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ÔÔ€8ÔÔ€8¼ÔÑ#€99¼d#ÑÑ#€99¼d#ÑÑ ý ÑÓ  ÓÝ  ÝÔ_ÔÑ8€qXXdì»»d8ÑÓ  ÓÔ€8îÔà@ àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌSPECIAL€WORKERSðð€COMPENSATION€APPEALS€PANELÌà@ àAT€KNOXVILLEÔ€8¼ÔÌMay€24,€2001€SessionÌÔ€8XÔÌò òÔ€8¼ÔCHRISTOPHER€ALAN€Ô_ÔMcNEWÔ_Ô€v.€KNOX€COUNTY,€ex€rel:€SHERIFFððSÏDEPARTMENTÔ€8XÔó óÌÌà@ àò òDirect€Appeal€from€the€Chancery€Court€for€Knox€CountyÌà@ àNo.€141759„2€€€€€€Daryl€R.€Ô_ÔFanslerÔ_Ô,€ChancellorÌÌÌà@ àßA€V) °°` d€÷E<ã` AßÌÌNo.€E2000„01319„Ô_ÔWCÔ_Ô„R3„CV€„€Mailed€ÌFILED:€AUGUST€7,€2001ÌÌßA€V) °°` dE<¢` AßÌó óÌÓ  ÓThis€workersðð€compensation€appeal€has€been€referred€to€the€Special€Workersðð€CompensationÏAppeals€Panel€of€the€Supreme€Court€in€accordance€with€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(3)€forÏhearing€and€reporting€to€the€Supreme€Court€of€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law.€€TheÏcomplaint€alleged€that€the€plaintiff€sustained€job„related€injuries€on€or€about€July€4,€1998€within€theÏscope€of€his€employment.€€The€answer€denied€occurrence€or€notice€of€an€accidental€injury.€€TheÏplaintiff€had€an€unusual€history€of€injuries€to€his€right€knee.€€The€trial€judge€ruled€that€the€medicalÏevidence€was€lacking€as€to€the€July€1998€injury€and€dismissed€the€case.€ÌÓ  ÓÌÓ  Óò òTenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€50„6„225(e)€(1999)€Appeal€as€of€Right;€Judgment€of€the€ChanceryÏCourt€Affirmedó óÌÌÓ  ÓòòWilliam€H.€Inman,€Sr.€J.óó,€delivered€the€opinion€of€the€court,€in€which€òòWilliam€M.€Barker,€Jóó€andÏòòJohn€K.€Byers,€Sr.€J.óó,€joined.ÌÌC.€Edward€Daniel,€Knoxville,€Tennessee,€for€the€appellant,€Christopher€Alan€Ô_ÔMcNewÔ_Ô.ÌÌWendell€K.€Hall,€Knoxville,€Tennessee,€for€the€appellee,€Knox€County€Sheriffððs€Department.ÌÌÓ  Óò òOPINIONó óÌÌÓ  Óà àThe€plaintiff€was€employed€by€the€Knox€County€Sheriff€in€various€capacities,€but,€asÏmaterial€here,€on€July€4,€1998€he€was€employed€as€a€jailer.€€He€alleged€that€on€July€4,€1998€ð ðandÏfor€a€time€prior€thereto€and€on€or€about€that€date€he€sustained€injuries€as€a€result€of€an€on€the€jobÏaccident.ððÌÌà àBefore€his€employment€by€the€Sheriffððs€Department€in€1990€he€injured€his€right€knee€forÏwhich€surgery€was€required€in€1982.€€In€1992€he€again€injured€his€right€knee€during€training€drills.€ÏSurgery€was€required.€€In€1996€he€again€injured€his€right€knee€in€a€job„related€incident.€€CorrectiveÏsurgery€was€required€in€December€1997.ÌÌà àThe€1996€injury€resulted€in€a€workersðð€compensation€claim€which€was€settled€in€DecemberÍ1997.× ƒ: ××  ×à àÌÌà àThe€plaintiff€testified€to€a€confusing€history€of€incidents€or€accidents€involving€his€rightÏknee,€with€five€(5)€surgical€procedures.€€During€the€course€of€his€testimony€concerning€incidents€orÏaccidents€involving€his€right€knee,€the€trial€judge€made€it€known€that€accidents€in€addition€to€the€JulyÏ4,€1998€accident€should€have€been€alleged.ÌÌà àThis€colloquy€occurred:ÌÌà8 àMr.€Daniel:à0 àYour€honor,€what€Iððm€doing€is€showing€repetitive€trauma€to€his€kneeÏthat€ultimately€culminates€on€July€4òòthóó€when€an€incident€occurs€on€theÏjob.