Court Reviews a Wrongful Death Case, and Issues Regarding Immunity, Against the Memphis Housing Authority

CHERYL BROWN GIGGERS, ET AL. v. MEMPHIS HOUSING AUTHORITY, ET AL. (Tenn. Ct. App. December 14, 2010)

This is the second appeal of this wrongful death action, arising from a fatal shooting of a tenant at a Memphis public housing property. This Court granted Appellant, Memphis Housing Authority's, Tenn. R. App. P. 9 interlocutory appeal to address the trial court's denial of summary judgment in favor of the Appellant.

Finding that Appellees' "failure to evict" claim is preempted by 47 U.S.C. section 1437, and that Appellant retains its sovereign immunity under the discretionary function exception to the Tennessee Governmental Tort Liability Act, we reverse and remand for entry of summary judgment in favor of Appellant. Reversed and remanded.

Opinion available at:
http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCA/2010/giggersc_121410.pdf