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J.AnthonyFarmer,Knoxville,TennesseefortheappellantEugeneL._Tindell_.  0   _Weldon_ԀE.PattersonandLauraBradleyMyers,Knoxville,TennesseefortheappelleeTravelers r!  InsuranceCompany.^"!(#(# @   MEMORANDUMOPINION # uXXM) #XM)X u 6$#   # uXXM): #XM)X uXM)XXXM)  #XM)XXXM) #XM)XXXM) ` Reviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovoupontherecordof &^!% thetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindings,unlessthe &J"& preponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Stonev.Cityof '6#' _McMinnville_,896S.W.2d548,550(Tenn.1995).Theapplicationofthisstandardrequiresthis ("$( Courttoweighinmoredepththefactualfindingsandconclusionsofthetrialcourtinworkers )%) compensationcases.SeeCorcoran_v._ԀFosterAuto_GMC_,Inc.,746S.W.2d452,456(Tenn.1988). *%* #XM)XXXM) #XM)XXXM)  Theplaintiffallegedhesufferedagradualinjurytohisbackasaresultofstrenuousworkhe ,', performedovermanyyearsforthedefendant. n-(- _ԇ  Thetrialjudgefoundtheplaintiffhadfailedtoshowhehadsufferedacompensableinjury  anddismissedthepetitionbecausetherewasnoshowingofaspecificinjury.      Theplaintiffsayshedoesnothavetoshowaspecificdateofaninjuryinagradually t occurringinjurycase. `    Facts  8     Theplaintiffwasfiftysixyearsofageatthetimeoftrial;hehasaneighthgradeeducation  ` andwasdivorcedfromhiswifebutlivingwithherandhersixteenyearoldson.  L    TheplaintiffbeganworkingforthedefendantonOctober6,1992.Theplaintiffswork $  requiredhimtoputrollsofpaperintoapressandthenremovethedyecutpaperfromthepress.     Thereisadivergenceintheevidenceconcerningtheweightoftherollsandhowoftenthe   plaintiffwouldliftthem.Thereisalsoadivergenceintheevidenceontheweightoftherollswhen   theyareremovedfromthepress. p   Theplaintifftestifiedtherollsweightedbetween95and110andthathewouldliftthese40 H to60timesaday.Acompanysupervisorestimatedtherollsweighted60to65poundsandthatthe 4 plaintiffwouldlifttheserolls10timesontothepressand10timesoffthepressinaday.The  p supervisortestifiedtherollswouldbesignificantlylighterwhenliftedoffthepressbecauseinthe  \ progressionoftherollthroughthepresswheretheyarecutandtrimmedtheybecomelighter. H   Therecordinthecaseshowstheplaintiffwasdisciplined18timesforvariousworkpolicy   violations.OnJuly21,1998,theplaintiffwasterminatedbythedefendant.     TheplaintiffbegantobetreatedbyDr.RandallAllanGreearonApril28,1998forproblems  associatedwithhisback.TheplaintifftoldhissupervisorofabackproblempriortoseeingDr.  _Greear_;however,hedidnotclaimthiswasworkrelated.Theplaintiffdidnotclaimhisback l problemwasworkrelateduntilJuly23,1998. X     MedicalEvidence 0"       Dr.GreeartestifiedhesawtheplaintifffirstforbackandlegpainonApril25,1998.The $X" plaintiffgaveahistoryofbackproblemsgoingbacktoage17.Furthertheplaintifftoldhimhehad $D # lifteda100poundrolloflinoleumintoacartrunksometwomonthspriortothisandafterthat %0!$ incidentheexperiencedincreasedlegpain. %  1       &"%   Dr.Greeardiagnosedtheplaintiffashaving_radiculitis_Ԁwithsometypeofnervecompression. (#' Alumbarscanshowedtheplaintiffhadseveralbulgingdiscswiththemostprominentontheleft. )$( Dr._Greear_Ԁcouldnotdeterminethecauseoftheplaintiffsbackproblem.    WhenDr.Greearwasaskediftheplaintiffshistoryofliftingrollsofpaperthatweighed  from onehundredtoelevenhundredpounds[sic],fortytosixtytimesadaywassignificantin t determiningthecauseoftheplaintiffscomplaint,hereplied nonotreally.InDr._Greear_sopinion ` therewasnowaytoestablishthatthisactivitycausedthediscproblems;hedidtestifythiskindof L  activitywouldbestressfultothespine.Further,Dr.Greeartestifiedthatiftheplaintiffhadadisc 8  problem,theactivity(liftingtherolls)wouldcauseincreasedpain. $ t   Dr.Greeardidnotmakeanydeterminationconcerningtheplaintiffsmedicalimpairment  L  rating.  