WPCT hGk4NзƠ7eyNš z2P5;V-4R+@H,l#dy{apsٕ5(4}C⭄KK|HEprxPuER ]02%9h;tԢeA6W=b58%z.6J'!idB!V}]pjuLGof1Į Εe(^= zP$kêL*Jg:EuaUcQ /J3o zb %\UNb 0UN8^ w4 z$   m #   k 1NN zuEGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGbIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 0QQQQ B << 0Y D3 D-0 0K]] AS 0 0De A(9 Z 6Times New Roman Regular(`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular(L @O(:i+00 C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt3|xUHP LaserJet 4 Plus,,,,,,0Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt- -(|G2^w$ !..8dd8         0  XX d(|3$ !..8dd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3$ !..8dd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8dd8     _8XXdd8  @@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL  XX #XXz#MARY_ZELEK_v._FLAGSTAR_ԀSYSTEM,etal.XX  8 @@ CriminalCourtforWilsonCounty  @ @@No.95840  0 @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.M199900269_WC_ԄR3CVFiledJuly28,2000   AV) ` dE<` A        #XX1#XX  JUDGMENT #XXJ#XX n   #XX#XXXtXXX  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltothe N SpecialWorkersCompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanelsMemorandumOpinionsettingforth : itsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference. &v   Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbe N acceptedandapproved;and :   Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanelsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadopted  andaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt.    Costswillbepaidbyappellants,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.    ITISSOORDERED. ^!     `     h     PERCURIAM %^ $   #XXXXt;#  %J!%~ XX  @@7 7 INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  SPECIALWORKERSCOMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL  @@ATNASHVILLE 0 #XX # XXMARY_ZELEK_Ԁv._FLAGSTAR_ԀSYSTEM,etal.#XX #  8 @@ DirectAppealfromtheCriminalCourtforWilsonCounty  @ @@No.95840J.O.Bond,Judge  0 @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.M199900269_WC_ԄR3CVMailedJune27,2000   XX#XX #FiledJuly28,2000   AV) ` dE<~` A        Theemployercontendsthetrialjudgeerredbyaccreditingtheexpertmedicaltestimonyofanon ~ approvedphysicianchosenbytheemployee,orherattorney,andthattheawardofpermanent n partialdisabilitybenefitsisexcessive. ^     Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(1999)AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCriminalCourt > Affirmed.  .~     loser,sp.j.X#XX.#,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichBirch,j.,and_kurtz_,sp.j.,joined. ^ WilliamLaneAbernathy,Jr.,Nashville,Tennessee,fortheappellants,_Flagstar_ԀSystems,Inc.and > TransportationInsuranceCo. . MichaelR.Jennings,Lebanon,Tennessee,fortheappellee,Mary_Zelek_.    MEMORANDUMOPINION XX#XX8#     XX#XX# XThisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'Compensation ~"! AppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)for n#" hearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.Asdiscussed ^$# below,thepanelhasconcludedthejudgmentshouldbeaffirmed. N% $  >&!% OnAugust8,1993,theemployeeorclaimant,Mary_Zelek_,wasemployedasbreakfast .'~"& managerfora_Hardee_'srestaurantinLebanon,ownedbytheemployer,_Flagstar_ԀSystem,Inc.She (n#' arrivedatworkthatdayatapproximately3:30a.m.Assheattemptedtoopenthesafe,sheslipped )^$( onawetfloorandfellbackwards,injuringherback.Theresultingpainwassuchthatshewastaken )N%) tothenearbyemergencyroomandreferredtoDr.John_McGinnis_,whotreatedher. *>&*  +.'+ Shecontinuedtryingtoworkbutherbackproblemsworsened.Sheultimatelyquitbecause,  assheputit,"theyweregivingmeahardtime."Theemployertransferredhertoanotherstore,  reducedherworkinghoursbyfivetotenperweekandchangedherdutiesfromthoseofamanager  tothoseofafrontlinecashier.Theydidnotreduceherhourlywage.   