Where plaintiff did not serve defendants until 89 days after summonses were issued, but defendants failed to present evidence that the delay was intentional, the Court of Appeals reversed dismissal of the case. In Eskridge v. NHC Healthcare Farragut, LLC, No. E2019-01671-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. Aug. 6, 2020), plaintiff filed…
Day on Torts
Amendments to the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure
The Legislature has approved the following changes to the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure: Click to access order_adopting_rules_amendments_to_adm2019-01444_eff_07-01-2020.pdf
Decision Upholding the Right to Take Depositions by the Use of Remote Video
Here is an excellent decision supporting the right of a party to take depositions by remote video despite an objection raised by the opposing party. The court’s order references many of the issues that arise during remote video depositions and thus is a great resource for lawyers who are unfamiliar…
Sample Remote Deposition Protocol
Here is a sample of a protocol for remote depositions from the SDNY. Click to access RWL%20Lehrburger%20Sample%20Remote%20Deposition%20Protocol.pdf
Large jury award affirmed in negligence case against Kroger
Where plaintiff fell and broke her hip in a grocery store due to her shopping cart missing a wheel, yet she mostly recovered from the injury, a jury verdict of approximately $90,000 in medical expenses and the maximum allowable amount of $750,000 in noneconomic damages was affirmed. In Wortham v.…
Chairs stacked on top of table not a dangerous condition
Where a middle school student was injured when he tripped on his backpack strap, beginning a chain of events that knocked down a chair that was stacked on top of a table and injured his hand, summary judgment was affirmed based the lack of a dangerous condition and the injury…
No duty to remove snow from parking lot while snow is still falling.
Where plaintiff slipped on ice in a hotel parking lot during a snowstorm, summary judgment for defendant hotel was affirmed. In Chittenden v. BRE/LQ Properties, LLC, No. M2019-01990-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. July 15, 2020), plaintiff checked into defendant hotel during a snowfall that had already produced two inches of snow…
No damages to plaintiff despite fault of defendant in car accident affirmed.
Where defendant admitted liability for a car accident but denied that the accident caused plaintiff’s alleged injuries, a jury verdict for defendant was affirmed where there was material evidence showing that the accident was minor, evidence showed plaintiff had a history of back and/or neck pain, and plaintiff’s expert witness…
Dismissal of libel and false light invasion of privacy claims affirmed.
Dismissal of claims of defamation and false light invasion of privacy by the former CEO of a credit union was affirmed where the email she cited “was not capable of conveying a defamatory meaning” and could not “be considered highly offensive to a reasonable person;” the statement she cited…
Expert proof needed on standard of care in legal malpractice case.
Where defendant attorneys presented expert proof consisting of their own affidavits and the affidavit of another attorney stating that they complied with the applicable standard of care in their previous representation of plaintiff, the testimony of plaintiff and another witness, neither of whom were attorneys, was not enough to defeat…