WPC 'I Ci?$\l6QLoͽ>O԰nyi*5j+9ɫq f}A 1.Nt݀uY2ty mmUz8XO="ٽ OrUF㥀-b %\^ b 0nU1NwD4H\ zk m UN  &   x #> NN zE}UNQQ 0Db 0 B  0 D3 D- 0K ASB 0[ 0D ACC{o- (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regulardb,x+003|x 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.wptU(9 Z6Times New Roman Regular Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5HP LJ 4000/4050 PCL 5e,,,,0C:\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(9 Z 6Times New Roman Regular(#$  0  - -(|G28$ !..8 qdd8         0  XYX d(|3p$ !..8 qdd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3p$ !..8 qdd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8 qdd8     _ q8YXXdd8   q@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL & @@ATNASHVILLE# q# L June3,2002Session "r XYX q # qXXY#ROYAL&_SUNALLIANCE_v.BARBARACOOPERXYX q   p @@ DirectAppealfromtheChanceryCourtforRutherfordCounty  p @@No.99WC1218Robert_Corlew_,III,Chancellor  \ @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.M200101580_WC_ԄR3CVMailedOctober14,2002   # qXXY#XYX qFiledNovember15,2002   AV) ` dE<` A        Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppeals  PaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingand  reportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Inthisappeal,# qXXY#XYX qԀthe v employersinsurerquestionsthetrialcourtsfindingthattheemployeesinjuryiscausallyrelated b toheremployment;andtheemployeequestionsthesufficiencyoftheaward.Asdiscussedbelow, N thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed. : n   Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2001Supp.)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheChancery b CourtAffirmed.  N     JoeC.Loser,Jr.,Sp.J.# qXY#XYX. q,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhich_Adolpho_ԀA.Birch,Jr.,J.,and & TomE.Gray,Sp.J.,joined.  DianaC.BensonandLarryG.Trail,Murfreesboro,Tennessee,fortheappellant,Royaland  _SunAlliance_   KeithJordan,Nashville,Tennessee,fortheappellee,BarbaraCooper ^"! &   MEMORANDUMOPINION # qXXYn #XYX q 6$#   # qXXY #XYX q  Theappellantinitiatedthiscivilactionseekingadeclarationofitsrightsandliabilities &^!% relativetotheappelleesclaimforbenefitsundertheWorkersCompensationLaw.Byheranswer &J"& andcounterclaim,theemployeeorclaimant,BarbaraCooper,demandedmedicalandpermanent '6#' disabilitybenefitsforaninjuryallegedlyarisingoutofandinthecourseofheremploymentby ("$( NissanNorthAmerica,Inc.Afteratrialonthemerits,thetrialcourtawardedlifetimemedical )%) benefitsandpermanentdisabilitybenefitsbasedon13percenttotheleftleg.Bothpartieshave *%* appealed. +&+    XYXXXYAppellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumption n-(- ofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.#XYXX XY*#Tenn.  CodeAnn.506225(e)(2) XYXXXY.Thereviewingcourtisrequiredtoconductanindependent  examinationoftherecordtodeterminewherethepreponderanceoftheevidencelies.#XYXX XYx# XYXXXYԀ_Wingert_Ԁv.  GovernmentofSumnerCounty,908S.W.2d921,922(Tenn.1995).#XYXX XY_# XYXXXYConclusionsoflawaresubject t todenovoreviewonappealwithoutanypresumptionofcorrectness.#XYXX XY(# XYXXXY_Nutt_Ԁv.ChampionIntern. ` Corp.,980S.W.2d365,367(Tenn.1998).#XYXX XY# XYXXXYԀ L    Wherethetrialjudgehasseenandheardthewitnesses,especiallyifissuesofcredibilityand 8  weighttobegivenoraltestimonyareinvolved,considerabledeferencemustbeaccordedthose $ t circumstancesonreview,becauseitisthetrialcourtwhichhadtheopportunitytoobservethe  ` witnessesdemeanorandtoheartheincourttestimony.#XYXX XY# XYXXXYLongv.TriConInd.,Ltd.,996S.W.2d  L  173,178(Tenn.1999).#XYXX XY# XYXXXYԀThetrialcourtsfindingswithrespecttocredibilityandweightofthe  8  evidencemaygenerallybeinferredfromthemannerinwhichthecourtresolvesconflictsinthe $  testimonyanddecidesthecase._Tobitt_Ԁv.Bridgestone/Firestone,Inc.,59S.W.3d57,62(Tenn.   2001).Theappellatetribunal,however,isaswellsituatedtogaugetheweight,worthand   significanceofdepositiontestimonyasthetrialjudge.