Kathy Reynolds v. Life Care Centered of America

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 trial court awarded the plaintiff 5% permanent partial disability to the right arm and 25% to the left arm. The trial court also awarded temporary total disability for the period between 6/3/95 and 1/16/96 (22 weeks) at the $152.24 compensation rate totaling $5,23.92 , medicals and mileage, future medical on arms only, attorney's fees in lump sum and discretionary costs. We affirm the judgment of the trial court. The plaintiff is a 55-year-old female with a tenth grade education. She has work experience in a factory and experience cleaning and working on boats. She started working for the defendant in 1993 as a certified nursing assistant. Plaintiff's duties for the defendant included making beds, feeding, shaving and bathing patients and turning them in their beds. These job activities require lifting, bending, and manipulating of the patients and the objects around them. On May 1, 1995, the plaintiff, while attempting to lift a patient into a chair with the aid of a fellow employee, fell forward striking her arm on the chair. She alleged that this accident caused damage to her neck, shoulder and right arm. The trial court did not find adequate proof to substantiate an injury to the neck. Only the questions of causation and the amount of permanent partial disability to the right and left arms are before us for review. The plaintiff testified that she complained of the injury to her right arm to her charge nurse on the date of the accident and again on the next day. The plaintiff testified on cross-examination that she first saw Dr. Portis to whom, she believes, she related the details of her accident. However, Dr. Portis' medical records do not reveal that the plaintiff informed him of the details of her accident. The plaintiff then saw Dr. Warmbroad on June 9, 1995. She admits that she did not tell him about the fall. In June of 1995, the plaintiff also saw Dr. Anthony Segal. She did not give a history of injury or trauma to her right arm to him. Dr. Segal thought that the carpel