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D3 D- 0KCC AS 0 0DK A(9 Z6Times New Roman Regular(`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular]+s ^p+  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 5HP LaserJet 8000 Series PS03#37=CIQYag1.a.i.(1)(a)(i)1)a)i)(;3$2#  0  .3  0  (hH  Z 6Times New Roman Regular(#$  0  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(Times New Roman - -(|G2$ !.84d XXd8         0  XsDX d(|3?$ !.84d XXd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3?$ !.84d XXd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8d d8     _t8iXXdd 8  %t@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL & @@ATJACKSON#t%# L August20,2001Session "r XXt #tXX#LYNETTE_SANGSTER_v._MTD_ԀPRODUCTS,INC.XXt   p @@ DirectAppealfromtheChanceryCourtfor_Haywood_ԀCounty  p @@No.12012GeorgeR.Ellis,Chancellor  \ @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.W200003019_WC_ԄR3CVMailedOctober25,2001;FiledDecember6,2001   #tXX#XXtAV) ` dE<` A       Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppeals  PaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingand v reportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.#tXX#XXtԀ#tXX#XXtInthisappeal,the b employercontendstheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialcourt'sfindingthattheemployeeis N permanentlydisabled.Asdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbe : affirmed. &v q   Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2000)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheChanceryCourt N Affirmed  :     JoeC.Loser,Jr.,Sp.J.#tX#XX.t,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichJaniceM.Holder,J.,andW.  Michael_Maloan_,Sp.J.,joined.  JeffreyP.Boyd,Jackson,Tennessee,fortheappellant,_MTD_ԀProducts,Inc.   SherryM.Percival,Jackson,Tennessee,fortheappellee,Lynette_Sangster_ ^"! #   MEMORANDUMOPINION #tXXk #XXt 6$#   #tXX #XXt  #tXX #XXt  Theemployeeorclaimant,Lynette_Sangster_,is45yearsoldandahighschoolgraduatewho &J"& hasworkedfortheemployer,_MTD_,foralmost20years._MTD_Ԁassemblesyardandgardentractors. '6#' OnFebruary15,1999,theclaimantwassittingatherdeskwhenacoworkeraccidentallydrovea ("$( tractorintothebackofherchair,pinninghertoherdesk.Shewasimmediatelytakentoan )%) emergencyroom,whereshereceivedfirstaidforahematomaandwasreleased.Whenthe *%* hematomadidnotresolveitself,shewasreferredtoanorthopedicsurgeon,Dr.DavidJohnson. +&+   Dr.Johnsontreatedherconservativelyatfirstbut,whenthehematoma,whichDr.Johnson n-(- definedasacollectionofblood,didnotresolve,hetreateditsurgically.Theclaimanthasreturned  toworkbutcontinuestohavecomplaintsofdebilitatingpainandstiffness.Inhisdeposition,Dr.  Johnsonopinedthattheclaimantwouldnotbepermanentlyimpaired.Herattorneyreferredherto  Dr.Joseph_Boals_Ԁforexaminationandevaluation. t   Dr._Boals_ԀsawheronJanuary4,2000,atwhichtimeshewasstillhavingsymptoms.Dr. L  _Boals_,whoalsotestifiedbydeposition,opinedthatshewouldretainapermanentmedical 8  impairmentof5percenttothewholebody,usingAMAguidelines. $ t   Thetrialcourtawarded,interalia,permanentpartialdisabilitybenefitsbasedontwoandone  L  halftimesthatmedicalimpairmentrating.Appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrial  8  court,accompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderance $  oftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Thistribunalisnotboundbythe   trialcourt'sfindingsbutinsteadconductsanindependentexaminationoftherecordtodetermine   wherethepreponderancelies._Galloway_Ԁv.MemphisDrumServ.,822S.W.2d584,586(Tenn.   1991).Wherethetrialjudgehasseenandheardthewitnesses,especiallyifissuesofcredibilityand   weighttobegivenoraltestimonyareinvolved,considerabledeferencemustbeaccordedthose p circumstancesonreview,becauseitisthetrialcourtwhichhadtheopportunitytoobservethe \ witnessesdemeanorandtoheartheincourttestimony.Longv.TriConInd.,Ltd.,996S.W.2d H 173,178(Tenn.1999).Theappellatetribunal,however,isaswellsituatedtogaugetheweight, 4 worthandsignificanceofdepositiontestimonyasthetrialjudge.Walkerv.SaturnCorp.,986  p S.W.2d204,207(Tenn.1998).Theextentofaninjuredworkersvocationaldisabilityisaquestion  \ offact.Storyv.LegionIns.Co.,3S.W.3d450,456(Tenn.1999). H   Theappellantarguesthereisnocompetentexpertmedicalevidenceofpermanency,as   requiredbyCorcoranv.FosterAuto_GMC_,Inc.,746S.W.2d452,458(Tenn.1988),becausethe   AMAguidelinesdonotprovideatableforcalculatingMs._Sangster_spermanentimpairment.#tXXX #XXtThe  depositionofDr._Boals_Ԁisclearthat,inhisopinion,theclaimantispermanentlyimpaired,whether  theguidelinesprovideatableornot.Insuchacase,atrialcourtmayawardpermanentdisability  benefitsifthereissupportinglayproof,foramedicaloranatomicimpairmentratingisnotalways l indispensabletoatrialcourtsfindingofapermanentvocationalimpairment.Hillv.RoyalIns.Co., X  937S.W.2d873,876(Tenn.1996).Itisequallyclearfromthelaytestimonythattheclaimantis D! restrictedinherabilitytoworkandearnanincome.Moreover,astheclaimantargues,itiswithin 0"  thediscretionofthetrialjudgetoconcludethattheopinionofcertainexpertsshouldbeaccepted #l! overthatofotherexpertsandthatitcontainsthemoreprobableexplanation.Johnsonv._Midwesco_, $X" Inc.,801S.W.2d804,806(Tenn.1990). $D #   Uponfurtherreview,thedecisionofthetrialcourtstands.Costsaretaxedtotheappellant. &"%    `     h     ___________________________________ |*%)    `     h     JOEC.LOSER,JR. h+&* Ї   @7 7 tXXINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @??SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL  @''%ATJACKSON $ @"August20,2001 6    LYNETTE_SANGSTER_Ԁv._MTD_ԀPRODUCTS,INC.   Z  #@a a  ChanceryCourtfor_Haywood_ԀCounty 0  @%No.12012 D  @*AV) ` dE<k` A߈ l  @ No.W200003019_WC_ԄR3CVFiledDecember6,2001   AV) ` dE<` A   @PP& JUDGMENT  ( tt   ` ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorder ` ofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel's "r MemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,which 4 areincorporatedhereinbyreference; F    ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthe j Panelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and |    ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusions  oflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgment   oftheCourt. ! Ѐ "&    ` CostsonappealaretaxedtotheAppellant,_MTD_ԀProducts,Inc.,for #8 whichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. $J     ` ITISSOORDERED. 'n"" #tt%#t   `     h     PER_CURIAM_ N*%% #tZ*##XXt!#