Where plaintiff presented a statement of undisputed material facts that called into question the check cashing policies of defendant, but that statement of facts was ignored by the trial court in granting summary judgment for defendant, summary judgment was reversed. In Great American Insurance Company v. Pilot Travel Centers, LLC,…
When a person allegedly liable for the injury of a claimant “offers the limits of all liability insurance policies available to the party,” the Uninsured Motorist (UIM) statute provides an avenue through which the claimant may accept the offer but also “preserve the right to seek additional compensation from his…
Tennessee’s Governor has issued Executive Order 26, which permits the remote notarization and witnessing of documents. The Executive Order outlines the procedure that must be followed for the remote notarization to be effective. The Order is effective today but expires on May 18, 2020.
Under what circumstances can a product manufacturer be hauled into state court to defend a products liability claim when the injury occurred in that state ? Or, as put by Ford Motor Company in Ford Motor Company v. Montana Eighth Judicial District Court: Whether the “arise out of or relate…
With COVID-19, courts in Tennessee are encouraging rapid adoption of remote video depositions while in-person proceedings are limited. Remote video depositions provide the opportunity for all litigants and litigators who want the case to progress to its ultimate resolution. Brandon Bass, an experienced trial lawyer and shareholder in our firm,…
We have seen several wrongful death lawsuits filed the the families of deceased employees, claiming that the employers negligently caused the death of the decedents by, for example, “knowing” about the decedent’s COVID-19 symptoms and disregarding them. Here is an example on one such lawsuit in Illinois. The Illinois lawsuit…
Where a trial court did not explain the legal basis for its ruling that a deputy sheriff was immune from a defamation suit under the GTLA, the Court of Appeals vacated the judgment. In Taylor v. Harsh, No. M2019-01129-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. Feb. 21, 2020), plaintiff filed suit against defendant,…
Sometimes, a voluntary dismissal under Rule 41 of the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure is required and appropriate but the plaintiff wishes to re-file the case within the time permitted by the “savings statute” (Tenn. Code Ann. Sec. 28-1-105). What do you allege to avoid the risk of the defendant…
The Tennessee Supreme Court has extended the deadlines for filing suit (both statutes of limitations and statutes of repose) because of the coronavirus and Covid-19. By Court Order filed March 25, 2020, the Court said this: Statutes of limitations and statutes of repose that would otherwise expire during the period…
Where a plaintiff knew how to properly serve a defendant yet chose to delay service of process until after the statute of limitations on his claims had run, summary judgment for defendant was affirmed. In Fuller v. Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, No. E2018-02267-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. Feb.…