Glover v. Philips
03S01-9607-CV-00076
Authoring Judge: John K. Byers, Senior Judge
Trial Court Judge: Hon. Ben K. Wexler,
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 plaintiff, who was 38 years of age at the time of this trial and who has a meager education, testified she fell over a fan on September 15 or 16, 1993 while working for the defendant and injured her back. The trial judge awarded 31% permanent partial disability to the body as a whole. We affirm in part and reverse in part. The plaintiff testified she told her supervisor at the time of the fall that she was injured. The supervisor denied he received this report. The dispensary nurse at the plant notes that on September 16 at 3:45 p.m., the plaintiff came to the dispensary and complained of back pain which, the note showed, was reported to be the result of a fall three years previously. There is no indication the nurse in the dispensary referred the plaintiff to an approved physician for treatment or evaluation of work injuries. The entry shows the plaintiff was sent home and ordered to take Advil for the pain. On September 17, 1993, the plaintiff was seen by Dr. Stanley of the Takoma Medical Group. Medicine for pain and muscle relaxers were prescribed for the plaintiff. The plaintiff was next seen in March 1994 by the group, then June 13, 1994, July 2, 1994, October 4, 1994, November 1, 1994 and March 1995. The testimony concerning the plaintiff's treatment and depression was given by Dr. Richard J. Aasheim, a family practitioner. The testimony reveals the plaintiff had a plethora of ailments, many attributable to her general physical condition, which showed a person 5'2" who weighed more than 18 pounds and was moderately obese. We need not go into great detail concerning the overall medical findings concerning the plaintiff. The pertinent parts of the doctor's testimony for the purpose of this case is his finding the plaintiff had lower back pain and muscle spasm as a result of the fall she related to him, with underlying chronic back pain prior to the fall. He testified that the fall aggravated and advanced pre-existing chronic back pain. 2

Knox Workers Compensation Panel

State vs. Cleophes Carter
02C01-9603-CR-00083

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Cleophes Carter
02C01-9603-CR-00083
Trial Court Judge: James C. Beasley, Jr.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Gary Cooper
02C01-9610-CC-00334
Trial Court Judge: Joe G. Riley. Jr.

Lake Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Leslie Thompson
02C01-9607-CR-00245

Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Sammy Golden
02C01-9611-CR-00393

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Doyle Hart
02C01-9612-CC-00451

Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. James Corder
02C01-9606-CC-00189

Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Ray Douglas
02C01-9610-CR-00349

Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Haney
03C01-9612-CC-00449
Trial Court Judge: Rex Henry Ogle

Cocke Court of Criminal Appeals

Randall E. Deskins, et ux., v. Beulah M. Williams
03A01-9701-CV-00023
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Houston M. Goddard
Trial Court Judge: Judge Rex Henry Ogle

Randall E. Desksins and his wife Thelma Jean Deskins, appeal a judgment of the Circuit Court for Sevier County, entered pursuant to a juryverdict, which dismissed their claim against Beulah M. Williams for personal injuries suffered by Mr. Deskins and loss of consortium and services by Mrs. Deskins, resulting from an automobile accident occurring on June 3, 1989. Mr. Deskins also appeals a judgmentin favor of the original Defendant and Counter-Plaintiff, Beulah M. Williams.

Sevier Court of Appeals

State vs. Mario Campbell
02C01-9705-CR-00197

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Abraham Galmore
02C01-9607-CR-00230
Trial Court Judge: Joseph B. Dailey

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Jerry Dorsey
02C01-9508-CR-00218

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Jerry Dorsey
02C01-9508-CR-00218
Trial Court Judge: W. Fred Axley

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Johnny Mukes
02C01-9610-CR-00320
Trial Court Judge: John P. Colton, Jr.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Paul Mason
02C01-9611-CC-00404
Trial Court Judge: Joe G. Riley. Jr.

Lake Court of Criminal Appeals

Gloria Spivey, et al vs. James Robinson, et al
02A01-9704-CV-00075
Trial Court Judge: William B. Acree

Shelby Court of Appeals

David Neal, et ux vs. Keith Boggs, et al
02A01-9612-CV-00305
Trial Court Judge: Dick Jerman, Jr.

Gibson Court of Appeals

Eileen Smith vs. Shelby Co. Government
02A01-9701-CH-00024
Trial Court Judge: C. Neal Small

Shelby Court of Appeals

Coy Hardaway, et al vs. William Burnett
02A01-9508-CH-00179
Trial Court Judge: D. J. Alissandratos

Shelby Court of Appeals

Vernon Ray Davis v. Jim Reagan and Howard Sexton, D/B/A Precision Construction Traveler's Insurance Co.
03S01-9603-CV-00034
Authoring Judge: Justice Janice M. Holder
Trial Court Judge: Judge William R. Holt, Jr.

We granted this consolidated appeal to determine whether permanent total disability can be awarded when an anatomical disability rating is less than 16.7 percent. In Seiber v. Greenbrier Industries, Inc., 906 S.W.2d 444 (Tenn. 1995), this Court adopted a panel decision holding that the limits in Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-241 (1996 Supp.) precluded an award of total disability when the anatomical impairment was less than 16.7 percent. A later, but unpublished, workers' compensation panel decision held that the limitations in Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-241(b) are not applicable to permanent total disability claims. Warren v. Twin City Fire Ins. Co., No. 03S01-9506-CV-00061 (Nov. 29, 1995, at Knoxville). We granted review to reconcile these two cases and decide this issue. For the reasons explained below, we agree with the panel's findings in Warren and hold that Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-241's limitations on permanent partial disability do not apply to awards of permanent total disability.

Sevier Supreme Court

State of Tennessee v. Jefferson C. Pennington
01S01-9607-PB-00133
Authoring Judge: Justice Adolpho A. Birch, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge James R. Everett

We review this cause to determine whether detention immediately after arrest, purposely continued because of the accused’s refusal to submit to a breathalyzer test, constitutes punishment that prevents, under double jeopardy principles, punishment upon conviction. Because we find that jeopardy did not attach to the proceedings before the judicial commissioner and because the detention, even if punitive, did not constitute punishment for the charged offenses, we find no double jeopardy violation. Accordingly, the judgment of the Court of Criminal Appeals is reversed, the indictments are reinstated, and the cause is remanded to the trial court for further proceedings.

Supreme Court

Robert Bean, Franklin Shaffer, David Autrey, et al., v. Ned Ray McWherter in his capacity as Governor of the State of Tennessee, et al., - Concurring
01S01-9607-CH-00132
Authoring Judge: Justice Janice M. Holder
Trial Court Judge: Chancellor Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr.

This appeal addresses the General Assembly's power to delegate rulemaking authority to administrative agencies. The Court of Appeals held  that the General Assembly could not constitutionally delegate power to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission ("TWRC") to add or delete animals from the dangerous species list. We reverse and hold that the legislature may delegate power to add and delete items from a statutory schedule absent explicit guidance standards. The legislature, however, must provide a basic standard accompanied by a general policy when delegating in areas concerning public health, safety, and general welfare.

Davidson Supreme Court

02A01-0611-CV-00279
02A01-0611-CV-00279
Trial Court Judge: Wyeth Chandler

Shelby Court of Appeals