APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

Please enter some keywords to search.
State vs. Gilbert Smith

03C01-9708-CC-00360

Originating Judge:D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Blount County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/18/99
Freeman v. American Motorist

03S01-9803-CH-00023
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court in accordancewith Tenn. Code Ann. _ 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting to the Supreme Court of findings of fact and conclusions of law. George Edward Freeman (employee), sustained an injury to his left eye while grinding metal at work, when a piece of metal penetrated his safety glasses and lodged in his cornea. The trial court awarded 7 percent permanent partial disability to the left eye, which the employer appeals as excessive. We affirm the judgment of the trial court. Employee had worked for Vinylex Corporation (employer), as a machine technician and maintenance fabricator for eleven years when he was involved in the above-described industrial accident on February 18, 1995. He was taken to an emergency room, where examination by Dr. Leslie Cunningham revealed a central corneal laceration, with inflammation, and a triangular metallic foreign body in his left eye. Dr. Cunningham surgically removed the foreign body, cleansed the wound and patched Mr. Freeman's eye. She advised the employee to leave the patch on the eye and to remain off work for six weeks. Mr. Freeman testified that he went back to work three days later owing to family financial responsibilities requiring him to earn his full salary. Dr. Cunningham assessed three to five percent permanent partial impairment to the left eye, but opined that if the employee works in bright sunlight or under bright lights or drives at night, then his medical impairment to the left eye would be 16 to 18%, and that he retains a permanent corneal scar. 2
Authoring Judge: William H. Inman, Senior Judge
Originating Judge:Hon. Billy Joe White,
Knox County Workers Compensation Panel 02/18/99
Mcgaha v. U.S. Marine

03S01-9711-CV-00137
Authoring Judge: John S. Mclellan, III
Originating Judge:Hon. Ben W. Hooper, Circuit Judge
Knox County Workers Compensation Panel 02/17/99
State vs. Timothy Wayne Reece

03C01-9803-CR-00098

Originating Judge:Arden L. Hill
Carter County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/17/99
State vs. Marty Thatcher

03C01-9710-CC-00446

Originating Judge:D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Blount County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/17/99
X2010-0000-XX-X00-XX

X2010-0000-XX-X00-XX

Originating Judge:James F. Russell
Shelby County Court of Appeals 02/17/99
State vs. Darryl Kennedy

02C01-9708-CR-00318

Originating Judge:Carolyn Wade Blackett
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/17/99
Hamilton v. Life Care Center

03S01-9712-CH-00143
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 employer, Life Care Center, insists the evidence preponderates against the trial court's finding that the injury to the employee or claimant, Hamilton, is permanent or, alternatively, that the award of permanent partial disability benefits is excessive. As discussed below, the panel has concluded the judgment should be affirmed. It is undisputed that, on September 15, 1993, the claimant slipped on a wet floor and fell backward, hitting the back of her head on a hard floor, while working for the employer. After a trial, the trial judge awarded permanent partial disability benefits based on forty percent to the body as a whole. The extent of an injured worker's disability is an issue of fact. Jaske v. Murray Ohio Mfg. Co., 75 S.W.2d 15 (Tenn. 1988). Thus, appellate review is de novo upon the record of the trial court, accompanied by a presumption of correctness of the findings of fact, unless the preponderance of the evidence is otherwise. Tenn. Code Ann. section 5-6-225(e)(2). The claimant was forty-five years old at the time of her injury, with a high school education. She worked for Life Care Center as a nurse's assistant and had a second job as a greeter for Wal-Mart. Her work for Life Care required some heavy lifting and other strenuous work, whereas her work as a greeter for Wal-Mart was not very strenuous. She has never before made a claim for an injury to her head or neck. On the day of the accident, it had been raining heavily. As the claimant entered the building to attend classes for obtaining certification as a nurse's aide, her feet suddenly went out from under her and she fell, striking the back of her head on the tile floor. According to her testimony, accredited by the findings 2
Authoring Judge: Joe C. Loser, Jr., Special Judge
Originating Judge:Hon. Earl Henley,
Knox County Workers Compensation Panel 02/17/99
State vs. Robert Gillespie

03C01-9710-CC-00455
Rhea County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/17/99
State vs. Cedric Dickerson

02C01-9802-CR-00051
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/17/99
State vs. Paul Dejongh

03C01-9806-CR-00211

Originating Judge:Ray L. Jenkins
Knox County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/16/99
Bradson Mercantile vs. Joseph Crabtree

02A01-9710-CV-00272
Shelby County Court of Appeals 02/16/99
Barbara Jordan vs. Sofamor S.N.C.

02A01-9803-CV-00067

Originating Judge:John R. Mccarroll, Jr.
Shelby County Court of Appeals 02/16/99
State vs. Leonard Prater

01C01-9710-CC-00499
Coffee County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/16/99
William Terry Wyatt

03C01-9802-CC-00057

Originating Judge:Thomas W. Graham
Bledsoe County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/16/99
State vs. Leonard Prater

01C01-9710-CC-00499
Coffee County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/16/99
Hooker vs. Thompson

01A01-9709-CH-00533
Supreme Court 02/16/99
02A01-9804-CV-

02A01-9804-CV-

Originating Judge:John R. Mccarroll, Jr.
Shelby County Court of Appeals 02/16/99
Rhea v. Modine

03S01-9710-CV-00124
Authoring Judge: John S. Mclellan, III
Originating Judge:Hon. James B. Scott, Jr.
Rhea County Workers Compensation Panel 02/16/99
State vs. Torayo Brown

W2000-00472-CCA-R3-CD
The defendant, Torayo Olandis Brown, was convicted of possessing with intent to deliver more than .5 grams of cocaine, a class B felony. The trial court imposed a sentence of eight years and nine months, ordering eight months to be served in the local jail and the balance to be served in a community corrections program. In this appeal of right, the defendant contends that (1) the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction; (2) the trial court erred by allowing the state to impeach him with a prior conviction; and (3) the state improperly argued that he was impeached by the prior conviction. Because of plain error in the trial court's failure to provide a limiting instruction relating to the impeachment evidence, the judgment is reversed and the cause is remanded for a new trial.
Authoring Judge: Judge Gary R Wade
Originating Judge:Jon Kerry Blackwood
Hardeman County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/15/99
Joleen Creson vs. Tammy Creson

02A01-9801-CH-00002

Originating Judge:C. Neal Small
Shelby County Court of Appeals 02/12/99
02S01-9804-CH-00041

02S01-9804-CH-00041
Obion County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/12/99
Dennis Smith v. Walker-J-Walker, Inc.

02S01-9807-CV-00062
Authoring Judge: J. Steven Stafford, Special Judge
Originating Judge:Hon. James E. Swearengen
Smith County Workers Compensation Panel 02/12/99
James Judd vs. State

01C01-9805-CR-00204
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/12/99
McNairy Co. vs. John Sellers

02A01-9808-CV-00234

Originating Judge:Jon Kerry Blackwood
McNairy County Court of Appeals 02/12/99