The team at Dodson Parker Behm & Capparella, PC shares updates and thoughts on developments in the law.
“Common Knowledge” Exception Insufficent to Save MedMal Case
In Unitta Sue Newman v. Guardian Healthcare Providers, Inc., the Tennessee Court of Appeals addressed the “common knowledge” exception – an exception to the requirement of expert testimony in certain medical malpractice actions. Spoiler alert: the exception almost never applies… Background The plaintiff in the case is the surviving widow of Billy Joe Newman who was attacked and killed by...
read moreWhen Your Civil Suit Intersects with a Criminal Prosecution
A version of this article originally appeared as the Monthly Spotlight Article in the Tennessee Tort Law Letter. DPBC attorneys Donald Capparella, Tyler Chance Yarbro, and Elizabeth Sitgreaves serve as editors. To learn about subscribing click here. If you are a tort law practitioner, then it is not unusual to have a criminal case pending alongside a tort case you are handling. This...
read moreCourt Rules on Parent Liability for Acts of Adult Son Living at Home
Parents of “boomerang kids” take note: the Tennessee Court of Appeals has noticed that the number of young adults ages 18 to 34 living with their parents climbed to over 32% in 2014. Read on to see what the Court determined in Riggs v. Wright and what this means for your potential liability for their actions. Background Defendant Richard Wright, the adult son of Larry and Marianne...
read moreNew Case Law on the “Sudden Emergency Doctrine”
The recent Tennessee Court of Appeals case Boshears v. Brooks provides practitioners with a good framework for the application of the “Sudden Emergency Doctrine” in negligence actions. Background Plaintiff James Boshears was a passenger in a vehicle driven by his girlfriend, Nicole Penchion, when an automobile driven by Cleave C. Brooks struck his car. Boshears filed suit against...
read moreExtraordinary Cause Found; MedMal Suit May Proceed
The recent Court of Appeals case of Betty Kirby v. Sumner Regional Medical Center offers an example of the rare instance in which “extraordinary cause” will be found to excuse non-compliance with the pre-suit notice requirement in a medical malpractice suit. Background On June 24, 2014, Plaintiff Betty Kirby filed a health care liability lawsuit against Sumner Regional Medical Center. The...
read moreSometimes a slip and fall is really just a slip and fall…
The doctrine of res ipsa loquitur is a rule of evidence intended to assist the plaintiff who has no direct evidence of negligence by providing a way to have circumstantial evidence considered when a plaintiff is trying to proof negligence. The doctrine won’t save a case where there is simply no evidence of negligence, though. Case: Karla J. Dennis, et al. v. Donelson Corporate Centre I,...
read moreInjured Patron Can’t Sue; Membership Agreement Waived Right
An exculpatory clause waives the right to sue. A recent Court of Appeals case shows that it the waiver can be far broader than you may realize. Case Sandra Gibson v. Young Men’s Christian Association of Middle Tennessee Background Plaintiff Sandra Young fell after she tripped on an allegedly uneven or cracked sidewalk just outside the entrance of her local YMCA where she was a member. Ms....
read moreCollateral Source Rule under Attack
This article by Donald Capparella originally appeared in the Tennessee Tort Law Letter. The Court of Appeals recently decided a case that will affect every personal injury case in Tennessee… Background Jean and Fred Dedmon filed a personal injury lawsuit against John T. Cook to recover medical expenses resulting from a car accident between the parties. This dispute arose regarding the...
read moreLegislative Summary: The Long and the Tort of It
Here are a few items of interest to the tort law practitioner stemming from the Tennessee General Assembly’s last session… There are two new laws that relate to healthcare liability actions. One such law (HB0713/SB0889, sponsored by Rep. Wilburn, R-Somerville, and Sen. Kelsey, R-Germantown) limits certain information about a healthcare provider that can be “used” in a healthcare...
read morePremises Liability Case Falls Short
Premises liability cases are often difficult, and the recent case of Mooney v. Genuine Parts Company d/b/a National Automotive Assoc. illustrates This premises liability case arose from a plaintiff’s fall at an auto parts store where she was inquiring about a job opening. Plaintiff Carol Mooney visited the NAPA Auto Part in Alamo, Tennessee, to apply for a job but after determining that the...
read moreStatute of Limitations Bars Subrogation Claim in Car Wreck Case
The Tennessee Court of Appeals case State Farm Mutual Ins. Co. v. Blondin presents a clever (but unsuccessful) attempt to work around a statute of limitations defense. Background This action arises from an automobile accident that occurred on July 7, 2009. State Farm filed an action to recover amounts paid to its insured, Jenny Rone and a passenger in Ms. Rone’s vehicle under the uninsured...
read moreCity Not Liable for Acts of Fleeing Suspect
The recent Tennessee Court of Appeals Holt v. City of Fayetteville examined the application of the public duty doctrine to bar a suit against a public employee. Background Henry Holt, Sr. died in a car accident when his car was struck by a police car driven by an individual – Misty Shelton – who had been placed under arrest by the Fayetteville Police Department. Mr. Holt’s family filed a...
read moreThird Appeal’s the Charm…
The recent Tennessee Court of Appeals case of Bancorpsouth Bank v. 51 Concrete, LLC provides a good analysis of the principles for an award of prejudgment interest but an even better argument for reasonable settlement of claims… Background This was the third appeal in a conversion action arising from the sale of construction equipment, which served as collateral on a loan, to third parties...
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