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D-r 0K AS= 0 0D AHP LaserJet 8000 Series PS0%$+ (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman RegularK+p}.bk1 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.wpt3|xU Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt(I Z6Times New Roman Regular,  AZ"Arial Regular- -(|G2$ !.8Sd d 8         0  X' X d(|3N$ !.8Sd d 8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3N$ !.8Sd d 8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8Ed d8     _83\XXdd 8  H@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL & @@ATKNOXVILLE#H# L March15,2001Session "r XeX #XXe#UNITEDSTATESPIPE&FOUNDRYCOMPANYv.STEVENL.CAMPXeX   p @@ DirectAppealfromtheCircuitCourtforHamiltonCounty  p @@No.98C0321L.MarieWilliams,CircuitJudge  \ @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.E200001198WCR3CVMailedMay2,2001   #XXe#XeXAV) ` dE<` A       ThisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkersCompensation  AppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)for v hearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.#XXee#XeXThetrial b courtfoundtheemployeehadsustainedatemporaryinjurytohisbackandawardedmedicalbenefits N totreathissymptoms.Onappealtheemployeeinsistshisinjurywasofapermanentnature. : Judgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed. &v    Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(1999)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourtis N Affirmed  :     Thayer#XeW#XeX.,Sp.J.#Xe#XeX.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichAnderson,C.J.#XXe#XeXԀandByers,Sr.J.,  joined.  ThomasL.Wyatt,ofChattanooga,Tennessee,fortheAppellant,StevenCamp.   J.BartlettQuinnandCharlesD.Lawson,ofChattanooga,Tennessee,forAppellee,UnitedStates ^"! Pipe&FoundryCompany. J#" z  OPINION #XXe #XeX "%r $   #XXe@ #XeX  Theemployee,StevenL.Camp,hadtwoworkerscompensationclaimswhichwere &J"& consolidatedfortrial.Oneclaiminvolvedaninjurytohisrightarmforwhichhereceivedanaward '6#' of50percentpermanentpartialdisabilitytothearm.Thesecondclaimwasaninjurytohisback. ("$( Thetrialcourtfoundthebackinjurywasofatemporarynatureandawardedmedicalbenefitsforthe )%) treatmentofhissymptoms.Thisappealwasperfectedbytheemployeeandrelatesonlytotheclaim *%* forthebackinjury. +&+   BasicFacts n-(- Ї     EmployeeCampstartedworkingforUnitedStatesPipe&FoundryCompanyduringMay  1988.Heinitiallyinjuredhisbackin1994whenhejumpedbacktryingtoavoidbeingstruckbya  craneandcameintocontactwithapipe.Thisincidentcausedmidrangebackpain,stiffnessofhis  neckandsomenumbnessinhisindexfinger.Hewastreatedattheemergencyroomandwasgiven t antiinflammatorymedicine.Thiscausedabackstrainandhetestifiedhereturnedtoworkfairly ` soonbuthadflareupswithhisbackoccasionally. L    TheemployeetestifiedthatduringJune1997,heinjuredhisbackagainwhilepushingand $ t liftingwhenheheardapopandfeltpainradiatingdownhislowerback.Hereceivedtherapy  ` treatmentandwasgivencertainworkrestrictions.HestatedthatduringJanuary1998,hewas  L  twistingandliftingwhenheheardanotherpopandhispainshiftedtotheotherside;thatitresulted  8  innumbnessofhislegdowntohisfootandthereweresharppainsdownhisleftleg.Uponhis $  returntoworkhewasgivenatemporaryjobofsweeping.Hisemployerlaterdeterminedtherewas   nojobavailablewithhisworkrestrictionsandhewasplacedontemporarytotaldisabilitybenefits.   Thentheemployerfiledthisactiontodeterminewhethertheincidentsatworkduring1997and1998   werecompensable.      MedicalEvidence  \   ThemedicalreportandofficenotesofDr.DennisL.Stohler,anorthopedicsurgeon,were 4 filedinevidence.TheserecordsindicatetheemployeewasseennumeroustimesfromOctober1995  p totheearlypartof1999.Withreferencetotheincidentatworkduring1997,thedoctorconcluded  \ hesufferedabackstrainandwasobese.Healsoconcludedthepatientwasnotcooperatingwiththe H physicaltherapistinattemptingtorehabilitatehisconditionandthathewasnotinterestedindoing 4 exercises,etc.Astothe1998workincident,hisdiagnosiswasabackstrainanddegenerativedisc   disease.Thereportandofficenotesdidnotexpressanopiniononcausationofinjury.Thelast   officenotedatedFebruary18,1999indicatedheagreedwithDr.ArcherBishopsconclusionthat  therewasnopermanentimpairmentresultingfromthe multipleinjurieshedescribedwhileworking  atU.S.PipeandFoundry.    