WPC LFF<8* =7g5Gabtܤ5J[Ĵ)Q72~]iWP$3ImrXM+0?& AեO?}2xâ] }pӺU97>?}S%cپ$=0=-$uŷ(vǙa?5BH NSțx>{kqnX;C0:Fm|V$ipLj.׀jRgr?q]M[7w8V%Vl=xb8luEK>%ԏP"M+ r}8/yM8k(TUkZ7Tdv1Ơ/nt\+ҏ0oZҮ,>v>Ǟ|p'HR۱J4k(oO?8[؈$GZS\^\)LMi [jPSk'MMp9JZޞ(%=[.>nU 3/ B-iI9b#\ % ^ # 0/ U3N w 4 z  i x mz UN   k 1NN zE}UNQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQb 0 B  0 D3S D- 0K ASQ 0 0D AHP LJ 4000/4050 PCL 5e,,,,01l- (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regulardb,:i+00 C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt3|xU(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5 C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt(9 Z 6Times New Roman Regular- -(|G2H$ !.8Idd8         0  XX d(|3$ !.8Idd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3$ !.8Idd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8]dd8     _]8aXXdd8  \]@@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL & @@ATNASHVILLE#]\# L August26.2002Session "r XaX] #]XXa#HOWARDR._SULLINS_,JR.v._WINN_SPRECISION,INC.,etal.XaX]   p @@ DirectAppealfromtheChanceryCourtforWilsonCounty  p @@No.00317C.K.Smith,Chancellor  \ @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.M200102625_WC_ԄR3CV#]XXa#XaX]ԀMailedOctober11,2002   #]XXa#XaX]FiledNovember12,2002   AV) ` dE<` A       ThisworkerscompensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkersCompensation  AppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.#]XXa#XaX]Ԁ506225(e)(3)for v hearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Thisisa b carpaltunnelsyndromecomplaintinvolvingtheplaintiffsrightarm.Hehadpreviouslysuffered N arupturedbicepstendoninvolvinghisrightarm,andreturnedtoworkaftersuccessfulsurgery.At : thetimeoftrialhewasstillemployedandhadnotbeentreatedforcarpaltunnelsyndromefor &v eighteenmonths.Thetrialjudgefoundthattheplaintiffhadavocationaldisabilityof50percentto b hisrightarm.Weaffirm.#]XXa#XaX] N    Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(1999)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheChanceryCourt & Affirmed       #]Xa #XaX.]WilliamH._Inman_,Sr.J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhich_Adolpho_ԀA.Birch,Jr.,J.#]Xa #XaX.]  andJoeC.Loser,Sp.J.#]Xa #XaX.],joined.   TerryLeeHill,Nashville,Tennessee,fortheappellants,WynnsPrecision,Inc.andITTHartford ^"! SpecialtyRiskService. J#" WilliamEdwardFarmer,Lebanon,Tennessee,fortheappellee,HowardR._Sullins_,Jr. "%r $ x   MEMORANDUMOPINION #]XXa #XaX] &J"& #]XXa #XaX]     I.  ("$( Q  Thisisacarpaltunnelsyndromecase.Thetrialcourtfoundthatasaresultofrepetitivearm *%* movementstheplaintiffsustainedajobrelatedinjuryresultingina50percentdisabilitytohisright +&+ arm. ,',  n-(- _  Thedefendantappeals,insistingthattheevidencedoesnotsupportthefindingortheaward.  Ourreviewisdenovoontherecordaccompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectnessunlessthe  preponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Rule13(d)Tenn.R.App.P.; XaXXXaTenn.CodeAnn.#XaXX Xa##]XXa##XaX]Ԁ506  225(e)(2); Stonev.CityofMcMinnville, 896S.W.2d548(1995).#]XXa#XaX] t    II.  P  _  OnAugust24,1999,theplaintiffsufferedanundisputedinjurytohisrightarminthenature ( x ofarupturedbicepstendon.HewassurgicallytreatedbyDr.RoyTerryandhisclaimforworkers  d compensationbenefitswasacknowledgedandpaid.Thejudgmentapprovingsettlementprovided  P   thiscompromiseandsettlementdoesnotincludeplaintiffsclaimsforinjurytohisrightarmfor  <  carpaltunnelsyndrome. (    TheplaintiffreturnedtoworkonNovember1,1999asapressoperator.Hehadpreviously   tohismuscleinjuryexperiencedadegreeofnumbnessandtinglinginhisrightarmwhichsuggested   carpaltunnelsyndrome,themotivationfactorfortheexceptionreferredtointhesettlement   agreement.Theplaintiffsworkinvolvedrepetitivearmmotion,andtheexistingnumbnessand t tinglinginhisarmworsenedtotheextentthattheplaintiffsformeractivitiesweresharplycurtained ` althoughhecontinuedtowork. L    III.  $t TheMedicalProof ` C  Dr.RoyTerryisanorthopedicsurgeonwhosurgicallyrepairedthetornmuscle.He 8 thereaftersawtheplaintiffwhohadcomplaintsofcarpaltunnelsyndromeinhisrightarm,andwas $ oftheopinion,statedtotheplaintiff,thatthecarpaltunnelsyndromewasnonexistent.    Dr.RichardFishbein,anorthopedicsurgeon,wasemployedbyplaintiffscounseltoconduct  anindependentexaminationoftheplaintiffonMarch6,2001.AccordingtoDr.Fishbein,the  plaintiffwasstillcomplainingof weakness,burning,wakingup,droppingobjectswithhisright p upperextremity.HisexaminationrevealedapositivePhalenstest,whichisanervecompression \  sign,relativeweaknessoftherightarm,gripstrengthrightascomparedtotheleft.Hisdiagnosis H! wasrightnerveinvolvementconsistentwithrightcarpaltunnelsyndrome,withan8percent 4"  impairment.  #p!    IV.  $H #   Thetrialcourtfoundthattheplaintiff hasavocationaldisabilitytohisrightextremityinthe & "% amountof50percentandorderedthebenefitspaidinalumpsum.Thedefendantarguesthatthe ' #& evidencedoesnotsupportafindingofcarpaltunnelsyndromebecausetheplaintiffcontinuedto (#' workathisregularjobandhadnotbeentreatedforcarpaltunnelforeighteenmonthsatthetimeof )$( trialinSeptember2001.Alternatively,theplaintiffinsiststhatifthefindingisproperlysupported, *%) theawardisexcessiveinlightofthefactthattheplaintiffcouldnotperformthedutiesofhisjob_if l+&* hisrightarmwas50percentvocationallydisabled.    Itwasproperforthetrialcourttoconsiderallofthepertinentfactorsinvolvedinthe  assessmentofvocationalimpairment:theemployeesage,education,skills,jobopportunities. XaXXXaTenn. t CodeAnn.#XaXX Xa_ #506241(c); Hillv.RoyalIns.Co. ,937S.W.2d873(Tenn.1996).Significantly,itis ` settledlawinthisjurisdictionthatthetrialjudgeisnotobligatedtoacceptthemedicalopinionof L  onephysicianoveranother. Ormanv.William_Sonoma_,Inc. ,803S.W.2d672(Tenn.1991).We 8  areunabletofindthatthisevidencepreponderatedagainstthefindingof50percentvocational $ t disabilitytotheplaintiffsrightarm.  `   Thedefendantobjectstothelumpsumaward.Thetrialjudgemadeanobjectivefindingthat  8  theplaintiffcouldmanagehisfundscompetently.Theauthorityofthecourtisessentially $  discretionary,andthereisnoshowingthatthetrialjudgeabusedhisdiscretioninorderingalump   sumpayment.See, _Edmonds_Ԁv.WilsonCounty ,9S.W.3d106(Tenn.1999).     Theappelleecomplainsoftherefusaloftheappellantstoreimbursehimaportionofa   mediationfee.Therecordisinsufficienttoexplorethisissue. p   Thejudgmentisaffirmedatthecostsoftheappellants. H    `     h     ___________________________________ H    `     h     WILLIAMH._INMAN_,SENIORJUDGE  4 _]XXa  @@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL  #XaX]r'# ]XXaHOWARDR.SULLINS,JR.v.WINN'SPRECISION,INC.,etal.#XaX]P(#  " @@ ChanceryCourtforWilsonCounty  " @@No.00317   @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.M200102625WCR3CVFiledNovember12,2002 }  AV) ` dE<T` A U       ]XXa#XaX]͐*#*  JUDGMENT ]XXa#XaX]*# (x   ]XXa#XaX]b+#]XXa#XaX]ͤ+#XaXXXa  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltothe P SpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforth < itsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. (   Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbe  acceptedandapproved;and    Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadopted t andaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. `   Costswillbepaidbytheappellants,Wynn'sPrecision,Inc.andITTHartfordSpecialtyRisk 8 Service,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. $ t   ITISSOORDERED. !L!    `     h     PERCURIAM % %   #XaXXXa+#_