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JamesT.SheaIV,Knoxville,Tennessee,forappellant,SentryInsuranceCompany. ^"! DavidH._Dunaway_,_LaFollette_,Tennessee,fortheappellee,GlenWilliamson. 6$#    MEMORANDUMOPINION #NXXy #XyXN &^!%   #NXXyJ #XyXN  XyXXXyReviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovoupontherecordofthetrial '6#' court,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindings,unlessthepreponderance ("$( oftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Stonev.Cityof_McMinnville_,896 )%) S.W.2d548,550(Tenn.1995).#XyXXXy #ԀXyXXXyTheapplicationofthisstandardrequiresthisCourttoweighinmore *%* depththefactualfindingsandconclusionsofthetrialcourtinworkerscompensationcases.See +&+ Corcoran_v._ԀFosterAuto_GMC_,Inc.,746S.W.2d452,456(Tenn.1988). ,',  n-(- #XyXXXy#   Facts     Theplaintiff,whowasfortyfouryearsofageatthetimeoftrial,hasaneleventhgrade  educationandhasworkedonlyasalaborer. t   TheplaintiffsustainedaninjurytohisneckandbackonMay7,1993.Heunderwentsurgery L  fortheinjuryandreceivedcompensationbenefitsasaresultoftheaccident.Theplaintiffreturned 8  toworkonFebruary8,1994. $ t   TheplaintifftestifiedthatonFebruary17,1994,hehurttheleftsideofhisneckashewas  L  liftingrollsoffabricintoracks.  8  @" MedicalEvidence      TheplaintiffwastreatedbyDr.Fred_Killeffer_,aneurosurgeon,fortheMay7,1993,injury.   Afterconsiderabletreatment,Dr._Killeffer_Ԁperformeda_laminectomy_,_forenectomy_Ԁand   decompressionofthenerverootattheC5C6levelontherightside. p   OnFebruary17,1994,theplaintiffreturnedtoDr._Killeffer_.AccordingtoDr._Killeffer_Ԁthe H plaintiffdidnotrelatetohimthathehadsustainedanotheraccidentalinjury.Dr._Killeffer_Ԁwasof 4 theopiniontheplaintiffscomplaintsofpainwerejustacontinuationofthepreviousinjury.He  p foundnoanatomicalchangesthatwouldindicateanewinjuryhadoccurred.Dr._Killeffer_Ԁtestified  \ theplaintiffdidnottellhimabouttheeventofFebruary17,1994. H   Dr.WilliamE.Kennedy,anorthopedicsurgeon,examinedtheplaintiffonJuly27,1994,to   evaluatetheinjuriestotheplaintiff.Hewasoftheopiniontheplaintiffhadsustainedaseparate   injuryonFebruary14,1994,whichwasdifferentfromtheinjuryofMay7,1993.Dr.Kennedy  foundthesymptomstobedifferentfromthoseoftheMay7,1993,injuryandthattheleftsideofthe  plaintiffsneckandshoulderwasinvolvedaftertheFebruary14,1994,injurywhereastherightside  wasinvolvedintheMay7,1993,injury. l   Dr.Kennedyfoundtheplaintiffhadsustainedan8percentmedicalimpairmentratingtothe D! bodyasawholeasaresultoftheinjury. 0"    Dr.JoeD._Beals_,aneurosurgeon,sawtheplaintiffonJuly21,1995,onreferralfromDr. $X" _Burgin_ԀWood,theplaintiffsfamilydoctor.Dr._Beals_ԀreviewedDr._Killeffer_srecordsand $D # conductedvariousprocedurestodeterminetheplaintiffscondition.Dr._Beals_Ԁwasawareofthe %0!$ previousinjuryofMay7,1993. &"%   Dr._Beals_Ԁfoundtheplaintiffhadlimitedmotionofhisneckontheleftsidewithmuscle (#' spasms.Further,hefoundweaknessintheplaintiffsleftupperarm.AnMRIshowedadefectaC5 )$( ontheleftandasubsequent_myelogram_ԀshowedadefectatC6ontheleft.Dr._Beals_Ԁconcludedthat |*%) surgerywasthemostobviousoptionfortreatmentoftheplaintiff.Acervical_laminectomy_Ԁwas h+&* performedonSeptember14,1995.    