APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

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X2010-0000-XX-X00-XX

X2010-0000-XX-X00-XX
Court of Appeals 01/29/97
03C01-9605-CC-00198

03C01-9605-CC-00198

Originating Judge:Rex Henry Ogle
Sevier County Court of Criminal Appeals 01/29/97
01A01-9607-CH-00298

01A01-9607-CH-00298

Originating Judge:Cornelia A. Clark
Court of Appeals 01/29/97
03C01-9606-CC-00210

03C01-9606-CC-00210

Originating Judge:Ben W. Hooper, II
Cocke County Court of Criminal Appeals 01/28/97
03C01-9606-CC-00211

03C01-9606-CC-00211
Monroe County Court of Criminal Appeals 01/28/97
03C01-9512-CC-00412

03C01-9512-CC-00412
Greene County Court of Criminal Appeals 01/28/97
03C01-9602-CC-00078

03C01-9602-CC-00078
Bradley County Court of Criminal Appeals 01/28/97
02C01-9510-CR-00301

02C01-9510-CR-00301

Originating Judge:Joseph B. Dailey
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 01/28/97
03C01-9511-CC-00365

03C01-9511-CC-00365
Anderson County Court of Criminal Appeals 01/28/97
03C01-9601-CR-00021

03C01-9601-CR-00021
Knox County Court of Criminal Appeals 01/28/97
03C01-9508-CC-00243

03C01-9508-CC-00243

Originating Judge:William R. Holt
Sevier County Court of Criminal Appeals 01/28/97
03C01-9601-CC-00038

03C01-9601-CC-00038

Originating Judge:Frank L. Slaughter
Sullivan County Court of Criminal Appeals 01/28/97
Huttchson vs. Cole

M1999-00204-COA-R10-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Originating Judge:Clara W. Byrd
Wilson County Court of Appeals 01/27/97
01S01-9511-CH-00208

01S01-9511-CH-00208

Originating Judge:Cornelia A. Clark
Bedford County Supreme Court 01/27/97
Jerry T. Matheny v. Insurance Co. of North America

02S01-9604-CH-00034
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court inaccordance with Tenn. Code Ann. section 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting of findings of fact and conclusions of law. The issue in this appeal is whether the trial court erred in not enlarging an award, pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. section 5-6- 241(a)(2). As discussed below, the panel has concluded the judgment should be affirmed. The injury in question occurred on September 5, 1992 to the claimant's neck. The claimant was treated by a physician who assigned a permanent impairment rating of eight percent to the body. The claimant returned to work at a wage equal to or greater than the wage he was receiving at the time of the injury and was awarded permanent partial disability benefits on the basis of two and one-half times the impairment rating, or twenty percent to the body as a whole, paid in a lump sum. The award was made on March 22, 1994. On May 9, 1994, the claimant suffered another injury to his neck at work. From that injury, superimposed upon two previous injuries, including the one in question, he was found to be one hundred percent permanently disabled and awarded benefits accordingly. Because of the disability resulting from the most recent injury, the claimant is unable to return to work. The claimant contends he is therefore entitled to have the previous award enlarged. For injuries arising after August 1, 1992, by Tenn. Code Ann. section 5-6-241(a)(1), in cases where an injured worker is entitled to permanent partial disability benefits to the body as a whole and the pre-injury employer returns the employee to employment at a wage equal to or greater than the wage the employee was receiving at the time of the injury, the maximum permanent partial disability award the employee may receive istwo and one-half times the medical impairment rating. By Tenn. Code Ann. section 5-6- 241(a)(2), if the injured worker thereafter loses his or her pre-injury employment, the court may, upon proper application made within one year of the employee's loss of employment, and if such loss of employment is within four hundred weeks of the day the employee returned to work, enlarge the award to a maximum of six times such impairment rating, allowing the employer credit for permanent partial disability benefits already paid for the injury. The only reasonable interpretation of subsection (2) is that if the injured worker's later loss of employment is causally related to the injury for which an award has been made, the trial judge has the discretion to enlarge the award, if the application is timely made. Any other interpretation would be inconsistent with the long standing rule that an employer takes the employee as 2
Authoring Judge: Joe C. Loser, Jr., Special Judge
Originating Judge:Hon. J. Steven Stafford,
Lake County Workers Compensation Panel 01/27/97
02S01-9607-CH-00062

