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HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TXXXX75YXXdd7  ݛ   XXXX X X  @@  INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @@B B SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL̜t )>.*jx` `@E` 8ttxP% tt )>.*jx'` `@E4` 8ttxPl ' tߛ@@ATNASHVILLE  , 9̜@hh#(JuneJune29,1.2998Session)r )<,(j 8` `@E0: ` 8ttxPh4  rBRUCEWESLEYLINK,    ) p DAVIDSONCHANCERY `   `     h     ) p  v   ` Plaintiff/Appellee h     ) p NO.01S019710CH00217    `     h     )v. `     h     ) p     `     h     ) p HON.CAROLL.MCCOY,   THEAEROSTRUCTURES    ) p CHANCELLOR 4 CORPORATION,   h     ) J  `     h     ) ` Defendant/Appellant    ) p  &v   FortheAppellant: h     FortheAppellee:  *  FrederickW.Hodge h     JamesG.Stranch,III !8 CourtSquareBuilding h     Branstetter,Kilgore,Stranch "H 300JamesRobertsonParkway     p &Jennings $X Nashville,TN372011107    227SecondAvenueNorth,4thFlr. %h   `     h     Nashville,TN372011631   MEMORANDUMOPINION /+( MembersofPanel: JusticeFrankF.Drowota,III 3@/, SeniorJudgeWilliamH.InmanSpecialJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.  AFFIRMED   h      p INMAN,SeniorJudge `;639 Ї @33MEMORANDUMOPINION   # % # ` Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecial . Workers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. ` Afindingof12percentdisabilitytotheplaintiffsleftlegisderidedbytheemployerwhostrenuouslyarguesthattheevidencestronglyweighsagainstthejudgmentandthattheclaimforpermanent,partialdisabilityshouldbedenied. ` Theplaintiffis56yearsold,andisaresidentofBowlingGreen,Kentucky.Hisvocationalhistoryrevealshistalentsforthingsmechanical:milloperator,aircraftassembler,machineshopsupervisor,fabricator,turbinerepair,backdumpoperator,precisiongrinder.Hehasalsoworkedasaninsurancesalesman,automobilesalesmanandmanagerofatruckstop.Heisexperiencedincomputerfundamentals,blueprintandproblemsolving.Allofthisbywayofhisowntestimony. ` Heallegedthatheinjuredhisleftkneeandhipasaresultofslippingwhichjammedhiskneeintoamachine. ` Histestimonywasdivergent;hetestifiedthatheslippedona metalthingandfell,andcomplainedonlyofhisleftknee. ` ThefirstreportofworkinjuryrecitesthattheplaintiffreportedatwingeinhisleftkneewhilesteppingdownfromamachineonOctober12,1994.Severalmonthsearlier,inApril,hecomplainedofslippingandstrikingafixture.HewastreatedbyDr.WilliamGavigan,anorthopedicspecialist,whotestifiedthatxraysoftheplaintiffskneewerenormalandanMRIstudy 9"51 revealednoproblems.Anarthroscopicexaminationrevealednoevidenceofatraumaticinjury,butarthriticchangeswereevident.Dr.Gaviganexpressedtheopinionthattheinjuryaggravatedthearthriticconditionresultinginanimpairmentoftwopercenttotheleg. ` Theplaintiffreturnedtoworkwithnocomplaintsandundernorestrictions. `   Reviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovo   upontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefinding,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Stonev.CityofMcMinnville, < 896S.W.2d548,550(Tenn.1995).# #%  Ԁ#  %# Ԁ# #  Wherethetrialjudgehasmadea h determinationbaseduponthetestimonyofwitnesseswhomhehasseenandheard,greatdeferencemustbegiventothatfindingindeterminingwhethertheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialjudgesdetermination.SeeHumphrey  !\ v.DavidWitherspoon,Inc.,734S.W.2d315(Tenn.1987).#  '#  8#  ` Theemployerarguesthatitisundisputedthattheplaintiffhasfullyrecoveredfromanyinjury;thatthearthriticconditionpreexistedtheallegedinjury;thattheplaintiffhasnoexistingproblems,andisnowearningahigherwagethanbeforehisclaimedinjury,andthattheimpairmentratingoftwopercentisdeminimis,inferentiallyawardedtojustifyalongcourseoftreatment. -4)&  ` Perhapsso,butwecannotsubstituteourjudgmentforthatofthetrialjudge.InlightofthefactthatDr.Gavigantestifiedthattheinjuryaggravatedapriorcondition,whichisnotdisputed,weareunabletofindthattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthejudgmentwhichisaffirmedatthecostoftheappellant. 830 # #  `     h     _____________________________ `     h     WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge# Y#  0 CONCUR: ` # i# _______________________________FrankF.Drowota,III,Justice# #  @   ` # Y# _______________________________JoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge# #      p    `     h      `     h     # A #   H |  r )<,(j 8` `@E` 8ttxP  rt )>.*jx` `@E[` 8ttxP t@ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@)ATNASHVILLE `     h     } p DAVIDSONCHANCERY 4  BRUCEWESLEYLINK h     } p No.Below96712I J   ` Plaintiff/Appellee h     } `   `     h     } p Hon.CAROLL.MCCOY v  vs. `     h     } p Chancellor    `     h     } `     h     } p No.01S019710CH00217   THEAEROSTRUCTURES}CORPORATION   h     } 4  ` Defendant/Appell h     } p AFFIRMED x  J @(JUDGMENTORDER `  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. `  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and `  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. XX `  CostswillbepaidbyDefendant/AppellantandSurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. `  ITISSOORDEREDon"*US , US , *ԀOctober26,1998. `     h      p PERCURIAM#   |!#