WPCe! U-BV %U .r 0>  n 0rQwQ4g 0J{ 0T 0^ 0hw 0r 0|Q 0 0S 1u 0dX$B)DC" AMe B-v~vz D3M 0@ AO 0D D/! BH!\  `*Times New RomanTT"AArialTT'    0 .   (e2$  !X XX^XXX    3|x\  `*Times New RomanTTC\  P6QP"AArialTTomanTTXXaptQXp\  `*Times New RomanTT^\  P6QP\  `*Times New RomanTTXXP\  P6QXP\  `*Times New RomanTT6\  P6QP\  `*Times New RomanTT,,)\  P6Q,P(J$XbXXXXXb  VӀ^!2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X   !X     8    ` ` X    @      A     ` X   !  X     8    ` ` X    @      A     ` X% Line 7 d""""7Border 1dd-#C << G d #  !  X      YYY FILEDX November25,1996CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerk PtPtfHH(E1HHxxh'dHStyl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   inion Geneva  inion Geneva %%%%'dxd("$    -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd  ! . X   \RA'\      8    &      !   ` ` X\RA'\ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEESPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANELR$&#A1-j|`  `@RATKNOXVILLE(July3,1996Session)   ` XERNESTO.WOOD,)BLOUNTCIRCUIT̀XԀԀ)̀PlaintiffAppellant,ԀԀ)Hon.W.DaleYoung,̀ԀԀ,ԀԀ)Judge.v.XԀԀԀԀ)̀ԀԀԀԀ)No.03S019601CV00007ALUMINUMCORPORATION)̀OFAMERICA,XԀԀ)̀ԀԀXԀ,ԀԀ)̀DefendantAppellee.ԀԀ)ForAppellant:ForAppellee:CharlesWatsonCrossDonelsonM.LeakeCross&SirRobertL.BowmanNashville,TennesseeKramer,Rayson,Leake,Rodgers̀,ԀԀ&Morgaǹ,ԀԀKnoxville,Tennessee   ` ` XMEMORANDUMOPINIONMembersofPanel:PennyJ.White,AssociateJustice,SupremeCourtRogerE.Thayer,SpecialJudgeJoeC.Loser,Jr.,SpecialJudge'     ` X   ` ` X   ` X  AFFIRMEDLoser,Judge     ` ` XMEMORANDUMOPINION rA   ` X  Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Fairlystated,theissuesinthisappealarewhethertheemployeeshouldhavebeenawardedpermanentpartialdisabilitybenefitsandadditionaltemporarytotaldisabilitybenefits.Thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed.  Theemployeeorclaimant,Wood,isahighschoolgraduatewhohasworkedfortheemployer,ALCOA,sinceapproximately1971.OnJune7,1991,whileatwork,hefellfromthetopofatrayofcarbons,landingonhisrightsideandinjuringhisrightelbow,shoulderandhip.  Hecontinuedworkingfortheemployer,whilebeingconservativelytreatedforatornrightrotatorcuff,untilAugust15,1991.TheinjurywassurgicallyrepairedSeptemberofthesameyearandtheemployeereturnedtoworkfortheemployeronoraboutMay8,1992withminorrestrictions.HewaslaidoffsixweekslaterandhasnotworkedsinceJuly6,1992.Becauseofotherillnesses,heisreceivingdisabilityretirementbenefits.Hehasreceivedtemporarytotaldisabilitybenefitsforthetimehelostfromworkbeforethelayoff.Hehasalsoreceivedmedicalbenefitsasrequiredundertheworkers'compensationlaw.  Themedicalproofastowhethertheclaimant'sdisabilityiscausallyrelatedtohisinjuriesisspeculativeandequivocal.Inseparatelitigation,heclaimstobedisabledfromasbestosrelatedlungdisease.Thetrialjudgedisallowedtheclaimfordisabilityworkers'compensationbenefitsforinsufficientproofthatthedisabilityiscausallyrelatedtotheinjuryatwork.  Appellatereviewisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindingsoffact,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.section506225(e)(2).Wherethetrialjudgehasseenandheardthewitnesses,especiallyifissuesofcredibilityandweighttobegivenoraltestimonyareinvolved,considerabledeferencemustbeaccordedthosecircumstancesonreview.Humphreysv.DavidWitherspoon,Inc.,734S.W.2d315(Tenn1987).  Unlessadmittedbytheemployer,theclaimanthastheburdenofproving,byacompetentevidence,everyessentialelementofhisclaim.Mazanecv.AetnaIns.Co.,491S.W.2d616(Tenn.1973).Amongotherthings,theclaimantmustprovethathisinjuryaroseoutofandinthecourseofhisemploymentbytheemployer.  Inordertoestablishthataninjurywasonearisingoutoftheemployment,thecauseofthedeathordisabilitymustbeproved;and,inallbutthemostobviouscases,causationmayonlybeestablishedbyexpertmedicaltestimony.Thomasv.AetnaLifeandCas.Ins.Co.,812S.W.2d278(Tenn.1991).Anawardmaynotbebasedonconjectureorspeculation.Collinsv.LibertyMutualIns.Co.,561S.W.2d456(Tenn.1978).  Wehavecarefullyreviewedtherecordinthelightoftheaboveprinciplesandhaveconcludedthattheevidencefailstopreponderateagainstthefindingsandjudgmentofthetrialcourt.Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaccordinglyaffirmed.Costsonappealaretaxedtotheplaintiffappellant.    *b   ` ` X_______________________________   ӀJoeC.Loser,Jr.,Judge   ` XCONCUR:_________________________________PennyJ.White,AssociateJustice_________________________________RogerE.Thayer,Judge