Dr.LesterF.LittellIII,anorthopedicsurgeon,testifiedbydepositionandstatedhesawthe X  employeeforaperiodofseveralyearsfrom1994through1997.Hefelttheemployeewas D! exaggeratinghissymptomsconcerninghisbackcomplaintsandstatedhehadnopermanent 0"  impairmentasaresultofthe1997workincident.(Dr.Littellperformedsurgeryonhisarmand #l! foundpermanentimpairmentthere). $X"   Dr.DavidW.Gaw,anorthopedicsurgeon,testifiedbydepositionandstatedhesawthe %0!$ employeeonlyonetimeorOctober13,1997,whenhedidanindependentmedicalexam.Hefound &"% degenerativechangesinhisbackwithsomeprotrusionorbulgeofL45andL5S1butnoevidence '#& ofanydischernia.Hewasoftheopinionthe1997workincidentcausedhisbackinjuryandthathe (#' hada5percentmedicalimpairment.Oncrossexaminationwhenaskediftherewasanyanatomical )$( changeasaresultofthe1997incident,headmittedsuchchangewouldbe microscopic. |*%)  h+&*   Dr.ArcherW.Bishop,anorthopedicsurgeon,alsotestifiedbydeposition.Hestatedhe  performedanindependentmedicalexamonOctober7,1998andtookahistoryofthe1994,1997  and1998workincidents.Healsoreviewedthenumerousreportsofotherdoctorswhohadseenhim  andreviewedMRIresults,etc.Hisconclusionwastheemployeewassufferingfromdegenerative t discdiseaseandthathewassomewhatobeseweighing284poundsona6foot6inchframe.He ` statedhehadsufferedseveralstrainsofhislowbackbuttherewasnopermanentimpairment L  resultingfromtheseinjuries. 8     FindingsoftheTrialCourt   ` !  Thetrialcourtdismissedtheclaimforpermanentinjurybutfoundhisinjurywasofa  8  temporarynatureandawardedmedicalbenefitstotreathissymptoms. $     IssueonAppeal    "  Thesoleissueonappealiswhethertheevidencepreponderatesagainsttheconclusionofthe   trialcourt. p    StandardofReview H #   Wemustreviewtheissueonappealdenovoaccompaniedbyapresumptionofthe  p correctnessofthefindingsofthetrialcourtunlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.  \ Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Thegeneralruleisthatcausationandpermanencyofaninjury H mustbeshowninmostcasesbyexpertmedicalevidence.Tindallv.WaringParkAssn,725S.W.2d 4 935(Tenn.1987).Althoughabsolutecertaintyisnotrequired,themedicalproofmustnotbe   speculativeoruncertainwithreferencetocauseorpermanency.Pattersonv.TuckerSteelCo.,584   S.W.2d792(Tenn.1979).    Anemployertakesanemployeeastheemployerfindshimorherandisliableunderthe  WorkersCompensationActfordisabilitieswhicharetheresultoftheactivationoraggravationof l apreexistingweakness,conditionordiseasebroughtaboutbytheoccupation.Arnoldv.Firestone X  Tire&RubberCo.,686S.W.2d65(Tenn.1984). D!   Wherethereisconflictingmedicaltestimony,thetrialjudgehasdiscretiontoconcludethat #l! theopinionofaparticularexpertshouldbeacceptedoverthatofanotherexpert.Thomasv.Aetna $X" Life&Cas.Co.,812S.W.2d278(Tenn.1991);Johnsonv.Midwesco,Inc.,801S.W.2d804(Tenn. $D # 1990). %0!$    Conclusion  '#& N*  Thetrialcourtwasfacedwithconflictingmedicaltestimonyastowhethertheemployees )$( backinjurywasofapermanentnature.Threeofthefourdoctorsconcludedtherewasnopermanent |*%) injury.Thetrialcourtsawandobservedtheemployeeandwasinabetterpositiontojudgehis h+&* credibility.    Wecannotsaytheevidencepreponderatesagainstthefindingsofthetrialcourt.  ̀  Thejudgmentisaffirmed.Costsoftheappealaretaxedtotheemployee. `    `     h     ___________________________________  L     `     h     ROGERE.THAYER,SPECIALJUDGE   8  XXe   @ #XeX.#HXXeINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @WW$ATKNOXVILLE & #XeXH~.# XXe  UNITEDSTATESPIPE&FOUNDRYCOMPANYv.STEVENL.CAMP#XeX//#  8 N/@* @*AV) ` dE< ` A߈  $ @No.E200001198SCWCMCV   AV) ` dE< ` A     @( ORDER       `     h Filed:September4,2001   X XXXe   ` ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtuponmotionforreviewpursuanttoTenn.Code R  Ann.506225(e)(5)(B),theentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecial 8 Workers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsetting n forthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; T    ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthemotionforreviewisnotwell : takenandshouldbedeniedand      ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsof  lawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentofthe  Court.       ` Costsonappealaretaxedtotheapplicant. h    ` ITISSOORDEREDthis4dayofSeptember,2001.#XeX XX1#X XXXe 4    `     h   PERCURIAM P ChiefJusticeAndersonnotparticipating.#XeX XX5#       `     h