ÿWPC 8#  UN+ %y 0(w"§4ÉÝìEô BöLU<_Æ›ÆaÆ'Æí 0J³ 0Tý 0^Q 0h¯ 0r 0|‰ 0† 0‹ AQ Æl 0D2 0@v 0D¶ 1uú D/o 0dž B D3U>RU *B)ºDCã AM&*s*v~ÇvÓE˜HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,ü,,,,,ü0nLlÎ(ÈhH  Z ‹6Times New Roman RegularX($¡¡Ó€VîÓ€k`($3|xüÿP PdC:\OFFICE\WPWIN\TEMPLATE\STANDARD.WPT.èB' Z‹$Arrus BT RomanLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5‚Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5„Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5…Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 52 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 !"#%Cþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3¯$¢¢Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  Ý("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a) '÷ÿ dxdP ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ d'''''ÿÿdxd< Œ 9p`(&Times New Roman< Œ 9p`(Arial% Line 7 d11117Border 1dd "2Cþÿ << Gÿÿ Ý ƒ!ÝÑ#€d#ÑÔ€/ÔÝ  ÝÝ ƒ!"ÝÝ  ÝÔ€0ÔÔ€0ÔÓ  ÓÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€0XÔÌÌò òFebruary€20,€1998ÌÌCecil€Crowson,€Jr.ÌÔ€0ôÔAppellate€Court€Clerkó ó Ý ƒ!ÝÑ#€d#ÑÔ€/ÔÝ  ÝÝ ƒ!"ÝÝ  ÝÔ€0ÔÔ€0ÔÓ  ÓÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€0XÔÌÌò òFebruary€20,€1998ÌÌCecil€Crowson,€Jr.ÌÔ€0ôÔAppellate€Court€Clerkó óPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿáùEG(üHHØ(d'`Styl{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  ion-F Geneva ÒÒ  ion-F Geneva ÒÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€/ÔÝ  ÝÑ\R AØ'\ÑÔ€0Ôò òÑ7€5NXXdìdÈ7ÑÙ€ ÙßR€342A1-j|` Å `€€@ÿRß›Þ ÞÌà@ àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àSPECIAL€WORKERSðð€COMPENSATION€APPEALS€PANELÌà@ àAT€JACKSONÌà@ à(May€23,€1997€Session)Ìó óÌßA€' ) °°xdE°E xAßÌÌDENNIS€œOððNEIL›€œMILLIGAN›,ÌÌà àPlaintiff,ÌÌvs.à àà àà àà àà àà àà àNO.€œ02S01›„9612„CV„00110ÌÌTEN„STATE,€INC.,à àà àà àà àà àœHARDIN›€CIRCUIT€COURTÌÌà àDefendant.à àà àà àà à€€€€€€à àC.€Creed€œMcGinley›,€€€Ì€€€€€€€€€€à àà àà àà àà àà àJudgeÌÌßA€' ) °°xdE°xAßÌÌÌÌòòÌFOR€APPELLANT:óóà àà àà àà àà àòòFOR€APPELLEE:ÌÌóóWilliam€F.€œKendall›,€IIIà àà àà àà àKeith€S.€CarltonÌœWaldrop›€&€Hall,€P.A.à àà àà àà àWood€&€CarltonÌJackson,€Tennesseeà àà àà àà àCorinth,€MississippiÌÌÌÌÌÌà@ àMEMORANDUM€OPINIONÌà@ àMailed€________________,€1997ÌÌÌÌÌÌà@ àòòMembers€of€Panel:ÌÌóóà@ àJanice€M.€Holder,€Associate€Justice,€Supreme€CourtÌà@ àRobert€A.€Lanier,€Special€JudgeÌà@ àDon€R.€Ash,€Special€JudgeÌÌÌÌò òÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌAFFIRMEDó óà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àLanier,€JudgeÇò òòòà@ àMEMORANDUM€OPINIONó óÌÌÌÌÓÓà àóóThis€workersðð€compensation€appeal€has€been€referred€to€the€Special€WorkersððÏCompensation€Appeals€Panel€of€the€Supreme€Court€in€accordance€with€TennesseeÏCode€Annotated€Section€50„6„225(e)(3)€for€hearing€and€reporting€of€findings€of€factÏand€conclusions€of€law.Ìà àOn€or€about€July€9,€1993,€while€employed€by€the€defendant,€the€claimant€wasÏattempting€to€move€a€mobile€home€with€the€assistance€of€fellow€employees€when€hisÏfoot€slipped€and€he€was€caused€to€twist€and€fall€to€his€knee.€€He€felt€a€burningÏsensation€in€his€€lower€back€shortly€thereafter€and€reported€this€to€his€supervisor.€€TheÏcompany€referred€him€to€a€Dr.€Howard€Thomas,€who€in€turn€referred€him€to€Dr.€R.€J.ÏHornsby.€€In€the€course€of€his€examinations€and€treatments€by€these€physicians,€heÏunderwent€not€only€an€œMRI›,€an€œEMG›€and€nerve€conduction€study,€but€also€an€epiduralÏblock€and€myelogram,€which€gave€him€a€severe€spinal€headache.