Terry Hambrick v. Vecellio & Grogan, Inc.

This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special W orkers' 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 drove a heavy truck for the defendant's construction firm. When asked to tell the Court "what happened when you got hurt," he replied: Well I was backing up to get loaded and the loader operator picked one, a big old rock up and he went to put it in the bed of the truck and when he did, he started to let it down and the rock just come out all at once. And when it did, it just rattled, you know, just shook the truck around and around. The accident occurred August 4, 1993. He was seen by Dr. Judson McGowan, an orthopedic specialist, on August 1, 1993, complaining of neck and thoracic spine pain. His condition was diagnosed as acute cervical lumbar strain which was treated conservatively over many months involving sophisticated testing procedures and referrals to specialists in other disciplines, some of whom believed the plaintiff had a psychological overlay with magnification of symptoms. Dr. McGowan testified that "this patient is heading toward the road of a chronic pain syndrome," that he had a five to ten percent impairment, and that he was able to return to lighter work. Dr. Stephen Kimbrough, a neurologist, saw the plaintiff on February 9, 1993, for the evaluation of neck and arm pain. He found no nerve involvement and little or no pathology. He believed that the plaintiff had some pain but "felt that it was somewhat exaggerated and there was some overlay to the pain as well." Like Dr. McGowan, he thought the plaintiff was likely a candidate for chronic pain syndrome, and that he exaggerated his symptomatology. He expressed no opinion about impairment, but felt that he could return to work. Dr. Paul Brown, a specialist in internal medicine and cardiology, testified that he had treated the plaintiff for a number of years for various illnesses, one of which was hypertension which he attributed in part to pain, but he declined to reference the hypertension to the accident and expressed no opinion about impairment. 2