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ÔÔ€#ÔÑ  ÑÒ  ÒÒ H ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ#€Xd#ÑÑ#€Xd#ÑÝ  ÝÙ€ ÙÑ  Ñ›œßL€'(&;+'h|` à. `€€Lß›à@ àò òIN€THE€SUPREMEÏCOURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àSPECIAL€WORKERS'ÏCOMPENSATION€APPEALS€PANELÌà@ àAT€KNOXVILLEó óÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌMOLLY€FAYE€SMALLMAN,à àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àHAMBLEN€CIRCUITÌà àPlaintiff/Appellantà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àNO.Ï03S01„9607„CV„00079à àÌv.à àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àHON.ÏBEN€K.€WEXLER,ÌSHELBY€WILLIAMS€INDUSTRIES,à à)à àJUDGE€€€€€ÌINC.,à àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àDefendant/Appelleeà àà à)ÌÌà àà àà àà àà àÌÌÌÌò òòòFor€theÏAppellant:à àà àà àà àà àFor€theÏAppellee:ÌÌó óóóDouglas€R.€Beierà àà àà àà àà àJoseph€J.ÏDohertyÌEvans€&€Beierà àà àà àà àà àWimberly,ÏLawson,€Norton€&€LuhnÌP.O.€Box€1754à àà àà àà àà àLibertyÏCenterÌMorristown,€TN€37816„1754à àà àà àP.O.€BoxÏ1066Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àMorristown,€TN€€37816„1066ÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÓ  Óò òòòM€E€M€O€R€A€N€D€U€M€€€O€P€I€N€I€O€NÌóóó óÌò òòòÌÌMembers€of€Panel:Ìóóó óÌE.€Riley€Anderson,€JusticeÌJohn€K.€Byers,€Senior€JudgeÌRoger€E.€Thayer,€Special€JudgeÌÓ  ÓÌÌÌÌÌÌÌò òÌAFFIRMEDà àà àà àà àà àà àBYERS,€Senior€JudgeÌÓÓó óà àThis€workers'€compensation€appeal€has€been€referred€to€the€SpecialÏWorkers'€Compensation€Appeals€Panel€of€the€Supreme€Court€in€accordance€withÏTenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(3)€for€hearing€and€reporting€to€the€Supreme€CourtÏof€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law.€Ìà àThe€trial€court€below€awarded€plaintiff€17%€permanent€partial€disability€toÏeach€arm.€€Plaintiff€œappeals,›€arguing€that€the€evidence€preponderates€in€favor€of€aÏhigher€award.Ìà àWe€affirm€the€judgment€of€the€trial€court.Ìà àPlaintiff,€who€was€44€years€of€age€at€the€time€of€the€trial,€has€an€eighth„gradeÏeducation.€€Her€previous€work€history€has€been€mostly€in€factory€assembly€œwork.›€œÏShe›€has€worked€as€an€upholsterer€of€furniture€for€the€defendant€since€1984.€€SheÏtestified€that€her€work€requires€her€to€pad€the€furniture€and€then€cover€it€with€fabric€ofÏsome€sort,€which€requires€her€to€constantly€pull€the€fabric€and€tack€it€into€place€withÏa€staple€gun.€€In€the€spring€and€summer€of€1994,€plaintiff€began€to€notice€some€painÏand€swelling€in€her€wrists€and€hands.€€She€reported€her€problems€to€her€employerÏin€August€and€her€employer€referred€her€to€Dr.€Wayne€L.€McLemore,€an€orthopedicÏsurgeon.Ìà àDr.€McLemore€diagnosed€plaintiff€with€bilateral€carpal€tunnel€syndromeÏrelated€to€her€work€activities.€€He€attempted€conservative€treatment€but€that€wasÏunsuccessful.€€He€then€performed€bilateral€carpal€tunnel€releases€with€satisfactoryÏresults.€€He€assigned€plaintiff€a€four€percent€permanent€impairment€to€each€upperÏextremity.€€He€testified€that€he€did€not€impose€any€restrictions€upon€the€plaintiffÏbecause€he€did€not€want€to€make€it€difficult€for€her€to€return€to€work.€€However,€heÏopined€that€she€did€have€some€restrictions:€€she€should€avoid€repetitive€pulling€andÏwrist„bending€activities,€heavy€lifting€and€vibrating€tools.€€After€plaintiff€returned€toÏwork€in€February€1995,€she€returned€to€him€on€July€25,€1995€with€complaints€ofÏcontinued€pain€and€swelling.€€He€testified€that€he€advised€her€to€change€herÏemployment€if€it€became€a€regular€problem€for€her.Ìà àPlaintiffððs€attorney€referred€her€to€Dr.€Gilbert€Hyde,€also€an€orthopaedicÏsurgeon,€for€an€independent€medical€evaluation.€€He€felt€that€she€had€continuedÏentrapment€of€her€median€nerve€along€the€carpal€tunnel€œbased€on›€her€continuedÍcomplaints€of€pain€and€swelling€and€mildly€positive€Tinelððs€and€Phalenððs€tests.€€HeÏassigned€her€a€10%€impairment€rating€and€advised€that€she€avoid€repetitiveÏmovement€of€her€hands€and€wrists,€vibration€and€lifting€more€than€20€to€25€pounds.Ìà àDr.