WPC Du#V{у&`RƖrMlP*Lvu}ɶhvEeP-WhږX(ErI'/avʅvH1v guiyiu?Tf~Eb5KXbƨAK=bH%:鄝H̙OBGcMiG3lf#A˼~n3oGO(2szzHID UfoZ2 k: e]b.l@Ց G B˟ !x~A: ߓ.^oK3n_MїB:BY'eS0!:mv o8j(zbwdk iul,3leQ~|hgrݞq~WMk|O~<]_x4(\ZL"b#\ % ^ # 0/ U+N w 4 z  i x mz [   x> 0DNHJ`EhNj zlUNb 0 B  0 D3 D- 0K ASe 0~ 0D" AfHP LJ 4000/4050 PCL 5e,,,,0Tl- (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regulardb,+00 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 Q R $      1  X X  _ XX ԀOneofthesevocationalexperts,testifyingforMr.Seay,opinedthathewastotallyandpermanently  vocationallydisabled.#X X ~#ԁLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(#$  0    R $      2  X X  _ XX ԀMr.Seaygraduatedhighschool,butheisbarelyliteratenotwithstanding.#X 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.wpt(9 Z 6Times New Roman Regular- -(|G2 $ !.8Gdd8         0  XX d(|3$ !.8Gdd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3$ !.8Gdd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8Jydd8     _Jy8 XXdd8  UJy@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL & @@ATNASHVILLE#JyU# L August26,2002Session "r X XJy #JyXX #ROYAL&_SUNALLIANCE_v.JOHNH._SEAY_X XJy   p @@ DirectAppealfromtheChanceryCourtforRutherfordCounty  p @@No.00WC143RobertE._Corlew_,III,Chancellor  \ @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.M200102877_WC_ԄR3CVMailedOctober11,2002   #JyXX #X XJyFiledNovember12,2002   AV) ` dE<` A       ThisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkersCompensation  AppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)for v hearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.#JyXX #X XJyThetrial b courtfoundthattheemployeesustainedan80percentvocationaldisabilitytohisleftleg.The N employerconcedesthatMr._Seay_Ԁhasamalfunctioningleg,butthattheawardisexcessive.We : affirmthejudgment. &v    Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(1999)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheChanceryCourt N Affirmed  :     #JyX #X X.JyWilliamH._Inman_,Sr.J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhich_Adolpho_ԀA.Birch,Jr.,J.,  and,JoeC.Loser,Sp.J.,joined.  DianaC.BensonandLarryG.Trail,Murfreesboro,Tennessee,fortheappellant,Royal&   _Sunalliance_. r!  WilliamJ.Butler,Lafayette,Tennessee,fortheappellee,JohnH._Seay_. J#" +   MEMORANDUMOPINION #JyXX Z #X XJy "%r $ #JyXX #X XJy     I.  &J"&    Mr._Seay_ԀisfiftysixyearsoldandaveteranemployeeofNissan.Hesustainedanundisputed, ("$( jobrelatedinjurytohisleftkneewhichwasexacerbatedbycontinuousactivity,anddiagnosedas )%) acomplextearofthelateralmeniscuswhichwassurgicallyrepairedtotheextentpossiblebyDr. *%* E.RayLowery,anorthopedicsurgeon. +&+   InthecourseoftimeMr._Seay_ԀreturnedtoworkafterbeingreleasedtodosobyDr.Lowery. n-(- Hetestifiedthathiskneewaspainful,withburningandswelling,whichhinderedhisjobduties.  Afterthirtydaysfollowinghisreturntoworkherequestedearlyretirementbecausehecouldno  longerperformhisdutiessatisfactorily.Atthetimeoftrial,Mr._Seay_Ԁcontinuedtouseacaneand  wasunabletowalkonemile.Hetestifiedthatitwasnecessarytoresthiskneetwohourseachday. t    II.  L  %  Dr.LoweryopinedthatMr._Seay_Ԁhada10percentimpairmenttohisleg,attributable3 $ t percenttothemeniscustearand7percenttoarthritis.Hedeclinedtoexpressanopinionasto  ` whetherMr._Seay_sdegenerativearthritiswasattributabletohisjobduties.  