WPC PߩO/pa)N5ͯ؞Tl0kSZll(5$<])  oaM;~Z I\%QD%tu_C-\+?"fbU:N\ % 0#8   ^ g zs  V  m w  j04N    &E8:I bQ ^N z _ g o w        U@b 0 B  0 D3 D- 0K ASL 0e 0D  AM("  Z6Times New Roman Regular(`$.8dd8    \\IB01S02\CLERKJAC,,,,0C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\CUSTOM~1\OPINION3.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\Custom WP Templates\opinion3.wptlpV/  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.wptULevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5lk.H\Opinion Summary3|x ?\Appellants Attorney Name & Appellant's Name.?\Appellees Attorney Name & Appellee's Name.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.wpt456789101112(9 Z(Times New Roman - -(|G2dW$ !..8dd8         0  XX d(|3 $ !..8dd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3 $ !..8dd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8dd8     _8XXdd8    c@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL # @@ATJACKSON#c# F March25,2003##ԀSession i #H#XX #XX#SHARPMANUFACTURINGCOMPANYOFAMERICAv.  b NICOLEM.SULLIVANv.THEYASUDAFIRE&MARINE # s INSURANCECOMPANYOFAMERICA##XX  4  @@ DirectAppealfromthe%  CircuitCourt%1for%  Shelby% aԀCounty .~  @@No.% ! CT00335000%!Ԁ% " RobertL.Childers,CircuitJudge%" h  @@*AV) ` dE<` A &    No.% # W200200857SCWCMCVMailedJuly7,2003%##XX#XX;FiledOctober22,2003  AV) ` dE<` A   %      Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppeals  PaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.Code.Ann.Sec%tion506225(e)(3)forhearing  andreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Thetrialfoundthe m plaintiffsuffereda50percentdisabilitytoherbodyasawholeasaresultofinjurytoherlegand V abdomen,obviouslyapplyingthe2timesmultipliertothetreatingphysician'simpairmentrating. ? Asdiscussedbelow,thepanelhasconcludedtheevidencedoesnotpreponderateagainstthetrial (x court'sfindingsandweaffirm. a  % $     Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2000Supp.)AppealasofRight%$& ;Judgmentofthe 3 % % CircuitCourtAffirmed%%    ?     AllenW.Wallace,Sr.J.#X2#XX.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichJaniceM.Holder,J.% & %& and  % ' D.J._Alissandratos_,Sp.J.%' ,joined.   %  RonaldL.HarperandR.ScottVincent,Memphis,Tennessee,forappellants,SharpManufacturing ["! andYasudaFireandMarineInsuranceCompany.%  D#" %  %q BenL.Daniel,Memphis,Tennessee,forappellee,NicoleSullivan %f $ /   MEMORANDUMOPINION #XXw #XX &8"&   #XX<#XX  Theemployee,orclaimant,NicoleSullivan,initiatedthisactiontorecoverworkers' ( $( compensationforanaccidentalinjurytoherlegandabdomenresultingfromanaccidentoccurring )$) atherplaceofemploymentonJuly20,1998.FollowingthetrialofthiscaseonFebruary26,2002, *%* thetrialcourtawarded,amongotherthings,permanentpartialdisabilityat50%tothebodyasa v+&+ whole.Appellantshaveappealedonthegroundsthetrialjudgeerredbyacceptingtheimpairment  _,', ratingofDr._Economides_Ԁat20%andapplyingthe2timesmultipliertothisimpairmentinstead  ofacceptingtheimpairmentratingofDr.Adamsat10%.    Reviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovoupontherecordofthetrial k court,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindings,unlessthepreponderance T oftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.Code.Ann.506225(e)(2).Stonev.Cityof_McMinnville_,896 =  S.W.2d548,550(Tenn.1995).Whenatrialcourthasseenandheardthewitnesses,especially & v wheretheissuesofcredibilityandweightoforaltestimonyareinvolved,considerabledeference  _ mustbeaccordedthetrialcourt'sfactualfindings.Humphreyv.David_Witherspoon_,Inc.,734  H S.W.2d315(Tenn.1987).However,wheretheissuesinvolveexpertmedicaltestimonywhichis  1  containedintherecordbydepositions,asitisinthiscase,thenallimpressionsofweightand    credibilitymustbedrawnfromthecontentsofthedeposition,andthereviewingcourtmaydrawits   ownimpressionastoweightandcredibilityfromthecontentsofthedeposition._Overmon_Ԁv.   Williams_Sonoma_,Inc.,830S.W.2d672,67677(Tenn.1991).     Appellantsarenotcontestingthefactthatappelleewasinjuredinthecourseandscopeof W  heremployment.%  #XX#XXDuringthecourseofhertreatment,askingraftwasperformedwithskinfromher @ lowerabdomen,whichresultedinhypertrophicscarringtoherabdomenatthedonorsite. )y   AppellantsaverthetrialcourterredbyacceptingthetestimonyofDr._Economides_Ԁoverthe K testimonyofDr.AdamsandtheFunctionalCapacityEvaluation(_FCE_)evaluationbyMr. 