Ìà8 àThe€Court:à0 àI€see.€€So€your€claim,€then,€is€to€whatever€happened€on€July€4?Ìà8 àMr.€Daniel:à0 àUltimately€the€straw€that€broke€the€camelððs€back.Ìà8 àThe€Court:à0 àYouððre€not€making€a€claim€for€an€injury€that€occurred€in€early€1998Ïor€one€in€March€or€April?Ìà8 àMr.€Daniel:à0 àItððs€just€showing€the€repetitive€trauma€that€culminated€on€July€4.ÌÌà àCounsel€for€the€defendant€thereupon€stated€that€the€defendant€had€no€notice€of€any€otherÏinjuries;€the€trial€judge€reiterated€that€the€complaint€alleged€an€accident€on€July€4,€1998;€plaintiffððsÏcounsel€responded€that€the€complaint€alleged€ð ðon€or€about€July€4";€the€trial€judge€observed€thatÏMarch€or€April€or€May€would€not€be€on€or€about€July€4.€€Then€followed€this€question€by€the€trialÏjudge€to€counsel€for€the€plaintiff:ÌÌÓ(€ ;'()*+,-/  (Óà8 àÓ(€ <'()*+,-/  (ÓØØThe€Court:à0 àAre€you€claiming€that€the€injuries€or€accidents€or€whatever€there€wasÏin€early€98,€March€or€April,€or€May€of€98€are€involved€with€thisÏinjury?Ìà8 àMr.€David:à0 àIððm€claiming€that€this€is€the€injury€that€is€the€straw€that€broke€theÏcamelððs€back.€€He€had€these€two€other€injuries€and€ultimately€on€JulyÏ4€he€had€another€incident€and€after€that€he€had€to€have€surgery.ÌÌThe€Court€then€observed€that€ð ðI€have€clarified€with€Mr.€Hall€that€his€claim€is€related€to€the€incidentÏof€July€4,€1998.€€Thatððs€the€incident€that€theyððre€claiming.ððÌÌà àThe€Court€found€that€ð ðthere€was€nothing€to€indicate€there€was€notice€to€the€employer€as€toÏthe€incidents€in€1998"€but€concluded€that€the€plaintiff€reported€to€his€superior€officer€that€he€hadÏinjured€his€knee€during€July€4,€1998€altercation€with€a€prisoner,€although€he€delayed€five€months€inÏseeking€medical€treatment.ÌÌà àThe€Court€then€observed€that€Dr.€Brown€testified€that€he€could€not€attribute€any€impairmentÏto€the€July€4,€1998€incident,€but€could€conclude€that€the€other€altercations€[March,€April,€May,€1998]Ïcaused€an€aggravation.ÌÌà àSignificantly,€the€trial€judge€observed€that€Dr.€Brown€testified€that€he€was€seeing€theÏplaintiff€for€his€òò1996€injuryóó€for€which€he€recommended€surgery€on€June€30,€1998,€which€was€fiveÏdays€before€the€claimed€triggering€event.ÌÌÓ  Óòòò òMedical€Proofóóó óÌÓ  ÓÌà àDr.€Howard€R.€Brown,€an€orthopedic€surgeon,€testified€that€he€first€saw€the€plaintiff€in€JulyÏ1997€complaining€with€his€right€knee€which€he€injured€at€the€Police€Training€Academy€in€OctoberÏ1996.€€At€that€time,€Dr.€Ô_ÔBeelerÔ_Ô€preformed€surgery€on€the€plaintiffððs€knee.€€Before€he€saw€Dr.ÏBrown,€the€plaintiff€had€two€surgical€procedures€on€his€right€knee.ÌÌà àIn€August€1997,€Dr.€Brown€performed€surgery€to€repair€plaintiffððs€knee,€and€he€wasÏreleased€in€January€1998.ÌÌà àThe€plaintiff€was€seen€again€by€Dr.€Brown€on€June€29,€1998,€complaining€of€pain€in€hisÏright€knee.€€Surgery€was€again€recommended€which€was€performed€on€December€14,€1998.€ÏBecause€of€the€lack€of€therapy,€further€surgery€was€performed€on€February€1,€1999€to€ð ðbreak€upÏthe€scar€tissue.