#XYXX XY3# XYXXXYԀWalkerv.SaturnCorp.,986S.W.2d204,207   (Tenn.1998).#XYXX XY# XYXXXY   #XYXX XY$#  OnDecember18,1998,afterworkingforNissanforthirteenyears,theclaimantreportedto \ hersupervisoratNissanthatshewassufferingpaininherleftknee.Herdutiesthereinvolved H twisting,turningandbendinginsuchawayastocausehyperextensionofherknees.Atthetime, 4 theclaimantwasalreadyreceivingmedicalbenefitsforabackcondition.OnFebruary25,1999,  p whilenegotiatingsomestepsatherhome,theclaimantfeltapoppingsensationinherleftknee,  \ accompaniedbypain.Whenthekneebecameswollen,theclaimantwenttobed.Thenextday,she H reportedtheincidenttoNissanandwasreferredtoDr.TerryWalker.Shecontinuedworkingwhile 4 receivingcarefromDr.Walker.Ultimately,shewasreferredtoanorthopedicsurgeon,who   surgicallyrepairedatornmedialmeniscusand_chondral_Ԁfracture.ShereturnedtoworkonOctober   18,1999withoutrestrictions.ThesurgeonrelatedtheinjuriestotheclaimantsworkatNissan,  basedonthehistoryprovidedbytheclaimant.    Theappellantcontendsthetrialcourterredinfindingtheclaimantskneeinjurytobework l relatedbecausethe mostsignificantmanifestationoftheinjuryoccurredawayfromwork.Weare X  unawareofany mostsignificantmanifestationrule.Anaccidentalinjuryisworkrelatedifthere D! isanycausalconnectionbetweentheinjuryandtheemployeeswork. XYXXXY_GAF_ԀBldg.Materialsv. 0"  George, X XYԀ# XYX  #47S.W.3d430,432(Tenn.2001)#XYXX XYL #.Moreover, XYXXXYanyreasonabledoubtastowhetheraninjury #l! arisesoutoftheemploymentshouldberesolvedinfavoroftheemployee.#XYXX XYR!#_Reeser_Ԁv.YellowFreight $X" System,Inc.,938S.W.2d690(Tenn.1997).Theissueisaccordinglyresolvedinfavorofthe $D # appellee. %0!$   Theappelleecontendstheawardisinadequatebecausethesurgeonsestimateofhermedical '#& impairmentis7percentandbecauseofherageandeducation.Ms.Cooperis50yearsoldwitha (#' highschooleducation.Asalreadynoted,shehasreturnedtoworkwithoutlimitations.The XYXXXYextent )$( ofaninjuredworkersvocationaldisabilityisaquestionoffact.#XYXX XYU$#Storyv.LegionIns.Co.,3S.W.3d |*%) 450,456(Tenn.1999) XYXXXYOncethecausationandpermanencyofaninjuryhavebeenestablishedby h+&* experttestimony,thetrialjudgemayconsidermanypertinentfactors,includingage,jobskills,  education,training,durationofdisability,andjobopportunitiesforthedisabled,inadditionto  anatomicimpairment,forthepurposeofevaluatingtheextentofaclaimantspermanentdisability.  #XYXX XYN%#_McCaleb_Ԁv.SaturnCorp.,910S.W.2d412,416(Tenn.1995).Fromadeliberateconsiderationof t therecord,wecannotsaythepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherthanasfoundbythetrialcourt. `   Forthosereasons,thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Costsaretaxedtotheparties, 8  onehalfeach. $ t    `     h     ___________________________________  8     `     h     JOEC.LOSER,JR.  $  __ qXXY  @@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL  #XYX q:*#  qXXYROYAL&_SUNALLIANCE_Ԁv.BARBARACOOPER#XYX q+#  " @@ ChanceryCourtforRutherfordCounty  " @@No.99WC1218   @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.M200101580_WC_ԄR3CVFiledNovember15,2002 }  AV) ` dE<T` A U        qXXY#XYX q-#{-  JUDGMENT  qXXY#XYX q-# (x    qXXY#XYX qY.#XYXXXY  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltothe P SpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforth < itsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. (   Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbe  acceptedandapproved;and    Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadopted t andaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. `   Costswillbepaidbytheparties,onehalf_each,_ԀInc.,forwhichexecutionmayissueif 8 necessary. $ t   ITISSOORDERED. !L!    `     h     PERCURIAM % %   #XYXXXY.#