Bobby L. Marlowe v. Vulcan Materials Co.

This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. _ 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting to the Supreme Court of findings of fact and conclusions of law. The appeal has resulted from a finding by the trial court that plaintiff, Bobby L. Marlowe, was entitled to 1% disability benefits due to contracting an occupational disease while in the employment of his employer, defendant Vulcan Materials Company. Defendant Vulcan contends the Chancellor was in error (1) in ruling the statute of limitations had not expired; (2) in finding plaintiff had been exposed and injured while in its employment; and (3) in finding plaintiff was totally disabled. Plaintiff was 55 years of age and had completed the 9th grade. He has a long history of having worked under conditions exposing himself to smoke, dust, etc. He spent about 16 years working in a steel foundry; about 1 years working for various coal companies; and about 5 years with Vulcan at various quarry sites where his exposure was to rock dust. When he first reported to work with Vulcan in 1988, he had a chest x-ray which apparently was not indicative of any problems. He began having some breathing problems sometime in 1991 and was x-rayed. As a result of this examination, he received a form letter dated January 13, 1992 from a medical clinic in Birmingham, Alabama. This informed him that his x-ray showed "abnormalities consistent with pneumoconiosis" and advised he needed to see a physician. Vulcan sent him to see a specialist in Kingsport, telling him the x- ray indicated something was wrong. There is no direct evidence as to the findings by this doctor. Plaintiff continued to work, saying he did not know what was wrong. Sometime later in his employment, he told the court, his condition began to worsen. He described this as noticing a greater shortness of breath and said any exertion would result in his being completely out of breath. Mr. Howell, the safety director of Vulcan, discussed the situation with him and said they would try to work with him and keep him out of as much dust as possible. At some later 2