ððÌÌà àIn€response€to€a€hypothetical€question€which€recited€the€1992€injury,€the€1996€injury,€a€1997Ïinjury,€the€various€surgical€procedures,€a€number€of€incidents€at€the€jail,€the€last€of€which€occurredÏon€July€4,€1998,€Dr.€Brown€was€asked€if€ð ðthe€incidents€in€the€twisting€of€his€knee€while€wrestlingÏprisoners€in€the€jail€aggravated€a€pre„existing€condition€resulting€in€those€subsequent€surgeries€thatÏyouððve€performed?ðð€€Dr.€Brown€answered,€yes.€€He€also€opined€that€the€plaintiff€sustained€aÏpermanent€impairment€as€a€result€of€òòthe€knee€injuriesóó€for€which€he€was€treated.ÌÌà àSomewhat€more€specifically,€Dr.€Brown€testified:ÌÌà8 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ôà0 à.€.€.€Is€there€any€reference€in€any€or€your€medical€records€any€of€the€historiesÏthat€youððve€taken€from€Mr.€Ô_ÔMcNewÔ_Ô,€of€a€July€4,€1998€injury€to€the€rightÏknee?Ìà8 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ôà0 àNo.ÌÓ  Óà8 à.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€ÌÌÓ(€ ='()*+,-/  (ÓØØÓ  Óà8 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ôà0 àSo€there€is€no€way€in€this€case€to€attribute€causation€to€an€alleged€injury€ofÏJuly€1998?Ìà8 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ôà0 àThe€alleged€injury?€€No.€€Iððm€dealing€òòwith€other€injuries€that€caused€theÏproblems.óó€€I€donððt€know€„€„€„€you€know,€Iððm€sure€it€matters€to€you€all,€but€IÏwas€òòseeing€him€for€previous€injuriesóó€and€recommended€surgery€on€thoseÏprevious€injuries.€.€.€.€This€new€one,€or€alleged€injury,€however€you€want€toÏstate€it,€I€donððt€have€any€information€on€that.€€And€even€if€I€had€seen€himÏright€afterward,€and€it€did€not€change€my€opinion,€I€would€€„€„€€you€know,Ïthat€would€be€just€an€exacerbation€of€a€previous€injury€to€me.€.€.ÌÌÓ  Óà8 à.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€.€ÌÌÓ(€ >'()*+,-/  (ÓØØÓ  Óà8 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ôà0 àSo€thereððs€really€no€way€to€attribute€any€impairment€rating€to€an€alleged€JulyÏ1998€injury?Ìà8 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ôà0 àNot€from€me.ÌÌà àIn€sum,€Dr.€Brown€was€treating€the€plaintiff€in€1998€for€the€1996€injury.€€He€knew€nothingÏof€the€alleged€July€4,€1998€injury;€he€could€not€attribute€causation€to€it.€€Neither€would€he€attributeÏany€impairment€to€the€July€4,€1998€alleged€injury.€€He€could€not€state€when€or€from€what€incidentÏthe€plaintiffððs€knee€condition€was€aggravated,€and€significantly,€he€was€not€aware€of€the€cause€ofÏany€aggravation€of€the€plaintiffððs€knee€between€January€and€May€1998,€other€than€usual€activities.€ÏHe€testified€that€he€could€not€attribute€the€aggravation€to€any€specific€incident.ÌÌÓ  Óòòò òThe€Notice€Issueóóó óÌÓ  ÓÌà àIt€requires€no€citation€of€authority€that€Tennessee€case€law€interprets€Tennessee€CodeÏAnnotated€ðð€50„6„201€strictly€favorably€to€an€injured€worker.€€The€written€notice€of€injury€isÏdispensed€with€if€the€employer€has€actual€notice€or€if€the€required€written€notice€within€30€days€ofÏthe€accident€could€not€reasonably€have€been€given.ÌÌà àThe€plaintiff€testified€that€he€informed€a€supervisor,€Chief€Ô_ÔBivensÔ_Ô,€that€he€injured€his€kneeÏon€July€4,€1998.