Patsy Stedman v. Hardaway Construction Co., Inc.

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 found the plaintiff had sustained a 25 percent permanent partial disability to the body as a whole as the result of an injury she suffered at work. The defendant has filed an appeal from the judgment. The plaintiff has moved to dismiss the appeal because the defendant failed to timely file a notice of appeal. We find that the appeal was not timely filed and therefore dismiss the appeal. The judgment in which the plaintiff was awarded 25 percent disability was entered on November 19, 1996. On December 23, 1996, the defendant filed a motion for relief from the judgment under RULE 6.2(1) and (5), TENN. R. CIV. P. The defendant's only basis for relief under this rule was that the failure to timely file a notice of appeal was inadvertent. Counsel asserted she thought the notice had been filed and was surprised to learn it had not been filed. On December 27, 1996, the defendant filed a motion to have the trial court enter a final judgment in the case. In that motion, the defendant asserted the trial court's judgment of November 19, 1996 was not final because it disposed of less than all the claims raised by the plaintiff in the original petition. The defendant's motion asserted that the trial court, in its judgment, had not disposed of the following issues: "(1) Whether plaintiff is entitled to temporary disability benefits; (2) When plaintiff's disability became permanent within the meaning of the Tennessee W orkers' Compensation Law; (3) Whether plaintiff is entitled to reimbursement of medical expenses incurred to date; and (4) Whether plaintiff is entitled to a lump sum award." On January 8, 1997, the trial judge entered an Amended Final Judgment. It is the defendant's contention that under RULE 54.2, TENN. R. CIV. P., the original judgment entered on November 19, 1996 was not final, and until the trial court had entered a final judgment the defendant could not appeal the case under the directive of RULE 3, TENN. R. APP. P. The defendant argues that the time for 2