WPC" 9.nU:} % 04u AQw@ 0 0D Z 0J` 0T 0^ 0h\ 0r 0|6 0 B8U 0 0@ 0D/ 0s D/ 1u2 B D3 0dU *[B)DC AM>f@v~vO'  $ "Steve Miller 0 .   3|xD*\  `(Times NewRomanTTd\  PCP,  AZ"Arial RegularX(/@$` TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TWX$ !"#%C<< C DVDDDDDDDDDӀ((3N$ /@!` TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T   `   0  (#$  0  H2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23   dLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3Q$ /@!` TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T  ("$    ($$   1  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23  ''' dxd$ ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P Pd'dxdP 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(Arial% Line 7 d11117Border 1dd "2C << G  !  #d#0    ` \RA'\  !"  0   YYY FILED0X March3,1998CecilCrowson,Jr.0AppellateCourtClerk  \\RA'\  !#d#0    ` \RA'\  !"  0   YYY FILED0X March3,1998CecilCrowson,Jr.0AppellateCourtClerk PtPtHH(EG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ion-F Geneva  ion-F Geneva ! . 0    ` \RA'\           ` Xs#%\RA'\ћ7XXXdd7  ќ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE ٜR342A1-j|Dz` . `@RߛWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELATJACKSON   BRUCEO.TIBBS,JR.,   )       )  Plaintiff/Appellee   ) GIBSONCHANCERY      ) v.      ) NO.02S019706CH00057      ) CITYOFHUMBOLDT,TENNESSEE, ) HON.GEORGER.ELLIS,      ) CHANCELLOR Defendant/Appellant  ) FortheAppellant:    ForTheAppellee: JohnD.Burleson    LarryC.SandersJefferyG.Foster    42SouthMainStreetRainey,Kizer,Butler,Reviere  Lexington,TN38351̀&Bell,P.L.C.105SouthHighlandAvenueP.O.Box1147Jackson,TN383021147    MEMORANDUMOPINION MembersofPanel: JusticeJaniceHolderSeniorJudgeJohnK.ByersSeniorJudgeWilliamH.Inman  AFFIRMED       BYERS,SeniorJudge   OPINION    Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. Reviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindings,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Stonev.CityofMcMinnville,896S.W.2d548,550(Tenn.1995).TheapplicationofthisstandardrequiresthisCourttoweighinmoredepththefactualfindingsandconclusionsofthetrialcourtinaworkerscompensationcase.SeeCorcoranv.FosterAutoGMC,Inc.,746S.W.2d452,456(Tenn.1988). Thetrialjudgeawardedtheplaintiff33percentvocationalimpairmentforinjuriesoccurringonOctober27,1995. Weaffirmthejudgment. Theplaintiffwasemployedasanofficerwiththedefendant.TheplaintifffinishednineyearsofformaleducationandsubsequentlyobtainedaG.E.D.Hewastrainedandworkedasamachinemechanicpriortobecomingemployedasanofficerwiththedefendant.Atthetimeoftrial,theplaintiffwas33yearsofage.@ PriorInjury  OnOctober9,1994,theplaintiffinjuredhisbackinthecourseofhisemploymentwiththedefendant.InFebruary1995,alumbarlaminectomyatL5S1wasperformed.Thetreatingphysician,Dr.JohnW.Neblett,concludedtheplaintiffhadreachedmaximummedicalimprovementfromthisinjuryonJune14,1995andfoundtheplaintiffsufferedatenpercentpermanentmedicalimpairmenttothebodyasawhole.Theplaintiffwasreleasedwithrestrictionsofnotrepeatedlyliftingmorethan20poundsatatimenoreverliftingasmuchas40poundsatatimeandthatheshouldnotsitmorethanonehouratatimewhetherstandingorwalking. OnJuly18,1995,theplaintiffreturnedtoDr.Neblettandreportedhehadsignificantlyimproved.Dr.Neblett,upontherequestoftheplaintiffandupontheplaintiffssubjectiveabilitytoworkwithoutrestrictions,removedtherestrictionseventhoughtherewasnoanatomicalchangeintheplaintiffscondition. Theplaintiffanddefendantsettledallcompensationclaimsconcerningthisinjury.@ CurrentInjury  OnOctober27,1995thedefendantwasinjuredinthecourseoftakingamanintocustody.TheinjurywastohisrightkneeandagaintohisbackattheL5S1level. TheplaintiffwastreatedbyDr.Neblettagainforthebackinjury.Aftertesting,Dr.NeblettfoundtheplaintiffhadsufferedarecurrentdischerniationattheL5S1levelofhisback.Aftersometime,theplaintiffandDr.Neblettdecidedtodosurgeryagain;thiswasdoneonFebruary5,1996andinvolvedfurtherremovalofthediscandothertissueasrequiredattheL5S1level. OnApril3,1996,Dr.NeblettfittedtheplaintiffforaTENSunit.OnMay6,1996,Dr.Neblettreleasedtheplaintifftoreturntoworkbutrecommendedthathenotbereturnedtothedutiesofapatrolman. Dr.Neblettwasoftheopiniontheplaintiffwas12percentpermanently,partiallyimpairedatthetimeofhisrelease.Thiswasdividedastenpercentasaresultofthepreviousinjuryandtwopercentasaresultofthesecondinjury.Dr.NeblettbasedhisimpairmentratingupontheAMAGuides.Dr.NeblettagreedthataccordingtotheOrthopedicGuidelinesforevaluatinginjurytheplaintiffhada20percentimpairment,tenpercentforthefirstinjuryandtenpercentforthesecondinjury.Dr.NeblettdoesnotusetheOrthopedicGuidelinesandwasnotfavorableofthem. Dr.JamesT.Craig,orthopedicsurgeon,treatedtheplaintiffskneeinjuryandfoundhehadsufferedatorncartilageinhisknee.Dr.CraigremovedthetorncartilageonDecember26,1995.OnFebruary28,1996,Dr.Craigreleasedtheplaintiffandfoundhehadatwopercentpermanentmedicalimpairmenttotherightleg.Dr.Craigtestifiedtherewassomeresidualcrepitation(poppingreverse)onmovementinthekneebutthatthiswouldclearintime. OnNovember26,1996,Dr.RobertJ.Barnett,anorthopedicsurgeon,examinedtheplaintiffforthepurposeofevaluation.Dr.BarnettusedtheOrthopedicEvaluationChartsandfoundtheplaintifffhada20percentpermanentmedicalimpairmenttohisbackasaresultoftheinjuries.Heapportionedeightpercenttothefirstinjuryand12percenttothesecondinjurythisisconsistentwithDr.NeblettsreadingoftheOrthopedicGuidelines. Dr.Barnettfoundtheplaintiffhadsustainedasevenpercentpermanentimpairmenttotherightkneeasaresultoftheinjury.Thiswasbasedupontheresidualcrepitationbeingpresentwhenheexaminedtheplaintiff.  PlaintiffsTestimony    Theplaintifftestifiedthathewasabletoreturntohisnormaldutiesafterthefirstinjury.Hetestifiedhewasassignedtoworkasadispatcherafterthesecondinjurybutwasunabletodotheworkbecauseitrequiredlongperiodsofsitting.Theplaintiffwasassignedtowalkingpatroldutiesbutwasunabletodotheworkbecauseofthewalking.TheplaintiffwasfinallyassignedtoworkintheK9sectionhandlingadog.Hetestifiedhewasabletoperformthiswork.Theplaintiffwasdoingthisworkatthetimeoftrial.  ConclusionsofLaw   Thetrialjudgehadthetestimonyofthreephysiciansandthetestimonyoftheplaintiffuponwhichtobaseadecision.Theextentofvocationaldisabilityisaquestionoffacttobedeterminedfromalloftheevidence,includinglayandexperttestimony.Worthingtonv.ModineMfg.Co.,798S.W.2d232,234(Tenn.1990).Inthiscase,asinallworkerscompensationcases,theclaimant'sownassessmentofhisphysicalconditionandresultingdisabilitiesiscompetenttestimonyandcannotbedisregarded.TomStillTransferCo.v.Way,482S.W.2d775,777(Tenn.1972).Thetrialcourthasthediscretiontoaccepttheopinionofonemedicalexpertoveranothermedicalexpert.Johnsonv.Midwesco,Inc.,801S.W.2d804,806(Tenn.1990). Theamountoftheawardinthiscaseislimited,asthepartiesagree,to2.5timesthemedicalimpairmentratingassetoutinTenn.CodeAnn.506241. Clearly,thetrialjudgeacceptedthetestimonyofDr.Barnettontheextentoftheinjury.Otherwise,therecoverywouldbelimitedto7.5percenttothebodyasawholebaseduponDr.NeblettsfindingtheplaintiffretainedatwopercentpermanentmedicalimpairmenttothebodyasawholeandthefindingofDr.Craigthattheplaintiffretainedatwopercentpermanentmedicalimpairmenttotherightleg.The7.5percentissecuredbythedoctorscalculationbyrelatingthetwopercentimpairmenttotherightlegtoawholebodyimpairmentofonepercentandthenmultiplyingthetotalimpairmentfoundbyDr.NeblettandDr.Craigsthreepercent. Dr.Barnettfoundtheplaintiffhadsuffereda12percentpermanentwholebodydisabiltytohisbackandasevenpercentpermanentmedicalimpairmenttohisrightleg.Whenthesevenpercentimpairmenttothelegisratedasa3percentwholebodyimpairment,thefindingbyDr.Barnettamountstoa15percentwholebodyimpairment. Thefindingofthetrialjudgeiswithin2.5timesthemedicalimpairmentratingfoundbyDr.Barnett.Upontherecord,weareunabletosaytheevidencepreponderatesagainstthefindingofthetrialjudgeandweaffirmthejudgment.      _____________________________      JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudgeCONCUR:________________________________JaniceHolder,Justice________________________________WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge̜%  5 ` @ 0INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ ATJACKSON0X&` pXL X&BRUCEO.TIBBS,JR.,  ) GIBSONCHANCERY&` p` ?L X& ) NO.H3673 ` p` xX  Plaintiff/Appellee, ) &` p` L X&  ) Hon.GeorgeR.Ellis,vs.  ) Chancellor  )CITYOFHUMBOLDT,TENNESSEE, ) NO.02S019706CH00057  ) Defendant/Appellant. ) AFFIRMED.J36;+'b|` . `@J@ 0JUDGMENTORDER0X  ` p`  X ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. CostswillbepaidbyAppellant,andsurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary. ITISSOORDEREDthis3rddayofMarch,1998.        PERCURIAM(Holder,J.,notparticipating)̛