€Norman€Hankins,€a€vocational€evaluator,€assessed€plaintiffððs€vocationalÏdisability€at€55%€to€60%€in€the€Morristown€and€Knoxville€labor€markets€under€Dr.ÏMcLemoreððs€restrictions€and€75%€to€80%€under€Dr.€Hydeððs€restrictions.€€He€testifiedÏthat€plaintiff€reads€at€a€fifth€grade€level€and€performs€math€at€a€sixth€grade€level.Ìà àPlaintiff€testified€that€she€has€returned€to€her€former€job€and€that€sheÏcontinues€to€work€but€with€pain€and€swelling.€€She€testified€that€a€co„worker€assistsÏher€with€heavy€lifting€and€sometimes€with€pulling€fabric.€€Both€she€and€theÏdefendantððs€personnel€manager€testified€that€plaintiff€has€never€been€warned€orÏð ðcounseledðð€that€she€is€not€making€sufficient€production.€€In€fact,€the€personnelÏmanager€testified€that€plaintiff€made€98%€of€production€in€the€last€eight€weeks€ofÏ1995.€€He€testified€that€85%€of€production€was€the€average€for€the€upholsteryÏdepartment€for€that€same€period.Ìà àOur€review€is€òòde€novoóó,€accompanied€by€the€presumption€that€the€trial€courtððsÏfindings€of€fact€are€correct.€€T.C.A.€ðð€50„6„225(e)(2).Ìà àIn€determining€the€extent€of€vocational€disability,€the€trial€court€must€considerÏmany€factors,€including€job€skills,€education,€age,€training,€and€job€opportunities€forÏpersons€under€the€plaintiffððs€restrictions.€€òòWorthington€v.€Modine€Mfg.€Co.óó,€798ÏS.W.2d€232,€234€(Tenn.€1990).€€The€question€for€the€trial€court€is€not€whether€theÏemployee€is€able€to€return€to€her€previous€work€but€whether€her€earning€capacity€inÏthe€open€labor€market€has€been€diminished€by€her€residual€impairment€from€herÍwork„related€injury.€€òòCorcoran€v.€Foster€Auto€GMC,€Inc.óó,€746€S.W.2d€452,€458€(Tenn.Ï1988).Ìà àAppellant€argues€that€the€trial€court€was€overly€influenced€by€plaintiffððs€returnÏto€her€previous€work.€€However,€a€return€to€previous€employment€is€a€factor€that€theÏtrial€court€can€consider,€although€not€a€controlling€one.€€òòCorcoranóó,€746€S.W.2d€atÏ459.€€€Our€in„depth€review€of€the€record€does€not€convince€us€that€the€evidenceÏpreponderates€against€the€trial€courtððs€finding€as€to€the€extent€of€plaintiffððs€vocationalÏdisability.Ìà àWe€affirm€the€trial€courtððs€judgment€and€tax€the€cost€of€appeal€to€theÏplaintiff/appellant.ÌÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà àà àòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌà àà àà àà àà àà àJohn€K.€Byers,€Senior€JudgeÌÌÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌE.€Riley€Anderson,€JusticeÌÌÌÌòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌœRoger€E.€Thayer,€Special€JudgeÇÒ  ÒÒ H Òà àà àà àÌà àà àIN€THE€SUPREME€COURT€OF€TENNESSEEÌà à€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ìà àà à€à à€€€€€€€€€AT€KNOXVILLEÌÌÌÌÒ S ÒÒ H ÒMOLLY€FAYE€SMALLMAN€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)€€€€€HAMBLEN€CIRCUITÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)€€€€€€No€.94€CV€338€€€€€€€à à€€€€€€à àÏà àà àPlaintiff/Appellant,à àà à€)à à€à àÌà àà àà àà àà àà à€)Ìvs.€€à àà àà àà àà àà à€)€€€€€€€Hon.€Ben€K.€Wexler,€€à àà à€€€€€€€€€à àà àà àà àà àà à€)€€€€€€€ÏJudgeà àÌà àà àà àà àà àà à€)€€€€€Ìà àà à€à àà àà àà à€)à àÌSHELBY€WILLIAMS€INDUSTRIESà à€)à à€Ìà à€€€€à àà àà àà à€€€€€€€€€€€€€)à àÌà àDefendant/€Appellee.à àà à€à à)à à03S01„9607„CV„00079ÌÔ€#îÔÌÌÓffÓà àà àà à€€€€€€€€€€€òòJUDGMENT€ORDERóóÌà àà àThis€case€is€before€the€Court€upon€the€entire€record,Ïincluding€the€order€of€referral€to€the€Special€WorkerððÏCompensation€Panel,€and€the€Panelððs€Memorandum€OpinionÏsetting€forth€its€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law,€which€areÏincorporated€herein€by€reference;Ìà àÌà àWhereupon,€it€appears€to€the€Court€that€the€MemorandumÏOpinion€of€the€Panel€should€be€accepted€and€approved€;€andÌÌà àIt€is,€therefore,€ordered€that€the€Panelððs€findings€of€act€andÏconclusions€of€law€are€adopted€and€affirmed,€and€the€decision€ofÏthe€Panel€is€made€the€Judgment€of€the€Court.ÌÌà àCosts€on€appeal€are€taxed€to€the€Plantifft/Appellant€MollyÏFaye€Smallman,€and€surety,€Tammy€J.€Stanley,€for€whichÏexecution€may€issue€if€necessary.€€Ì€04/21/97à àà àà àà àà àà àÌÌÌÌÔ€#XÔà àÇ›