APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

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01C01-9509-CC-00307

01C01-9509-CC-00307
Rutherford County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/26/96
X2010-0000-XX-X00-XX

X2010-0000-XX-X00-XX
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/26/96
02C01-9502-CC-00044

02C01-9502-CC-00044
Carroll County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/26/96
02C01-9504-CR-00105

02C01-9504-CR-00105

Originating Judge:Bernie Weinman
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/26/96
01C01-9507-CR-00216

01C01-9507-CR-00216

Originating Judge:J. Randall Wyatt, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/26/96
02C01-9508-CC-00230

02C01-9508-CC-00230

Originating Judge:Julian P. Guinn
Henry County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/26/96
Judy Parrish v. Hospital Corporation of America, D/B/A Centennial Medical Center's Partnenon Pavilion

01A01-9601-CV-00010

The captioned Plaintiff has appealed from a summary judgment dismissing her suit against the captioned Defendant for the wrongful death of Whitney Parrish by suicide while a patient in Defendant’s hospital.

Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Henry F. Todd
Originating Judge:Judge Hamilton V. Gayden, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Appeals 07/26/96
01A01-9512-CH-00567

01A01-9512-CH-00567

Originating Judge:Robert S. Brandt
Davidson County Court of Appeals 07/26/96
02C01-9510-CC-00306

02C01-9510-CC-00306

Originating Judge:Whit A. Lafon
Madison County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/26/96
02C01-9508-CC-00247

02C01-9508-CC-00247
Hardin County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/26/96
02C01-9506-CR-00175

02C01-9506-CR-00175
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/26/96
02C01-9605-CC-00181

02C01-9605-CC-00181
Hardin County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/26/96
02C01-9509-CC-00258

02C01-9509-CC-00258

Originating Judge:William M. Barker
Madison County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/26/96
01A01-9601-CH-00004

01A01-9601-CH-00004

Originating Judge:Robert E. Corlew, III
Rutherford County Court of Appeals 07/26/96
01C01-9508-CC-00271

01C01-9508-CC-00271

Originating Judge:J. Curtis Smith
Grundy County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/26/96
01C01-9505-CC-00141

01C01-9505-CC-00141

Originating Judge:James L. Weatherford
Maury County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/26/96
03C01-9510-CC-00296

03C01-9510-CC-00296
Jefferson County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/25/96
03C01-9502-CR-00030

03C01-9502-CR-00030

Originating Judge:William M. Barker
Sullivan County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/25/96
01A01-9510-CH-00471

01A01-9510-CH-00471

Originating Judge:Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Appeals 07/24/96
01A01-9512-CH-00558

01A01-9512-CH-00558

Originating Judge:Christina Norris
Davidson County Court of Appeals 07/24/96
Vickie Winningham v. Masters Health Care Center

01S01-9510-CV-00177
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, Masters Health Care Center, contends (1) that the evidence preponderates against the trial judge's finding that the claimant suffered any permanent partial disability from her injury, and (2) that the evidence preponderates against an award of fifty- five percent to the body as a whole. The panel concludes the judgment of the trial court should be modified as provided herein. The claimant, Vickie Winningham, is thirty-nine years old and a high school graduate. She has experience in a variety of unskilled jobs and has worked for this employer since April of 1989 as a nursing assistant. On October 27, 1991, she strained her back while lifting and turning a patient. She went first to Dr. Lloyd Hassler, who prescribed physical therapy. The claimant was referred by a representative of Crawford and Company to three physicians, Dr. James Talmadge, Dr. Arthur Gernt Bond and Dr. Michael Moore. All three testified at the trial by deposition. All three of them found her to be deconditioned from smoking and being overweight. She is five feet, three inches tall and weighs approximately two hundred fifty pounds. Dr. Talmadge diagnosed mild low back strain, symptom magnification and incontinence. Only the back sprain was, according to his testimony, causally related to the injury at work. He estimated her permanent impairment from the injury at none. Dr. Bond's diagnosis was essentially the same, except that he diagnosed degenerative changes unrelated to the injury at work. He agreed that the claimant is not permanently impaired as a result of any work related injury. Dr. Moore diagnosed mechanical low back syndrome and symptom magnification. He assessed her permanent impairment at seven percent to the whole body using the third edition of American Medical Association guidelines and at five percent using the fourth edition, from her injury. The claimant returned to work for two and one-half days, then quit, because of discomfort. She has not looked for other work, but acknowledged that she is able to work and her intent to do so when her claim is finally resolved. She can walk for thirty minutes, but has gained fifty pounds. 2
Authoring Judge: Per Curiam
Originating Judge:Hon. John Turnbull,
Putnam County Workers Compensation Panel 07/24/96
Vickie Winningham v. Masters Health Care Center