p Dr._McInnis_Ԁdidnottestify,butthetrialcourthadbeforeitthe_depositional_Ԁtestimonyoftwo `  physicianswhoexaminedandevaluatedtheclaimant.Dr.LarryLaughlin,chosenbytheemployer, P  sawheronceandnotedthat"shehadafractureofthedistalsacrumandDr._McInnis_Ԁassignedathree @  percentimpairment,"whichhedidnotdispute.Dr.S.M.Smith,chosenbytheemployee,sawher 0  onthreeorfouroccasionsandestimatedherpermanentimpairmentatfivepercenttothewholebody  p  fromthefractureandanadditionalonepercentfromalowbackstrain,foratotalofsixpercent. `   P  Fromtheabovesummarizedevidence,thetrialjudgefoundthattheclaimantwouldretain @  apermanentpartialdisabilityofthirtysixpercent,orsixtimesDr.Smithsimpairmentrating,tothe 0  bodyasawhole,forwhichheawardedbenefits.Appellatereviewoffindingsoffactbythetrial   courtisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofcorrectnessof  thefindings,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506  225(e)(2).Thisstandardrequiresthepaneltoexamineindepthatrialcourt'sfactualfindingsand  conclusions.Thepanelisnotboundbyatrialcourt'sfactualfindingsbutinsteadconductsan  independentexaminationtodeterminewherethepreponderancelies._Galloway_Ԁv.MemphisDrum  Serv.,822S.W.2d584(Tenn.1991).Theextentofaninjuredworkersvocationaldisabilityisa p questionoffact.Storyv.LegionIns.Co.,3S.W.3d450(Tenn.1999). `  P Whenthemedicaltestimonydiffers,thetrialjudgemustchoosewhichviewtobelieve.In @ doingso,heisallowed,amongotherthings,toconsiderthequalificationsofexperts,the 0 circumstancesoftheirexamination,andtheinformationavailabletothemandtheevaluationofthe  p importanceofthatinformationtootherexperts.Ormanv.Williams_Sonoma_,Inc.,803S.W.2d672 ` (Tenn.1991).Moreover,itiswithinthediscretionofthetrialjudgetoconcludethattheopinionof P oneexpertshouldbeacceptedoverthatofanotherexpertandthatitcontainsthemoreprobable @ explanation.Storyv.LegionsIns.Co.supra. 0    Dr.Smithisanorthopedicsurgeon,licensedtopracticeinTennessee.Hisopinionof ! permanencywasbasedoninformationprovidedbythetreatingphysicianandhisphysical "  examinationoftheclaimant.ThetrialjudgedidnotabusehisdiscretionbyacceptingDr.Smiths #! opinion. $"  % # Theappellantcontendstheemployeeshouldbelimitedtoanawardnotexceedingtwoand p&!$ onehalftimesthemedicalimpairmentratingbecausetheclaimantwasreturnedtoworkwithouta `'"% reductioninherhourlywage.Whereaninjuredworkerisentitledtopermanentpartialdisability P(#& benefitstothebodyasawholeandthepreinjuryemployerreturnstheemployeetoemploymentat @)$' awageequaltoorgreaterthanthewagetheemployeewasreceivingatthetimeoftheinjury,the 0*%( maximumpermanentpartialdisabilityawardthattheemployeemayreceiveistwoandonehalf  +p&) timesthemedicalimpairmentrating.Tenn.CodeAnn.506241(a)(1).If,however,theofferto ,`'* returntoworkisnotreasonableinlightofthecircumstancesoftheemployeesphysicaldisability  toperformtheofferedemployment,thentheofferofemploymentisnotmeaningfulandtheinjured  employeemayreceivedisabilitybenefitsuptosixtimesthemedicalimpairment.Newtonv.Scott  HealthCareCenter,914S.W.2d884(Tenn.1995).Ontheotherhand,anemployeewillbelimited  todisabilitybenefitsofnotmorethantwoandonehalftimesthemedicalimpairmentratingifher p refusaltoreturntoofferedworkisunreasonable.Thedeterminationofwhatisreasonablemustrest `  onthefactsofeachcaseandbedeterminedthereby.Id. P   @  Thetrialcourtimplicitlyfoundthattheclaimantsrefusaltoreturntoofferedworkwas 0  reasonable.Wecannotsaythattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthatfinding.  p   `  Indeterminingtheextentofaninjuredworkerspermanentvocationaldisability,thecourts P  aretoconsiderallpertinentfactors,includinglayandexperttestimony,theemployeesage, @  education,skillsandtraining,localjobopportunitiesforthedisabledandthecapacitytoworkat 0  typesofemploymentavailableintheclaimantsdisabledcondition.Tenn.CodeAnn.506   241(a)(1).Thetrialjudgefoundtheemployeetobeunabletoread.Theproofisthatshehasless  thananeighthgradeeducationandpossessesfewworkingskills.Fromaconsiderationofallofthe  appropriatefactors,wecannotsaytheevidencepreponderatesagainstanawardbasedonthirtysix  percenttothebodyasawhole.    Fortheabovereasons,thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Costsonappealaretaxed p tothe_appellants._ `  P ____