02S01-9607-CH-00062
Supreme Court 01/27/97
02S01-9509-CV-00074

02S01-9509-CV-00074
Supreme Court 01/27/97
01S01-9511-CH-00208

01S01-9511-CH-00208

Originating Judge:Cornelia A. Clark
Bedford County Supreme Court 01/27/97
Ronald L. Shook v. Yates Construction Co., Inc., et al.

03S01-9602-CV-00011
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. section 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting of findings of fact and conclusions of law. In this appeal, the employee or claimant, Shook, contends the evidence preponderate against the trial judge's finding that his psychological condition did not arise out of his employment. The panel has concluded that the judgment should be affirmed. The claimant has a long history of mental illness, including severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and drug and alcohol abuse. He has been hospitalized and received out-patient care since his discharge from military
Authoring Judge: Joe C. Loser, Jr., Special Judge
Originating Judge:Hon. Harold Wimberley,
Knox County Workers Compensation Panel 01/27/97
01S01-9511-CH-00208

01S01-9511-CH-00208

Originating Judge:Cornelia A. Clark
Bedford County Supreme Court 01/27/97
Clifford J. Kapp v. Transway, Inc.

02S01-9606-CV-00054
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court inaccordance with Tenn. Code Ann. section 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting of findings of fact and conclusions of law. In this appeal, the employer contends the evidence preponderates against the trial court's finding that the employee suffered a permanent injury arising out of the employment. As discussed below, the panel has concluded the award of permanent disability benefits should be reversed. The employee or claimant, Kapp, was employed by the employer, Transway, on September 29, 1994 as a truck driver. On that day, the claimant and a co-worker were unloading a tub from a trailer when the co-worker dropped his end, causing the claimant to fall to the floor. He received emergency care at a nearby hospital and was released the same day. Since that time, he has seen numerous doctors. Dr. Michael Smelser, a general practitioner,treated the claimant for pain on three occasions. He performed a neurological examination, which was normal. We find in the record no evidence that Dr. Smelser found any permanent injury or impairment. Dr. Joseph P. Rowland, a neurosurgeon, saw the claimant three or four times. Dr. Rowland conducted a thorough neurological examination and ordered scientific tests, the results of which were normal. Dr. Mark S. Harriman, an orthopedic surgeon, was unable to find any objective evidence of injury. He found no evidence of permanent medical impairment. Dr. Roy Page examined the claimant and found no abnormality. Dr. James H. Owens conducted an extensive examination and found no basis for the claimant's complaint of pain. The only doctor who found any permanent impairment was Dr. Stephen L. Gipson, a pain management doctor. On the basis of complaints of chronic back pain, this doctor assigned a permanent impairment rating of eleven percent to the whole body. All of the medical evidence was by deposition or written reports. The claimant has not returned to work. 2
Authoring Judge: Joe C. Loser, Jr., Special Judge
Originating Judge:Hon. C. Creed Mcginley,
Decatur County Workers Compensation Panel 01/24/97
01A01-9606-CV-00251

01A01-9606-CV-00251

Originating Judge:Barbara N. Haynes
Davidson County Court of Appeals 01/24/97
01A01-9607-CV-00316

01A01-9607-CV-00316

Originating Judge:Robert E. Corlew, III
Rutherford County Court of Appeals 01/24/97
01A01-9606-CV-00251

01A01-9606-CV-00251

Originating Judge:Hamilton V. Gayden, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Appeals 01/24/97
01A01-9601-CV-00036

01A01-9601-CV-00036

Originating Judge:Bobby H. Capers
Wilson County Court of Appeals 01/24/97