€€He€told€Chief€Ô_ÔBivensÔ_Ô€that€he€twisted€his€knee€while€wrestling€a€prisoner€and€ð ðIððmÏgoing€to€try€to€see€if€itððs€OK.€€Iððm€used€to€stretching€it€out€myself€a€lot€of€times.ððÌÌà àThe€plaintiff€prepared€an€Incident€Report,€which€he€signed,€describing€the€events€of€the€JulyÏ4,€1998€altercation.€€It€is€a€3„page€detailed€description€of€the€episode,€but€nowhere€did€the€plaintiffÏrefer€to€any€injury€to€himself,€although,€at€trial,€he€acknowledged€that€the€inclusion€of€any€injuries€isÏa€necessary€element€of€the€Report.ÌÌà àThe€plaintiff€was€under€the€care€of€Dr.€Brown€for€the€1996€injury.€€He€did€not€report€to€Dr.ÏBrown€for€five€(5)€months€„€December€10,€1998€„€and€even€then€did€not€mention€the€July€4,€1998Ïepisode.€€ÌÌà àThe€trial€judge€did€not€decide€this€case€on€the€notice€issue.€€He€implied€that€causation€mightÏmore€readily€have€been€shown€had€proper€notice€been€given,€referencing€the€testimony€of€theÏdefendantððs€workersðð€compensation€coordinator€that€the€defendant€had€no€notice€of€the€July€4,Ï1998€episode,€or€any€incident€in€1998.ÌÌà àThe€complaint€does€not€allege€that€the€July€4,€1998€episode€aggravated€a€pre„existingÏcondition.€€Nonetheless,€the€case€was€essentially€tried€on€the€theory€of€aggravation.€€The€trial€judgeÏconcluded€that€ð ðthereððs€nothing€in€the€record€to€support€either€that€this€aggravating€incidentÏnecessitated€the€surgery€or€that€the€aggravation€resulted€in€any€permanent€impairment.ððÌÌà àWe€are€unable€to€find€that€the€evidence€preponderates€against€the€findings€and€conclusionsÏof€the€Chancellor€and€the€judgment€is€therefore€affirmed€at€the€costs€of€the€appellant,€ChristopherÏAlan€Ô_ÔMcNewÔ_Ô.ÌÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà à___________________________________€Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àWILLIAM€H.€INMAN,€SENIOR€JUDGEÇÔ€8¼Ôà@ àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àAT€KNOXVILLE,€TENNESSEE€Ô€8XÔÌÌÌÌÓ  Óò òÔ€8¼ÔCHRISTOPHER€ALAN€Ô_ÔMcNEWÔ_Ô€€V.€€KNOW€COUNTY.€€ex€rel:€€SHERIFF'ÏDEPARTMENTÌKnox€County€Chancery€€CourtÔ€8XÔó óÌÓ  Óà@ àò òÔ% ‡! ÔÔ%†!ØFÔÔ% ‡" ÔÔ%†"öFÔÔ% ‡# ÔÔ%†#GÔÔ% ‡$ ÔÔ%†$2GÔNo.€€141759„2ßA€V) °°` d€÷E<„ ` AßÌÌà@ àNo.€Ô% ‡% ÔE2000„001359„Ô_ÔWCÔ_Ô„R3„CV€„€Filed:€August€7,€€2001Ô%†%ËGÔÌÌßA€V) °°` dE<ƒ` AßÌó óÌà@ àò òJUDGMENTó óÌÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€This€case€is€before€the€Court€upon€the€entire€record,€including€the€order€ofÏreferral€to€the€Special€Workers'€Compensation€Appeals€Panel,€and€the€Panel's€memorandumÏOpinion€setting€forth€its€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law,€which€are€incorporated€herein€byÏreference;Ìà àà àWhereupon,€it€appears€to€the€Court€that€the€memorandum€Opinion€of€the€PanelÏshould€be€accepted€and€approved;€andÌà àà àIt€is,€therefore,€ordered€that€the€Panel's€findings€of€facts€and€conclusions€of€law€areÏadopted€and€affirmed€and€the€decision€of€the€Panel€is€made€the€Judgment€of€the€Court.Ìà àà àCosts€on€appeal€are€taxed€to€the€appellant,€Christopher€Alan€Ô_ÔMcNewÔ_Ô€and€surety,€€ÌC.€Edward€Daniel,€for€which€execution€may€issue€if€necessary.ÌÌ08/07/01€€ÌÔ% €& ÔÌÌ