Case Title: Flowers v. South Central Bell Telephone Co.

Citation: 672 S.W.2d 769

Docket Number: 

State: tennessee

Court: Tennessee Supreme Court

Date: 1984-06-25T00:00:00Z

Document:
672 S.W.2d 769 (1984) James B. FLOWERS, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. SOUTH CENTRAL BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY, Defendant-Appellant. Supreme Court of Tennessee, at Jackson. June 25, 1984. *770 Edwin E. Wallis, Jr., Jackson, for defendant-appellant. George L. Morrison, Jackson, for plaintiff-appellee. BROCK, Justice. The trial court granted to the employee in this case worker's compensation benefits for permanent total disability which he found to have resulted from a heart attack arising out of and in the course of the plaintiff's employment. The defendant appealed, asserting that the decree of the trial court is without support in the evidence. We find in the record material evidence to support the finding of the trial court that the plaintiff's heart attack and resulting disability arose out of and in the course of his employment; accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the trial court. It is a settled rule of decision in this jurisdiction that an employee's death or disability which results from a heart attack that is causally related to his employment is compensable under the worker's compensation act as arising out of and in the course of his employment, although prior to the attack, he suffered from arteriosclerotic heart disease and although the attack was produced by only ordinary exertion and usual strain of the employee's work. Ward v. Commercial Insurance Company, 213 Tenn. 100, 372 S.W.2d 292 (1963); Coleman v. Coker, 204 Tenn. 310, 312-313, 321 S.W.2d 540, 541 (1959); Nashville Pure Milk Company v. Rychen, 204 Tenn. 575, 579, 322 S.W.2d 432, 434-435 (1958); Patterson Transfer Co. v. Lewis, 195 Tenn. 474, 478, 260 S.W.2d 182, 184 (1953). Moreover, it is equally well established that an employer takes the employee as he finds him, that is, with his defects and pre-existing afflictions. Coleman v. Coker, supra. In Swift & Co. v. Howard, 186 Tenn. 584, 212 S.W.2d 388, 391 (1948) this Court said, in part: Thus, in each case of this type it is a question of fact which must be resolved by the trial court whether or not there actually was a causal connection between a heart attack and the employment. The plaintiff suffered a heart attack on January 5, 1982. He had worked for the defendant, South Central Bell, for 36 years and in 1974 had sustained a heart attack while working for the defendant which was classified as arising out of and in the course of his employment and for which he received compensation. Five and one-half months after the first heart attack the plaintiff returned to work and continued to perform his duties as a coin telephone repairman and installer. On January 5, 1982, the plaintiff went to work at 8:00 a.m. and while carrying a telephone weighing approximately 45 lbs. began to suffer chest pains. At that time he was also carrying tools which weighed approximately 5 lbs. He continued to perform his tasks although the pain persisted. About 2:30 p.m. the pain became rather severe while he was working on a telephone at the Americana Motel in Jackson, Tennessee. He explained the nature of his work at that point as follows: While working on this telephone at the Americana Motel the plaintiff's pain became so severe that he quit his tasks and went to a nearby restaurant to obtain a cup of coffee and to rest. At about 2:30 p.m. the plaintiff left the restaurant and went to a nearby hospital, the Jackson Clinic, where he was admitted with a diagnosis of having a heart attack. Two weeks later, on January 18, 1982, the plaintiff underwent a triple bypass heart artery surgery procedure. Regarding his duties on the day of this heart attack, the plaintiff further testified: Dr. Wayne Wolfe, a specialist in internal medicine, who saw and treated the plaintiff on this occasion testified, in part, that: When asked whether or not the activities of Mr. Flowers on the day of the instant heart attack aggravated or could have accelerated his heart attack, Dr. Wolfe testified: At another point Dr. Wolfe was asked a hypothetical question and he responded as follows: *772 We conclude that the testimony of plaintiff Flowers and the testimony of Dr. Wolfe, some of which is outlined above, furnished material evidence, when considered with the above discussed authorities, for the conclusion of the trial court that the plaintiff's heart attack and resulting disability arose out of and in the course of his employment. The defendant also argues that the trial court erred in decreeing that the benefits awarded in this case be commuted to one lump sum, as provided by T.C.A., § 50-6-229. We have dealt with this issue at some length in our recent decisions in Fowler v. Consolidated Aluminum Corp., Tenn., 665 S.W.2d 713 (1984); Mitchell v. Exxon Corp., Tenn., 665 S.W.2d 705 (1984); Smith v. Gallatin Nursing Home, Tenn., 629 S.W.2d 683 (1982); Kelley v. 3-M Co., Tenn., 639 S.W.2d 437 (1982). In the Fowler case we noted: In his written findings of fact and conclusions of law in the instant case the Chancellor, in part, stated: Testimony in the record, accredited by the trial judge, supports these findings. Accordingly, we find no error in the commutation of the award in this case to a lump sum. Here, as in the Smith, Kelley and Mitchell cases, supra, the plaintiff has shown that a special need exists for his receiving the compensation award in a lump sum and that it is, therefore, in his best interests that that be done. Finally, we find no merit in the employee's position that the appeal in this case should be classified as a frivolous one under T.C.A., § 27-1-122, and that damages be awarded accordingly. Although we affirm the judgment of the trial court, we are not persuaded that the appeal in this case should be classified as frivolous. The decree of the Chancellor is affirmed and costs are taxed against the appellant and surety. COOPER, C.J., FONES and HARBISON, JJ., and TATUM, Special Justice, concur.