WPC A~~T/B}0.D Z,;{d4B_2d6l >5[-ZvuJK:pHɵd#%țS:z4X"585+sEfr'QHfL_ ݘs}%>ex .nχ#& O5YxyА@I7̛Cs{#اe_'[ 1ZYrzKۼ}P;G>n5 V0ץ1|и} _puM!h VTP.fa xoKR+#GD{݌\&j} AO/g[[vYӅ pk\t?i\jG#R!" hI҇ak☇]j6%hpvڈpqiyw]<:UHh_qXJ+K]CDBpq0b %\UNb 0U#N8^ w4 z$   m #   k 1NN zuEGNI zKb 0 B  0 D3K D-~ 0K ASI 0 0D A(9 Z 6Times New Roman Regular(`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular$(L N(L] 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|xUHP LaserJet 4 Plus,,,,,,0Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wptC:\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- -(|G2q$ !..84dd8         0  XX d(|3"$ !..84dd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3"$ !..84dd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.84dd8     _48XXdd8  @@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL  XX4 #4XXz#VOLUNTEEREXPRESSv.PATRICIAWADEXX4  8 @@ ChanceryCourtforDavidsonCounty  @ @@No.97548I  0 @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.M199900452_WC_ԄR3CVFiledJuly20,2000   AV) ` dE<` A        #4XX#XX4  JUDGMENT #4XX #XX4 n   #4XXz#XX4XXXX  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltothe N SpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforth : itsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. &v   Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbe N acceptedandapproved;and :   Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadopted  andaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt.    Costswillbepaidbytheappellant,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.    ITISSOORDERED. ^!     `     h     PERCURIAM %^ $   #XXXX#  %J!%~ 4XX  @@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL  @@ATNASHVILLE 0 #XX4m # 4XXVOLUNTEEREXPRESS,etal.v.PATRICIAWADE#XX4~ #  8 @@ DirectAppealfromtheChanceryCourtforDavidsonCounty  @ @@No.975481IrvinH._Kilcrease_,Chancellor  0 @@*AV) ` dE< ` A    No.M199900452_WC_ԄR3CVMailedJune20,2000   4XX#XX4 #FiledJuly20,2000   AV) ` dE<` A        Thesoleissueinthisappealiswhethertheevidencepreponderatesagainstthetrialcourt'sfinding   thattheemployee'sfatalheartattackdidnotariseoutofandinthecourseofemployment.       Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(1999)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheChanceryCourt n Affirmed.  ^     Loser,sp.j.4X#XX.4^#,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichbirch,j.,and_kurtz_,sp.j.,joined. > RaymondW._Fraley_,Fayetteville,TennesseeandBryan_Essary_,Nashville,Tennessee,forthe n appellant,PatriciaWade4XX#XX4#. ^ Sean_Antone_ԀHunt,Nashville,Tennessee,fortheappellees,VolunteerExpressandTravelers > InsuranceCompany. . D  MEMORANDUMOPINION 4XX#XX4D#      Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'Compensation   AppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)for !  hearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Asdiscussed ~"! below,thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed. n#"   TheappellantisthesurvivingwidowofThomasG.Wade,who,atthetimeofhisdeath,was N% $ anovertheroadtruckdriverforVolunteerExpress.Mr.Wadewasfounddeadinthecabofhis >&!% truckearlyonthemorningofFebruary13,1997.Proofatthetrialshowedthathehaddrivenfrom .'~"& Lexington,Virginiato_Dyersburg_Ԁinextremeweatherbeforehedied.Hiswidowtestifiedthatshe (n#' talkedtohimearlierandthathewasextremelytired.Otherevidencewasthathehadrestedtheday )^$( beforehisdeath.Therewasalsoconflictingevidenceofmedicalcausation. )N%)   Thechancellorfoundthattheemployee'sdeathwasnotcompensablebecauseitdidnotarise +.'