Opinions

In Re: Estate of Lois Chandler
E2000-03055-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David Michael Swiney
Trial Court Judge: John F. Weaver
Buster Chandler, Jr. ("Chandler") was appointed administrator of the estate of his mother, Lois Chandler, who died intestate in 1998. Chandler is incarcerated in Kentucky for a murder he committed in 1990. Chandler requested the Chancery Court arrange for his transportation from prison in Kentucky to Knoxville, Tennessee, so he could be present for the hearing regarding the closing of his mother's estate and so he could meet with the Knox County Attorney General regarding his murder conviction in Kentucky. Chandler argued that the Attorney General wanted to try him for the murder in Knoxville and would assist in obtaining a pardon from the governor of Kentucky. The Chancery Court denied his request, closed his mother's estate, and assessed court costs against Chandler as administrator. Chandler appeals. We affirm the Chancery Court.

Blake Burton, et al vs. Hardwood Pallets, Inc., et al
E2001-00547-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Samuel H. Payne
This appeal involves a dispute between the sellers of a business and the bank that financed a portion of the purchase price. The plaintiffs, Blake Burton and Michael Burton, entered into an agreement with the defendant, Hardwood Pallets, Inc., to sell the Burtons' pallet manufacturing business. As partial consideration for the sale, Hardwood Pallets executed an unsecured promissory note to the Burtons in the amount of $1,000,000. Additional consideration for the sale was obtained by way of an $800,000 loan from the defendant, AmSouth Bank, to Hardwood Pallets; as a part of the bank transaction, Hardwood Pallets pledged its assets as collateral. As a condition to the making of the loan, AmSouth required the Burtons to execute a subordination agreement. When Hardwood Pallets defaulted on the bank loan, AmSouth sold the collateral at a private sale. Litigation ensued. In addition to suing Hardwood Pallets and its shareholders, the Burtons sued AmSouth, alleging procurement of breach of contract and civil conspiracy to defraud. AmSouth filed a counterclaim, alleging that the Burtons breached the subordination agreement. It also filed a motion for summary judgment, asserting that it acted within its rights under the subordination agreement. The trial court entered a judgment in favor of AmSouth pursuant to Tenn. R. Civ. P. 54.02. We affirm.

Phillip Ledford vs. Bradley Memorial Hospital
E2001-00291-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Lawrence H. Puckett
The plaintiffs, Phillip A. Ledford ("Ledford") and his wife, Elizabeth Ledford, filed suit against the defendants, Daniel V. Johnson, M.D., Bradley Memorial Hospital ("the Hospital"), and Southeast Tennessee Orthopedics, Inc. ("Southeast"), alleging medical malpractice arising out of surgery performed by Dr. Johnson on Ledford's broken arm. The trial court granted the defendants summary judgment. We affirm.

Tennessee Farmers Mutual Ins. Co. vs. SA W. Jeong
E2001-00246-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Lawrence H. Puckett
Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Company ("Tennessee Farmers") brought a declaratory judgment action against Sa W. Jeong ("the injured party"); her daughter, Hyunlan Lee; and her son-in-law, Jack Sung K. Lee (the defendants Lee are referred to herein collectively as "the Lees"), asking the trial court to "declare whether or not Tennessee Farmers is obligated to afford liability coverage to [the Lees] in connection with the lawsuit filed against them by [the injured party]." At the conclusion of a bench trial, the trial judge ruled in favor of the defendants, finding that the word "reside" and its derivatives "resident" and "residing," particularly as the latter two words are used in the policy language excluding coverage of a claim by a "covered person" or one "residing in the same household," are ambiguous, and that the language of the policy should be construed against Tennessee Farmers as the drafter of the policy. The court ordered Tennessee Farmers to provide liability coverage to the Lees with respect to the subject lawsuit. Tennessee Farmers appeals, raising issues as to whether the trial court correctly ruled that the policy is ambiguous, and whether the trial court was correct in finding that the word "resident" was susceptible to a reasonable meaning that would exclude the injured party from the ambit of the subject exclusionary language in the policy. We find that the subject policy provision is not ambiguous; however, we conclude that the injured party was not "residing in [the Lees'] household" as that language has been construed by applicable case law. Accordingly, we affirm.

Wanda Steinbrunner vs. Tuner Funeral Home, Inc., et al
E2001-00014-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Jacqueline E. Schulten
Six years after her husband died, Wanda J. Steinbrunner sued the Chattanooga funeral home that handled his burial and the medical examiner that performed his autopsy. She made various claims based upon theories of negligence, gross negligence, and outrageous conduct. The trial court granted the funeral home and the medical examiner summary judgment. Steinbrunner appeals, challenging the grant of summary judgment. We affirm.

Roberts vs. Everhart Steel Const. Co. Inc.
E2001-00187-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Trial Court Judge: Samuel H. Payne
In this action for damages for personal injuries allegedly caused by defendant's negligence, a jury awarded damages. On appeal, we conclusively presume the Judgment is correct, because we cannot review all of the evidence heard by the jury.

