Opinion ID: 2382912
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: standards of review applicable

Text: Our review is de novo upon the record of the trial court, accompanied by a presumption of correctness of the findings below, unless the preponderance of the evidence is otherwise. T.C.A. Sec. 50-6-225(e)(2) (1991). This standard of review requires this Court to weigh in depth the factual findings and conclusions of the trial court. Humphrey v. David Witherspoon, Inc. 734 S.W.2d 315 (Tenn. 1987). The extent of vocational disability is a question of fact to be determined from all of the evidence, including lay and expert testimony. Worthington v. Modine Mfg. Co., 798 S.W.2d 232, 234 (Tenn. 1990). A medical expert's rating of anatomical disability is one of the relevant factors, but the vocational disability is not restricted to the precise estimate of anatomical disability made by a medical witness. Corcoran v. Foster Auto GMC, Inc., 746 S.W.2d 452, 458 (Tenn. 1988). When the medical testimony is presented by deposition, as it was in this case, this Court is able to make its own independent assessment of the medical proof to determine where the preponderance of the evidence lies. Landers v. Fireman's Fund Ins. Co., 775 S.W.2d 355, 356 (Tenn. 1989); Henson v. City of Lawrenceburg, 851 S.W.2d 809, 812 (Tenn. 1993).