Special Judge Hamilton v. Gayden, Jr.

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 judge found the plaintiff had suffered a 5 percent impairment to each of her arms as a result of carpal tunnel syndrome which arose out of her employment with United Postal Service ("UPS"). We find the evidence in this case preponderates against an award of 5 percent to each arm and find the evidence preponderates in favor of an award of 25 percent to each arm. At the time of the trial of this case, the plaintiff was 45 years of age. She has a twelfth grade education and had worked for UPS for 18 years as a truck driver. The plaintiff's work history included operating an antique store and working as a sales clerk, a loan officer for a bank, and an executive secretary. The only issue before us is whether the trial court's award of 5 percent to each arm is supported by the evidence. The evidence concerning the extent of the plaintiff's disability is supplied by the plaintiff's testimony; by the medical report and records of Dr. Lowell Stonecipher, an orthopedic surgeon and the treating physician who was furnished by the defendant; by the report of Dr. Robert J. Barnett, an orthopedic surgeon, who evaluated the plaintiff at her request; and by the report of Dr. Ronald C. Bingham, who conducted nerve conduction tests on the plaintiff at the request of Dr. Stonecipher -- these tests showed mild residual median neuropathy. The plaintiff began to experience difficulty with her arms and hands in June 1996. Dr. Stonecipher diagnosed the condition as carpal tunnel syndrome and did surgery to relieve the condition in her left arm on February 21, 1996. On April 2, 1996, Dr. Stonecipher did surgery on the plaintiff's right arm. The plaintiff returned to work in June 1996 doing the same work she had done prior to having surgery. The plaintiff testified the work caused her hands and 2