01S01-9510-CV-00177
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, Masters Health Care Center, contends (1) that the evidence preponderates against the trial judge's finding that the claimant suffered any permanent partial disability from her injury, and (2) that the evidence preponderates against an award of fifty- five percent to the body as a whole. The panel concludes the judgment of the trial court should be modified as provided herein. The claimant, Vickie Winningham, is thirty-nine years old and a high school graduate. She has experience in a variety of unskilled jobs and has worked for this employer since April of 1989 as a nursing assistant. On October 27, 1991, she strained her back while lifting and turning a patient. She went first to Dr. Lloyd Hassler, who prescribed physical therapy. The claimant was referred by a representative of Crawford and Company to three physicians, Dr. James Talmadge, Dr. Arthur Gernt Bond and Dr. Michael Moore. All three testified at the trial by deposition. All three of them found her to be deconditioned from smoking and being overweight. She is five feet, three inches tall and weighs approximately two hundred fifty pounds. Dr. Talmadge diagnosed mild low back strain, symptom magnification and incontinence. Only the back sprain was, according to his testimony, causally related to the injury at work. He estimated her permanent impairment from the injury at none. Dr. Bond's diagnosis was essentially the same, except that he diagnosed degenerative changes unrelated to the injury at work. He agreed that the claimant is not permanently impaired as a result of any work related injury. Dr. Moore diagnosed mechanical low back syndrome and symptom magnification. He assessed her permanent impairment at seven percent to the whole body using the third edition of American Medical Association guidelines and at five percent using the fourth edition, from her injury. The claimant returned to work for two and one-half days, then quit, because of discomfort. She has not looked for other work, but acknowledged that she is able to work and her intent to do so when her claim is finally resolved. She can walk for thirty minutes, but has gained fifty pounds. 2
Authoring Judge: Per Curiam
Originating Judge:Hon. John Turnbull,
Putnam County Workers Compensation Panel 07/24/96
Thomas E. Roddy v. Beaman Bottling Company

01S01-9511-CH-00194
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special 1 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. Defendant, Beaman Bottling Company of Nashville, had appealed from the action of the trial court in awarding plaintiff, Thomas E. Roddy, 33% permanent partial disability to the body as a whole. On November 12, 1992, plaintiff was injured during the course and scope of his employment with the defendant. After having surgery for a rotator cuff injury, he returned to work on about August 1, 1993, at a wage equal to or greater than that he was receiving prior to his injury. In the spring of 1994, defendant company was sold to Pepsico, the parent company for Pepsi-Cola. Plaintiff continued to work for new owner Pepsico until September 9, 1994, when his job classification was eliminated and he was terminated. There is some dispute concerning the medical impairment to the body as a whole. At issue is whether plaintiff sustained a 7% or 11 % impairment to the body as a whole. We conclude that the finding of 11% impairment to the whole body is the proper finding of medical impairment. The primary issue is whether the award of disability is limited to two and a half times the medical impairment rating provided in TENN. CODE ANN. _ 5-6- 241(a)(1) or whether the award may be fixed up to six times the medical impairment rating as provided in TENN. CODE ANN. _ 5-6-241(b). Under subsection (a)(1), an injured employee's recovery is limited to two and a half times the employee's medical impairment rating if the pre-injury employer returns the employee to work at a wage equal to or greater than that received prior to the injury. Subsection (a)(2) provides that the industrial disability award may be reconsidered by the court when the employee is no longer employed by the pre- injury employer, the loss of employment occurs within 4 weeks of the day the employee returned to work, and a new cause of action is filed within one year of the 2
Authoring Judge: Per Curiam
Originating Judge:Hon. Don R. Ash,
Rutherford County Workers Compensation Panel 07/24/96
01A01-9512-CH-00579

01A01-9512-CH-00579

Originating Judge:William B. Cain
Lawrence County Court of Appeals 07/24/96
01A01-9512-CH-00560

01A01-9512-CH-00560

Originating Judge:Henry F. Todd
Lawrence County Court of Appeals 07/24/96