Glenda Johnson v. North Park Hospital

This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special W orkers' 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. Review of the findings of fact made by the trial court is de novo upon the record of the trial court, accompanied by a presumption of the correctness of the findings, unless the preponderance of the evidence is otherwise. Tenn. Code Ann. _ 5-6- 225(e)(2); Stone v. City of McMinnville, 896 S.W.2d 548, 55 (Tenn. 1995). The application of this standard requires this Court to weigh in more depth the factual findings and conclusions of the trial court in a workers' compensation case. See Corcoran v. Foster Auto GMC, Inc., 746 S.W.2d 452, 456 (Tenn. 1988). The trial judge found the plaintiff to be permanently disabled and ordered payments to be made until the plaintiff reaches the age of 65 years. This case has some convoluted proceedings in the trial court, as well as in the filing of the appeal. However, the essential matters for us to determine are whether the trial judge's finding that the plaintiff suffered permanent vocationaldisability and whether the trial court properly ordered the defendant to pay a medical bill in the amount of $7,84.6.1 We affirm the judgment of the trial court.