+ outofhisemployment.Reviewoffindingsoffactbythetrialcourtisdenovoupontherecordof  thetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindings,unlessthe  preponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnnotated506225(e)(2).Thisstandard  requiresthepaneltoexamineindepthatrialcourt'sfactualfindingsandconclusions.Thereviewing  tribunalisnotboundbyatrialcourt'sfactualfindingsbutinsteadconductsanindependent p examinationoftheevidencetodeterminewherethepreponderancelies._Galloway_Ԁv.Memphis `  DrumServ.,822S.W.2d584(Tenn.1991). P    UndertheTennesseeWorkers'CompensationLaw,injuriesbyaccidentarisingoutofand 0  inthecourseofemploymentwhichcauseeitherdisablementordeathoftheemployeeare  p  compensable.Tenn.CodeAnnotated506103(a).Aninjuryarisesoutofone'semploymentwhen `  thereisapparenttotherationalmind,uponaconsiderationofallthecircumstances,acausal P  connectionbetweentheconditionsunderwhichtheworkisrequiredtobeperformedandthe @  resultinginjury.Finkv._Caudle_,856S.W.2d952(Tenn.1993).Inallbutthemostobviouscases, 0  expertmedicalevidenceisnecessarytoprovecausation.Thomasv.AetnaLifeand_Cas_.Ins.Co.,   812S.W.2d278(Tenn.1991).Deathresultingfromaheartattackmaybecompensableifitis  shownbycompetentevidencethatitwasprecipitatedbythephysicalactivityandexertionofthe  employee'swork,_Wingert_Ԁv.GovernmentofSumnerCounty,908S.W.2d921(Tenn.1995),orby  aspecificeventwhichcausedacuteemotionalstress,asopposedtoeverydaystressandstrain._Krick_  v.Cityof_Lawrenceburg_,945S.W.2d709(Tenn.1997).    Twomedicalexperts,Dr.CharlesHarlanandDr.FredRalston,testifiedinperson.Where ` thetrialjudgehasseenandheardthewitnesses,especiallyifissuesofcredibilityandweighttobe P givenoraltestimonyareinvolved,considerabledeferencemustbeaccordedthosecircumstanceson @ review,Storyv.LegionIns.Co.,3S.W.3d450(Tenn.1999),becauseitisthetrialcourtwhichhad 0 theopportunitytoobservetheirdemeanorandtoheartheincourttestimony.Longv.TriConInd.,  p Ltd.,996S.W.2d173(Tenn.1999). `   Dr.Harlan,thepathologistwhoperformedtheautopsy,opinedthatMr.Wadediedfrom @ arterioscleroticcardiovasculardisease.Whenaskedwhetherdeathwascausedbystressorexertion, 0 hisanswerwasanunqualified,"No."Dr.Ralston,aboardcertifiedinternist,opinedthatdeath   resultedfromanacutemyocardialinfarction,precipitatedbythestressandphysicalexertionofthe ! workofatruckdriver.ThetrialjudgechosetoaccepttheopinionofDr.Harlan.Whenthemedical "  testimonydiffers,thetrialjudgemustchoosewhichviewtobelieve.Indoingso,heisallowedto #! consider,amongotherthings,thequalificationsoftheexperts,thecircumstancesoftheir $" examination,theinformationavailabletothemandtheevaluationoftheimportanceofthat % # informationbyotherexperts.Ormanv.Williams_Sonoma_,Inc.,803S.W.2d672(Tenn.1991). p&!$   Dr.Harlanisaboardcertifiedpathologist,whoservedsixyearsasthechiefmedical P(#& examinerfortheStateofTennesseeandpresentlyservesasmedicalexaminerforseveralTennessee @)$' counties.Heconductedtheautopsy,onwhichDr.Ralstonpartlyreliedinforminghisownopinion. 0*%( ThetrialjudgedidnotabusehisdiscretionbyacceptingDr.Harlan'sopinionofcausation.  +p&)  ,`'*   Fortheabovereasons,theevidencefailstopreponderateagainstthefindingsofthetrial  court.Thejudgmentisaccordinglyaffirmed.Costsonappealaretaxedtotheappellant.  4XX#XX4*#   ` 4XX#XX4+#