Court Reviews Whether Defendants had Notice of a Defective or Dangerous Condition in a Case Involving a Tanning Bed Accident

AVIE ALEANE HARDING ET AL. v. DONOVAN ENTERPRISES, INC. D/B/A CAPTAIN VIDEO & TANNING (Tenn. Ct. App. March 1, 2011)

A patron of a tanning salon and her husband filed this action seeking to recover damages for injuries the patron sustained when the lid of a tanning bed fell on her head as she was attempting to exit the tanning bed. The plaintiffs allege that the owner and operator of the tanning salon acted negligently by failing to properly maintain or inspect the tanning bed she used, which caused the lid of the tanning bed to become too heavy for the patron to lift and safely exit, and by failing to have a way for a patron to call for help from within the tanning room in the event of an emergency. The trial court summarily dismissed the complaint finding, inter alia, the plaintiffs cannot demonstrate essential elements of a prima facie case, specifically that a defective condition existed or that the defendants had actual or constructive notice of any alleged defective or dangerous condition of the premises. We affirm.

Opinion available at:
http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCA/2011/hardinga_030111.pdf