The Tennessee Court of Appeals reversed a grant of summary judgment in negligence case where plaintiff testified that she was paying attention and evidence presented did not depict scene from plaintiff’s perspective. In Walden v. Central Parking System of Tennessee, Inc., No. E2014-00939-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. April 27, 2015), plaintiff sued…
Day on Torts
Tennessee HCLA Case Dismissed for Non-Compliant HIPAA Form.
As HCLA cases continue to make their way through the court system, we are learning more about what will constitute substantial compliance with the pre-suit notice content requirements. In the recent case of Harmon v. Shore, No. M2014-01339-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. April 23, 2015), the Court of Appeals reaffirmed what…
Understanding the Discretionary Function Exception to the Tennessee GTLA
In a recent case that fell under the Governmental Tort Liability Act (GTLA), the Tennessee Court of Appeals addressed the discretionary function exception to the GTLA as well as the findings a trial court must make to support a summary judgment decision. In Lewis v. Shelby County, No. W2014-00408-COA-R3-CV (Tenn.…
GTLA Complaint Survives Motion to Dismiss
In Holder v. Shelby County, No. W2014-01910-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. April 21, 2015), a father sued the county for acts of negligence by a county employee that he alleged caused the death of his son. The son was involved in a car accident and subsequently arrested. Upon evaluation, the son…
Real Estate Statute of Repose Wipes Out Fire Loss Case
In Hayes v. Coopertown’s Mastersweep, Inc., No. W2014-00783-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. April 17, 2015), plaintiffs brought a negligence claim based on the alleged negligent inspection of their fireplace. Two issues were addressed on appeal—whether defendant owed a duty of care to plaintiffs and whether this case fell under the four-year…
Signing an “As Is” Agreement Negates Reliance on Alleged Misrepresentation
Justifiable reliance is one of four elements a plaintiff must prove in a negligent misrepresentation case. In the recent case of Pritchett v. Comas Montgomery Realty & Auction Co., Inc., No. M2014-00583-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. April 15, 2015), the Court of Appeals held that a plaintiff who signed an agreement…
Is Plaintiff’s Fault Percentage Applied Before or After Tort Reform Damage Cap?
The Court of Appeals recently released an extensive opinion in a Tennessee car accident case, full of issues regarding evidence and trial questions. Three of the findings in this opinion are critical for tort lawyers to familiarize themselves with: (1) that where there is evidence that a plaintiff could not…
Tort Cases Pending Before the Tennessee Supreme Court
The Tennessee Supreme Court is currently reviewing the twelve cases of interest to Tennessee personal injury and wrongful death lawyers. Click on the “continue reading”link to see the full list. 1. Action Chiropractic Clinic, LLC v. Prentice Delon Hyler & Erie Ins. Exchange. The case was argued on February 5,…
Email Blasts and Personal Jurisdiction
At what point do email blasts from one state into another allow a defendant to be sued in the state where the emails were sent (and where the plaintiff resides)? Plaintiff lived in Illinois and was injured at a ski resort in Wisconsin. He sued the resort in Illinois and…
Tennessee Wrongful Death Law – Rights of Spouse Who Is Not in Household
In 2011, a subsection was added to our state statutes regarding surviving spouses’ rights to institute and collect proceeds from Tennessee wrongful death actions: Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the right to institute and the right to collect any proceeds from a wrongful death action granted by this section to…