Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Court reviews whether a collision occurred between the Plaintiff and a tractor-trailer

SHERRY HUTSON v. SAFE STAR TRUCKING ET AL. (Tenn. Ct. App. October 31, 2012)

In this case, Sherry Hutson filed a complaint in which she alleged her vehicle was struck by a tractor-trailer (“the tractor”) that left the scene of the accident. She seeks to recover under the uninsured motorist (“UM”) provisions of a policy providing coverage to the vehicle she was driving. The jury found that no “actual physical contact ha[d] occurred between” the plaintiff’s vehicle and the vehicle that left the scene. She appeals. We affirm.

Opinion available at:
https://www.tba.org/sites/default/files/hutsons_103112.pdf

Monday, October 29, 2012

Court reviews whether a municipality's 911 operator negligently failed to summon emergency personnel from a neighboring county

LORI GREGORY, IN HER CAPACITY AS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF JAMES BALLENTINE v. METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY (Tenn. Ct. App. October 29, 2012)

This is a negligence claim under Tennessee’s Governmental Tort Liability Act. The decedent was involved in a serious vehicular accident. A witness called the defendant municipality’s 911 emergency communications center for help. The 911 responders went to the accident scene and transported the decedent to a local hospital, where he died.

The decedent’s mother filed this lawsuit against the municipality, alleging that the 911 operator was negligent in failing to summon emergency personnel from a neighboring county, because those responders were closer to the scene of the accident and could have provided aid to the decedent sooner. The municipality filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings, arguing inter alia that it owed no duty to summon aid outside of its jurisdiction. The trial court granted the motion, and the plaintiff now appeals. We affirm.

Opinion available at:
https://www.tba.org/sites/default/files/gregoryl_102912.pdf

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

TWCA reviews whether the reconsideration of a settlement was barred by the statute of limitations

JOHN FREEMAN v. GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY ET AL. (TWCA October 22, 2012)

The employee sought reconsideration of workers’ compensation settlements concerning a back injury in 2003 and a right knee injury in 2006. The trial court granted the petition and increased the previous permanent partial disability awards to 30% to the body as a whole for the back injury and 100% to the leg for the knee injury.

The employer has appealed, contending that reconsideration of the back injury was barred by the statute of limitations, that the awards for both injuries were excessive, that the trial court incorrectly awarded benefits in excess of six times the anatomical impairment for the knee injury, and that the trial court erred by awarding benefits in a lump sum.

The employee contends that the trial court erred by failing to award permanent total disability benefits. We conclude that the employee’s petition for reconsideration of the settlement of his back injury was not timely filed and reverse that part of the judgment. We affirm the judgment in all other respects.

Opinion available at:
https://www.tba.org/sites/default/files/freemanj_102212.pdf

Court reviews whether a nurse assistant abused an elderly person in his care at a nursing home.

DANIEL A. RILEY, C.N.A. v. JOHN DREYZEHNER, M.D., M.P.H., IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS COMMISSIONER OF THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (Tenn. Ct. App. October 22, 2012)

Appellant nurse assistant’s name was placed on the Abuse Registry after the Appellee Tennessee Department of Health concluded that he had committed an act of abuse on an elderly person in his care at a nursing home. Appellant appeals, arguing that substantial and material evidence does not exist to show that he committed an act of abuse on the nursing home resident. Having determined that substantial and material evidence in the record supports the decision of the Tennessee Department of Health, we affirm.

Opinion available at:
https://www.tba.org/sites/default/files/rileyd_102212.pdf

Court reviews whether an auto insurance policy covers damages resulting from a car owner's independent acts of negligence in a case involving a car accident

STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY ET AL. v. SOUTHERN TRUST INSURANCE COMPANY (Tenn. Ct. App. October 24, 2012)

This is a dispute between insurance companies over coverage related to a car accident. We conclude that the trial court erred in finding that the driver’s auto policy covered damages resulting from the independent acts of negligence of the car owner.

Opinion available at:
https://www.tba.org/sites/default/files/statefarm_102412.pdf