€€Because€heÏcontinued€to€complain€of€pain€in€the€low€back€upon€examination,€he€was€alsoÏevaluated€by€a€physical€therapist,€who€reported,€ð ð.€.€.€he€was€totally€inconsistent€inÏevery€test€and€no€impairment€was€noted€that€was€consistent.ðð€€(Notes€of€Dr.€Hornsby).Ìà àNo€permanent€disability€rating€was€given€by€either€Dr.€Hornsby€or€Dr.€Thomas.€ÏHowever,€claimant€was€referred€by€his€attorney€on€October€4,€1994€to€Dr.€RobertÏBarnett,€for€an€evaluation.€€Dr.€Barnett€saw€him€one€time.€€Dr.€Barnett€said€that€heÏð ðthought€that€he€had€some€lumbar€radiculopathy,€probably€aggravation€of€preexistingÏdegenerative€changes.ðð€€Dr.€Barnett€was€also€of€the€opinion€that€the€claimant€has€aÏpermanent€impairment€of€ten€percent€(10%)€of€the€whole€body.€€When€asked€what€theÍopinion€was€based€upon,€the€doctor€replied,ÌÓÓà8 àà8 àà àMedically€documented€injury€with€the€pain€andÏstiffness,€with€some€radiculopathy,€and€some€limited€motion,Ï[giving€a€reference€to€the€AMA€guides].ÌÌ(Deposition€of€Dr.€Barnett,€page€9).ÌÌÓÓà àThe€doctor€was€then€asked€whether€or€not€the€history€of€claimant€injuringÏhimself€in€July€of€1993€on€the€job€ð ðwas€consistentðð€with€his€diagnosis€of€lumbarÏradiculopathy€and€a€ten€percent€(10%)€permanent€impairment€to€the€body€as€a€whole.€ÏThe€doctor€replied,€ð ðit€is€consistent.ððÌ(Deposition€of€Dr.€Barnett,€pages€10€and€11).Ìà àThe€latter€statement€may€be€interpreted€as€the€equivalent€of€the€doctor€statingÏthat,€in€his€opinion,€it€was€possible€for€the€claimant€to€both€have€had€the€accident€inÏquestion€and€to€have€the€permanent€impairment€to€which€the€doctor€testified.€€Dr.ÏBarnett€also€gave€his€opinion€that€ð ðheavy€and€repetitive€lifting,€overhead€work€and€longÏstanding€should€be€limited.ððÌ(Deposition€of€Dr.€Barnett€page€11).Ìà àHowever,€on€cross„examination,€Dr.€Barnett€clarified€his€opinion€somewhat.€€HisÏreview€of€the€other€examinations€and€his€own€examination€did€not€find€any€type€ofÏnerve€root€impingement.€€The€nerve€conduction€test€was€normal.€€He€interpreted€theÏœMRI›€as€showing€some€ð ðdesiccation,ðð€meaning€degeneration.€€He€explained€that€theÏdesiccation€preexisted€the€accident,€that€claimant€may€do€better€or€worse,€dependingÏupon€his€situation,€and€that€he€was€employable.€€The€arthritic€changes€shown€on€the€x„rays,€he€felt,€were€due€to€age€and€he€was€unable€to€state€that€they€were€caused€by€theÏaccident€in€question.€Ì(Deposition€of€Dr.€Barnett,€pages€10€„€14).Ìà àDr.€Barnett€said€that€the€accident€is€ð ðconsistent€withðð€having€caused€anÏaggravation€to€the€œL4›€disc€and€the€arthritic€changes€in€the€claimantððs€back.€Ì(Deposition€of€Dr.€Barnett,€Page€16).Ìà àOn€February€15,€1994,€claimant€told€Dr.€Hornsby€that€he€had€started€to€return€toÏwork€but€his€car€broke€down.€€He€told€the€doctor€that€he€was€keeping€house,€walking,Ïdoing€some€deer€hunting€and€that€sort€of€thing.€(Notes€of€Dr.€Hornsby).Ìà àThe€evidence€strongly€suggests€that€plaintiff€sustained€a€genuine€and€painfulÏinjury€on€the€job.€€If€he€did€not,€his€submission€to€the€various€invasive€proceduresÏdescribed€above€€could€only€be€explained€either€by€a€psychopathic€or€extremelyÏdevious€personality,€neither€of€which€is€demonstrated€by€the€record€in€this€case.€€TheÏtrial€court€awarded€the€claimant€permanent€partial€disability€in€the€amount€of€thirty„fiveÏpercent€(35%)€to€the€body€as€a€whole.€€It€is€appellantððs€position€that€there€is€noÏevidence€upon€which€to€base€such€an€award.€€In€considering€this€matter,€it€is€importantÏto€bear€in€mind€that,€while€aggravation€of€a€preexisting€physical€condition€isÏcompensable,€in€order€to€recover€benefits€for€permanent€disability€based€upon€suchÏaggravation,€the€aggravation€must€be€permanent,€and€not€the€mere€normal€orÏexpected€progress€of€the€preexisting€condition.