Dr._Beals_Ԁwasoftheopiniontheinjurytotheplaintiffforwhichhetreatedhimwasasa  resultoftheinjuryofFebruary14,1994,whichwasseparateanddistinctfromtheinjuryofMay7, t 1993. `   Dr._Beals_Ԁcontinuedtoseetheplaintiffforseveralmonthsaftersurgery.Hereleasedhimon 8  January5,1996.Hewasoftheopinionthatplaintiffwouldbeunabletoworkinthelabormarket $ t becauseofhisinjuries.Hefoundtheplaintiffhadsufferedan11percentmedicalimpairmenttothe  ` bodyasawhole.  L     Discussion  $  h#  Thetrialjudgehadthetestimonyofthreedoctorsconcerningwhethertheplaintiffhad   sustainedaseparateinjuryonFebruary17,1994,asopposedtotheinjuryhereceivedonMay7,   1993.Dr._Killeffer_Ԁwasoftheopiniontheplaintiffhadnotsufferedanewinjury.Drs._Beals_Ԁand   KennedywereoftheopiniontheplaintiffsufferedanewanddistinctinjuryonFebruary17,1994. p   Thetrialjudgehasthediscretiontoaccepttheopinionofoneormoremedicalexpertsover H theopinionofanotherorothers._Kellerman_Ԁv.FoodLionInc.,929S.W.2d333(Tenn.1996).The 4 trialjudgeacceptedtheopinionsofDrs._Beals_ԀandKennedyoverthatofDr._Killeffer_.Therecord  p supportsthisfindingofthetrialjudge.  \   Whenthemedicalevidenceispresentedbydeposition,wemaymakeanindependent 4 assessmentofthemedicalprooftodeterminewherethepreponderanceoftheevidencelies.Cooper   v._INA_,884S.W.2d446(Tenn.1994).Wehavedonesointhiscaseandfindtheevidence   preponderatesinfavorofthejudgmentofthetrialcourt.     TemporaryTotalDisability  )  Thedefendantinsiststheplaintiffshouldonlyhavereceivedtemporarytotalbenefitsfrom X  February16,1994,untilJune9,1994,andforfiveandonehalfmonthfollowingthesurgeryof D! September15,1995,untilJanuary5,1996,ifatall. 0"    Thedefendantcontendstheplaintiffsrighttotemporarytotalbenefitswereinterruptedon $X" June4,1994,whenDr._Killeffer_ԀreleasedtheplaintiffuntilDr._Beals_ԀdidsurgeryonSeptember15, $D # 1995. %0!$   TheplaintifftestifiedhewasunabletoreturntoworkafterhewasreleasedbyDr._Killeffer_. '#& This,alongwiththemedicalevidenceinthecase,supportsthejudgmentofthetrialcourtonfixing (#' temporarytotalbenefitstowhichtheplaintiffwasentitled. )$(    h+&* Ї  Weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourtinallthings.    Thecostoftheappealistaxedtothedefendant. `    `     h     ___________________________________  8     `     h     JOHNK.BYERS,SENIORJUDGE  $  NXXy@7 7 #XyXN/#NXXyINTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @ ATKNOXVILLE,TENNESSEE#XyXN20#Ԉ   NXXy  GLENWILLIAMSONV.SENTRYINSURANCECOMPANY,ETAL   CampbellCountyChanceryCourt#XyXN0#    1@% %  %1%  % 2% ! %!2% " %"=2No.13,556AV) ` dE<p ` A߈   @A A No.% # E2000001639_WC_ԄR3CVFiled:September6,2001%#2Ԉ    AV) ` dE<o` A p   @& JUDGMENT  k  󀀀ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferral C  totheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'smemorandumOpinionsetting / forthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference; k    ` Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthatthememorandumOpinionofthePanel W shouldbeacceptedandapproved;and C    ` Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactsandconclusionsoflaware / adoptedandaffirmedandthedecisionofthePanelismadetheJudgmentoftheCourt.     ` Costsonappealaretaxedtotheappellant,SentryInsuranceandsurety,_JamesT.  SheaIV._______Ԁforwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.  09/06/01 { %