L    Mr._Seay_ԀwasreferredtoDr.Robert_Landsberg_,anorthopedicsurgeon,foranindependent $  examination.Dr._Landsberg_sexaminationwasapparentlythoroughandincompliancewiththe   AMAGuides.HetestifiedthatMr._Seay_Ԁwalkedwithalimp,usedacane,thathisleftthighwas   atrophying,(acommonproblemwithkneeinjuries),thathehadareducedrangeofmotion,with   tendernessandswelling.Hediagnosedapostlateral_meniscectomy_Ԁwithposttraumaticarthritis,   allattributabletoMr._Seay_sworkatNissan,andassessedhislowerextremityimpairmentat17 p percentto18percent,withpermanentrestrictionssuchasnostandingmorethantwentyminutesat \ atime,noworkingformorethantwentyminutes,andrecommendedasedentaryjobonly. H    III.   p Y  ThetrialjudgeassessedMr._Seay_simpairmenttobe80percenttohisleftleg.Theemployer H appeals,insistingthattheevidencedoesnotsupportafindingof80percentpermanentdisabilityto 4 theleftlowerextremitymostofwhichmustbeattributedtopreexistingarthritis.     Ourreviewisdenovoontherecordaccompaniedbythepresumptionthatthejudgmentis  correctunlesscontrarytothepreponderanceoftheevidence.Rule13(d)Tenn.R.App.P.Itiswell  settledthatdeferencemustbeaccordedtothetrialjudgeastotheissueofthecredibilityofMr._Seay_,  hiswife,andvocationalexpertswhotestifiedconcerningemploymentopportunities.  #  1      ׀See, _Elmore_ l v.TravelersIns.Co. ,824S.W.2d541(Tenn.1992).Itisnotdisputed,aswehavenoted,thatMr. X  _Seay_Ԁsustainedacompensableinjurywhichresultedinpermanentimpairment;thesoleissueis,how D! much?Anawardneednotbesupportedbytheabsolutecertaintyofanexpert,becauseexpert 0"  opinionisgenerallyuncertainandspeculative. _Kellerman_Ԁv.FoodLion,Inc. ,929S.W.2d333 #l! (Tenn.1996).Theaggravationofapreexistingcondition,likearthritis,iscompensableifit $X"  advancestheseverityofthepreexistingcondition. Cunninghamv.GoodyearTire&Rubber $D # Co. ,811S.W.2d888(Tenn.1991).Courtsarerequiredbythelawinthisjurisdictiontoconsider %0!$ allpertinentfactors,includinglayandexperttestimony,theemployeesage,education, #  2      ׀skillsand &"% training,jobopportunitiesandcapacitytowork.Tenn.CodeAnn.506241(a)(b).Havingdone  so,weconcludethatthefindingofthetrialjudgethatMr._Seay_Ԁhasapermanentimpairmentof80  percenttohisleftleg,whilegenerous,isneverthelesssupportedbythepreponderanceofallthe  evidence. t   Thejudgmentisaffirmedatthecostsoftheappellant. L     `     h     ___________________________________  L     `     h     WILLIAMH._INMAN_,SENIORJUDGE   8  __JyXX   @@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL  #X XJyR## JyXX ROYAL&_SUNALLIANCE_v.JOHNH._SEAY_#X XJy0$#  " @@ ChanceryCourtforRutherfordCounty  " @@No.00WC143   @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.M200102877_WC_ԄR3CVFiledNovember12,2002 }  AV) ` dE<T` A U       JyXX #X XJy&#&  JUDGMENT JyXX #X XJy0'# (x   JyXX #X XJy'#JyXX #X XJy'#X XXX   ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltothe P SpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforth < itsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. (   Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbe  acceptedandapproved;and    Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadopted t andaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. `   CostswillbepaidbytheappellantRoyal&_Sunalliance,_Ԁforwhichexecutionmayissueif 8 necessary. $ t   ITISSOORDERED. !L!    `     h     PERCURIAM % %   #X XXX (#