Opinion ID: 1058040
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Did the trial court err in finding 95% vocational disability?

Text: The trial court awarded the plaintiff 95% permanent partial disability. However, the plaintiff argues that the evidence preponderates in favor of a finding of total disability. Any award of permanent total disability must be in compliance with the statutory definition of total disability contained in Tennessee Code Annotated section 50-6-207(4) (2005). The test as to whether an employee is permanently and totally disabled requires us to determine if the employee is totally incapacitate[d]... from working at an occupation that brings the employee an income.... Tenn.Code Ann. § 50-6-207(4)(B) (2005); see also Cleek v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 19 S.W.3d 770, 774 (Tenn.2000). The determination of permanent total disability is to be based on a variety of factors such that a complete picture of an individual's ability to return to gainful employment is presented to the Court. Vinson v. United Parcel Service, 92 S.W.3d 380, 386 (Tenn.2002); Cleek, 19 S.W.3d at 774. Such factors include the employee's skills, training, education, age, job opportunities in the immediate and surrounding communities, and the availability of work suited for an individual with that particular disability. Cleek, 19 S.W.3d at 774 (citing Roberson v. Loretto Casket Co., 722 S.W.2d 380, 384 (Tenn.1986)). Though this assessment is most often made and presented at trial by a vocational expert, it is well settled that despite the existence or absence of expert testimony, an employee's own assessment of his or her overall physical condition, including the ability or inability to return to gainful employment, is `competent testimony that should be considered.' Vinson, 92 S.W.3d at 386 (quoting Cleek, 19 S.W.3d at 774). In support of her argument that the trial court should have found permanent total disability, the plaintiff highlights the fact that both Dr. Wood and Dr. Boals assigned relatively high anatomical impairment ratings to the body as a whole: 40% and 61% respectively. Additionally, she testified at trial that prior to the accident she was in good health, but that following the accident, she has limited driving ability, difficulty lifting small amounts of weight, and trouble sitting or standing for long periods of time. She said that her husband must do the household chores because she is unable to do them. The nursing home responds that the trial court's award of 95% should be affirmed in light of the vocational testimony. Dr. Wood opined that the plaintiff should be able to work in the future at a sedentary job that allowed her the flexibility to move around during the day. Dr. Boals did not disagree. Ms. Bramlett, the rehabilitation counselor, testified that the plaintiff was between 77% and 95% vocationally disabled. Finally, the plaintiff testified that she did graduate from high school after the accident and is at least capable of babysitting her brother's two children. Considering all the evidence presented at trial, both by the experts and by the plaintiff herself, we hold that the evidence does not preponderate against the trial court's finding of 95% permanent partial disability.