8    Dr.RichardP.Boyer,aneurosurgeon,firstsawtheplaintiffonJuly7,1998.Dr.Boyer   testifiedplaintiffgavehimahistoryofhavingaboutsixmonthsoflegpain.Dr.Boyerdidnotrelate   anyfurtherhistorygivenbytheplaintiffconcerningtheliftingofa100poundrolloflinoleumor   ahistoryofthetypeofworkhedid.Dr.Boyerdiagnosedtheplaintiffsconditionasbeingbulging   discattheL5S1levelofhisback,whichcausedlumbarradiculopathy.Hewasoftheopinionthe p plaintiffwouldrequiresurgeryfortheproblem. \   Whenaskedtoassumetheplaintiffhadliftedrollsofpaperthatweightedapproximately100 4 pounds,40to60timesadayandwhetherthiswouldbeasignificantcontributionfactorinthe  p developmentoftheplaintiffscondition,Dr.Boyerreplied:  \  (83""  8  ;'2  A  .3  0`     Yeah,I!thefindingsonhisscanareessentiallydegenerativeinnature,and 4 Ithinkthatverystrenuousactivities,andlifting,andstressingofthosedisc   spacesdoesacceleratethatdegenerativeprocesswhichthenagaincontributes   totheradiculopathythathehad.;'t'݌` `  Ќ    Dr.Boyertestifiedhecouldnotquantifyhowmuchtheworkcontributedtotheplaintiffs  condition.Further,hetestifiedthedegenerativechangesintheplaintiffsbackoccursimplywith l aging,andtodeterminewhethertheseconditionswerecausebytheagingprocessorworkwould X  requirehimtospeculate.Dr.Boyercouldnotdeterminetheextentofpermanentimpairment.#XM)XXXM)# D! @))% Discussion  #l!   XM)XXXM)Inallbutthemostobviouscases,suchasthelossofamember,experttestimonyisrequired $D # toestablishcausation.Thomasv.AetnaLife&CasualtyCo.,812S.W.2d278(Tenn.1991).#XM)XXXM)+#ԀXM)XXXM)An %0!$ awardmay,however,bebaseduponmedicaltestimonythatagivenincident couldbethecause &"% anemployeesdisabilitywhensuchtestimonyisconnectedtolaytestimonyfromwhichitmaybe '#& inferredtheincidentwasinfactthecauseoftheinjury.Reeserv.YellowFreightSys.,Inc.,938 (#' S.W.2d690,692(Tenn.1997)(citationsomitted);Finkv.Caudle,856S.W.2d952(Tenn.1993)#XM)XXXM),#XM)XXXM). )$(   _Whethertheevidenceexpertorlayhasrisenabovethelevelofspeculationthatissufficient h+&* tojustifyanawardofcompensationis,inthefirstinstance,amattertobedeterminedbythetrial  judgefromthefactspresentedinthecase.    Wegivegreatdeferencetothetrialjudge'sdeterminationoftheweightoftheevidenceand t donotreversesuchdeterminationunlesstherecordclearlyshowstheevidencepreponderatesagainst ` thejudgment.Wedonotfinditdoessointhiscase. L    Theevidenceabouttheweightofthepaperrollsandthenumberoftimestheywerelifted, $ t uponwhichthehypotheticalquestionposedtoDr.Boyeraboutcausationwasbased,isindispute.  ` WeconcludethereforethatthisdoesnotraiseDr.Boyerstestimonyabovethelevelofspeculation.  L    Iftheplaintiffsinjurywasagradualinjury,thenaspecificdateofinjuryisnotrequired.We $  find,however,thatthetrialjudgedidnotfindthistobeagradualinjury.Theevidencesupportsthis   finding.     Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.     Thecostofthisappealistaxedtotheplaintiff.#XM)XXXM).# \    `     h     ___________________________________ 4    `     h     JOHNK.BYERS,SENIORJUDGE     uXXM)#XM)X u06# uXXM)@7 7 #XM)X ur6# uXXM)INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @ ATKNOXVILLE,TENNESSEE#XM)X u6#Ԉ    uXXM)#XM)X u7# uXXM)  EUGENEL._TINDELL_ԀVS.TRAVELERSINSURANCECOMPANY   JeffersonCountyCircuitCourt#XM)X u7# uXXM)#XM)X u8#    7@% % ! %!9% " %"99% # %#W9% $ %$u9No.16,245AV) ` dE<p ` A߈   @  No.% % E2000001488_WC_ԄR3CVFiled:September18,2001%% :Ԉ    AV) ` dE<o` A p    uXXM)#XM)X u:#@& JUDGMENT  uXXM)#XM)X uO;#Ԉ k   uXXM)#XM)X u;#ԀThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferral C  totheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'smemorandumOpinionsetting / forthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; k    ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthememorandumOpinionofthePanel W shouldbeacceptedandapproved;and C    ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactsandconclusionsoflaware / adoptedandaffirmedandthedecisionofthePanelismadetheJudgmentoftheCourt.     ` Costsonappealaretaxedtotheplaintiff,EugeneL._Tindell_ԀandJ.AnthonyFarmer,  surety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.  09/18/01 {  uXXM)% & #XM)X u@#   `