€€The€burden€is€upon€the€claimant€toÏestablish€this€permanent€aggravation€by€competent€expert€evidence.€€òòœTibbals›€FlooringÏCompany€vs.€œStanfill›óó,€219€Tenn.€498,€410€SW€2d€892€(1967).€€In€our€opinion,€œthe›Ïrecord€as€a€whole€in€this€case€supports€a€finding€of€the€claimant€having€sustained€aÏpermanent€injury€on€the€job.€€It€can€be€argued€that€the€testimony€of€Dr.€Barnett,Ïdiscussed€above,€supports€the€conclusion€that€claimantððs€accident€on€the€jobÍtemporarily€aggravated€the€preexisting€condition€from€which€he€suffered€and€whichÏòòpreexisting€conditionóó€leaves€him€with€some€permanent€impairment.€€The€closest€eitherÏparty€got€to€completely€clarifying€the€question€was€when€the€employerððs€attorney€askedÏthe€following€question€and€received€the€following€answer:ÌÓÓà8 àà8 àà àQ.€€€€So,€you€canððt€state€with€any€reasonable€degreeÏof€medical€certainty€that€this€desiccation€was€caused€orÏaggravated€by€this€incident€in€July€of€1993,€can€you?ÌÌà8 àà8 àà àA.€€€€It€preexisted€that.€€ÌÌ(Deposition€of€Dr.€Barnett,€page€14)ÌÌÓÓà àThe€burden€is€upon€the€claimant€to€demonstrate€through€competent€evidenceÏthat€his€condition€was€permanently€aggravated€by€the€accident.€€However,€the€courtÏmust€consider€the€deposition€of€Dr.€Barnett€as€a€whole,€and€resolve€doubts€in€favor€ofÏthe€worker.€€òòImperial€Shirt€Co.€œv.›€Jenkinsóó,€217€Tenn.€602,€299€S.W.2d€757€(1966).€ÏApplying€that€standard,€there€is€sufficient€evidence€to€support€an€award€forÏpermanency.Ìà àThe€judgment€of€the€trial€court€is€affirmed.€€The€costs€on€appeal€are€taxed€to€theÏdefendant€Ten„State,€Inc.ÌÌÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà àà à_________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àRobert€A.€Lanier,€Special€JudgeÌÌÌÌÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌ__________________________________ÌJanice€M.€Holder,€Associate€JusticeÌÌÌÌ__________________________________ÌDon€R.€Ash,€Special€œJudgeÇÒ € ÒÒ À ÒÔ€Ôà@ àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àAT€JACKSONÌÌÌDENNIS€OððNEAL€MILLIGAN,à àà à)à àHARDIN€CIRCUITÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àNo.€€€2244€BelowÌà àAppellee,à àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àHon.€C.€Creed€McGinley,Ìv.à àà àà àà àà àà à)à àJudge.ÌßJ€35;+'b|Òñ` Å `€@ÿJßà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)€à àNo.€€02S01„9612„CV„00110ÌTEN„STATE,€INC.à àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àAppellant.à àà àà àà à)à àAFFIRMED.ÌÌÌà@ àòòJUDGMENT€ORDERóóÌÌÓÓà àà àThis€case€is€before€the€Court€upon€motion€for€review€pursuantÏto€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(5)(B),€the€entire€record,€including€theÏorder€of€referral€to€the€Special€Workers'€Compensation€Appeals€Panel,€andÏthe€Panel's€Memorandum€Opinion€setting€forth€its€findings€of€fact€andÏconclusions€of€law,€which€are€incorporated€herein€by€reference;Ìà àà àWhereupon,€it€appears€to€the€Court€that€the€motion€for€reviewÏis€not€well„taken€and€should€be€denied;€andÌà àà àIt€is,€therefore,€ordered€that€the€Panel's€findings€of€fact€andÏconclusions€of€law€are€adopted€and€affirmed,€and€the€decision€of€the€Panel€isÏmade€the€judgment€of€the€Court.€€ò òÌó óà àà àCosts€on€appeal€are€assessed€to€the€appellants.Ìà àà àIT€IS€SO€ORDERED€this€____€day€of€February,€1998.Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àPER€CURIAMÌÌHolder,€J.€€„€Not€participating.Ô€0Ô›