4 Armstrong,astoimpairmentrating.Dr._Economides_,thetreatingphysician,beganhistreatment  fourdaysaftertheinjuryandremainedhertreatingphysicianuntilshewasreleasedfromcontinuous  care.Dr.Adamssawherforanindependentmedicalevaluation,andMr.FrankArmstrong  conductedthe_FCE_.    Further,appellantsaverthetrialjudgeerredbyadmittingcertainevidence,photographsand Z employerwriteup.Intheevaluationofevidenceitisinthesounddiscretionofthetrialcourtto C concludethattheopinionofcertainexpertsshouldbeacceptedoverthatofothers.Hinsonv.Wal ,| MartStores,Inc.,654S.W.2d675(Tenn.1983).Further,thetrialcourtmaygivemoreweightto e thetreatingphysician'stestimonyundercertaincircumstances.Nashv.OldRepublicIns.Co.,No. N 025019512CV001231(Tenn.May17,1996).  7   InthiscaseDr._Economides_ԀusedtheAMAGuidelinestoplaceclaimantinaClassII, " ! becausehebelievedshewillneedintermittenttocontinuoustreatmentduetothefactthatmuscle #" damageresultedinherleftlegbeingslightlymorethan2inchesshorterthanherrightleg,andthat $# shehasdifficultystanding,walkingandrunningandisinconstantpain.Hegaveheranimpairment t% $ ratingof20%.Shealsohasscarringatthedonorsite. ]&!%   Dr.Adamsisanindependentmedicalevaluator,andratedonlythecosmeticeffectofthe /(#' injury.Hetestifiedhewasnototherwisequalifiedtoprovideanopinionifamusclewasinvolved. )h$( Mr.FrankArmstrongtestifiedthat75%ofhistestimonyhastodowith"psychometrics,"andthat *Q%) 98%ofthetimehedoes"psychometrics"forworkers'compensationinsurancecompanies. *:&*  +#'+   Certainlythetrialcourtwaswithintheexerciseofitssounddiscretiontoacceptthe  testimonyofDr._Economides_Ԁastoimpairment.    Appellantsaverthecourtwasinerrorinadmittingphotographswhichshowedtheextentof k theinjuryanddisciplinarywriteupswhichwereadmittedtobolsterclaimant'sargumentthather T injurywasaffectingherjob.Clearlytheadmissionofsuchevidenceiswithinthediscretionofthe =  trialcourt,andsuchargumentiscompletelywithoutmerit. & v   Appellantsfinallyarguethetrialcourterredinusingthe2timesmultiplieraccordingto  H statute.Appelleewas25yearsofageatthetimeofherinjury.Shehasahighschooleducationwith  1  onlyassemblylineexperience.Sheisrestrictedinstanding,walkingandrunningandisinconstant    pain.Herleftlegisslightlymorethan2inchesshorterthanherrightleg.Certainlythetrialcourt's   awardof2timesthemultiplierpursuanttostatuteiswithinthecourt'sdiscretion.     Afterconsideringalltherelevantfactorsinthiscase,wefindtheevidenceinthiscasedoes n  notpreponderateagainstthetrialcourt'saward. W  @GG% CONCLUSION  )y   Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Thecostsofthisappealaretaxedtothe L appellants,SharpManufacturingCompanyofAmericaandYasudaFireandMarineInsurance 5 Company.     `     h     ___________________________________ -}    `     h     ALLENW.WALLACE,SENIORJUDGE f    8 XX8XXdXXd8   @ #XX)+#cXXINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @%ATJACKSON # @44March25,2003Session F #XXc+#XX#XX,#XXXX #XXXX,#XX  SHARP_MANF_.CO.OFAMERICAv.NICOLEM.SULLIVAN#XX?-#XXXX  % u ^- #XXXX-#XX@ v.YASUDAFIRE&MARINE 6  @; ; INSURANCECO.OFAMERICA #XXJ.#XXXXԈ G  @ ShelbyCountyCircuitCourt A  @"No.CT00335000  +{  @* @*AV) ` dE<` A߈ O  @_ _ No.W200200857SCWCMCVFiledOctober22,2003 H  AV) ` dE<` A   #XXXX.#XXXX@( ORDER #XXXX1#XXXXԈ  #XXXXg1#XXXX#XXXX1#XXXX(X XXX   ` ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtuponmotionforreviewpursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn. i 506225(e)(5)(B),theentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers' R CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffact ; andconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; $t    ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthemotionforreviewisnotwelltakenand  ] shouldbedeniedand F    ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaware / adoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt.       ` Costsonappealaretaxedtotheappellants.     ` ITISSOORDEREDthis22nddayofOctober,2003. !     `     h   PER_CURIAM_ >$# Holder,J.Notparticipating. &I"& #XX X(X)2#XXXX   `     h     #XXXXD7##XXXX 2#