegivenmoreweighttothedepositionof (#' theemployer'streatingphysician,Dr.ScottStandard,thantotheresultsoftheindependentmedical )$( examinationconductedbyDr.DavidGaw.Itiswellsettledthatatrialcourthasdiscretiontoaccept {*%) theopinionofoneexpertoverthatofanother.Johnsonv.Mid_Wesco_,Inc.,801S.W.2d804,807 d+&* _(Tenn.1990).AlthoughDr.Standard,oneoftheemployee'streatingphysicianshadnoopinionas  towhetherornotLee'sinjurywasworkrelated,thephysicianwhoconductedanindependent  medicalexaminationconcludedthatLee'sinjuryhadoccurredonSeptember5,2000.That  physician,Dr.David_Gaw_,alsoconcludedthatLeehadcervicaldiseasepriortotheinjurywhich k wasaggravated.ThisCourthasconducteditsowndenovoreviewoftherecord.WenotethatDr. T Standardtestifiedthattheworkactivitydescribedbytheemployeewasconsistentwiththeinjury =  shesufferedandDr.Standardalsotestifiedthatactivitycouldcauseaherniateddisk.Inthisregard, & v thetestimonyofthedoctorsdoesnotconflict.Therecordreflectsthattheemployerwasreferred  _ toDr.Standardbyanotherphysician,Dr.JeffreyAdams,andthathefirstsawLeeinNovember  H 2000.Dr.Standardadmittedtodeficienciesinhisrecordsduringthefollowingexchange:  1  0  Q.0` (#(#[Mr._McElhaney_:] ` (#` (# 0  0` (#(#Didyouknow,Doctor,thatJeffAdamswasanauthorizedtreatingphysicianunder   worker'scompensation? ` (#` (# 0  A.0` (#(#[Dr.Standard:]W ` (#` (# 0  0` (#(#Ididnot,andifIhadknownthatIwouldhavebeenmoreexplicitinmy @ documentationregardingtheworkrelatedissuesinthiscase.)y` (#` (#   WhileDr.Standardperformedsurgerywhichgavetheemployeerelief,hecouldnotstate K whatcausedherruptureddisk.Inaddition,althoughhecouldnottestifyastothecauseofthe 4 employee'sinjury,hedidadmitthatherhistorywasconsistentwiththeinjurysuffered.  Consequently,thedepositiontestimonyofbothphysicianssupportsafindingofcausationand  establishesthatLee'sherniateddiskwascausedbytheworkrelatedinjurywhichoccurredon  September5,2000.  @GG% CONCLUSION  Z   Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmedinallrespects.Costsaretaxedtotheappellant. -}    `     h     ___________________________________ !!     `     h     RITAL._STOTTS_,SPECIALJUDGE  " !  Xf XXXNԀ#XNX X Xf*#Xч XXXN#XNX XXчY*#XNXXXNXXN@9 9 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @$ATNASHVILLE  #XNX*#XNXXXN #XNXXXNy+#XXN  MELLYL.LEEv.SATURNCORPORATION#XNX+#XNXXXN    +@  ChanceryCourtforMarshallCounty   @FF&No.12002   @*AV) ` dE<Z ` A߈ [   @ No.M200300390SCWCMCVFiledSeptember27,2004 T  AV) ` dE<'` A (x   @//# JUDGMENTORDER   Y    #XNXXXN*#Xч XXXN#XNX XXч.#!Xf XXXN  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtuponthemotionforreviewfiledbySaturnCorporation , pursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.50-6-225(e)(5)(B),theentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferral  totheSpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsetting  forthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.    ItappearstotheCourtthatthemotionforreviewisnotwelltakenandisthereforedenied. i ThePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedbyreference,are R adoptedandaffirmed.ThedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. ;   CostsareassessedtoSaturnCorporationanditssurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueif  ] necessary. F #XNX X!Xf.#Xч XXXN#XNX XXч2# Xf XXXN  ItissoORDERED.  ].   `     h     PER_CURIAM_ !! Birch,J.,notparticipating@*#XNX X Xf2#Xч XXXN#XNX XXчD4# Xf XXXNԈ U## #XNX X Xf4#Xч XXXNԀ#XNX XXч4##XNXXXN5,#