Patrick Reinshagen vs. PHP Companies, Inc.
E2001-00025-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Trial Court Judge: W. Frank Brown, III
In this action for breach of employment contract and defamation, the Trial Court granted summary judgment to defendants. Plaintiff appealed. We affirm.

Sherry Lee Lightfoot v. Tommy Edwin Lightfoot
E2001-106-COA-R3-CV
Trial Court Judge: L. Marie Williams

Arthur Anderson vs. Edwin Roberson
W2000-01879-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Trial Court Judge: George H. Brown
This appeal presents the sole issue of in personam jurisdiction of a nonresident corporation and the nonresident individual owning a majority interest in the corporation by virtue of their activities, as described in the Tennessee Long Arm statute, or alternatively, as co-conspirators with defendants, subject to the jurisdiction of the court.

Dorothy Owen vs. George Summers
W2001-00727-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Trial Court Judge: Dewey C. Whitenton
This is an action to set aside a warranty deed. Plaintiff-Grantor filed suit on February 11, 1997, to set aside a deed executed July 11, 1989, on the grounds of fraud and mental incompetency. The defendant grantee denied fraud and mental incompetency and affirmatively relied upon the seven-year statute of limitations. Following a jury trial, which ended in a mistrial, the parties stipulated that the case be submitted to the chancellor who conducted the trial for a nonjury determination from the trial transcript and trial exhibits. The chancellor found that the seven-year statute of limitations had been tolled by virtue of the grantor's mental incompetence, the deed was procured by fraud, and that the grantor was mentally incompetent on the date of the execution of the deed. The chancellor rescinded the deed. Defendant-Grantee has appealed. We affirm.

Judy Burroughs vs. Robert Magee
W2001-00238-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Holly M. Kirby
Trial Court Judge: Joseph H. Walker, III
This is a personal injury and wrongful death case. The plaintiff and her husband were involved in an automobile accident. The plaintiff sued the driver of the other vehicle for her husband's wrongful death as well as for injuries she sustained in the accident. The plaintiff named the driver's physician as an additional tortfeasor, alleging that the physician negligently prescribed drugs to a known drug addict, negligently prescribed two contraindicated drugs, and negligently failed to warn his patient of the risks of driving while under the influence of the drugs. The trial court granted the physician's motion for summary judgment on the grounds that the physician had no duty to unidentifiable third parties such as the plaintiff. We affirm in part and reverse in part, finding that the physician owed a duty to the plaintiff and the decedent to warn his patient of the risks of driving while under the influence of the prescribed drugs.

Michael Cheslock vs. Bd. of Admin., etc .
W2001-00179-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Trial Court Judge: Floyd Peete, Jr.
On December 14, 1995, Memphis Police Lieutenant Michael Cheslock appeared before the Pension Board of Memphis, Tennessee, to request a line of duty disability pension as provided by the Memphis Code of Ordinances, Section 25-1(27). Mr. Cheslock had been diagnosed by two psychiatrists as disabled by job related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Pension Board refused the line of disability pension, determining that Mr. Cheslock did not meet the requirements as defined by the code. Mr. Cheslock filed a petition for writ of certiorari in the Chancery Court of Shelby County. The petition was denied and this appeal followed. We affirm.

State of Tennessee v. Robert Blanton, Jr. - Order
M2000-01899-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams

The defendant, Robert Blanton, Jr., was indicted by the Montgomery County Grand Jury on June 6, 1995, on one count of sale of marijuana and one count of delivery of marijuana, both Class E felonies. The defendant pled guilty to the indictment, and the trial court sentenced the defendant to probation. An affidavit of violation of probation was filed on April 17, 1996, and amended on September 6, 1996.

State of Tennessee v. Eddie McNabb
M2000-01490-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry L. Smith
Trial Court Judge: Judge Thomas W. Graham

The defendant appeals from his maximum sentence of six (6) years for voluntary manslaughter and the trial court's imposition of consecutive sentences. After review, we hold that the trial court properly sentenced the defendant to six (6) years for the voluntary manslaughter conviction and correctly ordered the defendant's convictions for voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault be served consecutive to one another. Therefore, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

State of Tennessee v. Marcia Lynn Williams
M2000-02593-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Trial Court Judge: Judge W. Charles Lee

The appellant, Marcia Lynn Williams, entered a best interest guilty plea in the Circuit Court of Marshall County to one count of obtaining drugs by false pretense, a class D felony. Following a sentencing hearing, the trial court imposed a sentence of three years incarceration in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, the appellant argues that the trial court erred by denying the appellant a sentence in the community corrections program. After a review of the record and the parties' briefs, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

G. Kline Preston vs. Garrett Realty Service, Inc.
M2000-02350-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Trial Court Judge: Walter C. Kurtz
Davidson County -This matter comes to us on appeal from summary judgment granted due to Tennessee's lack of personal jurisdiction over Defendant. Plaintiff attempted to rent a condominium in Florida and sued Defendant in Tennessee for breach of contract after Defendant discovered a mistake in the quoted price and refused to rent the condo to Plaintiff for the quoted price. The circuit court determined that Tennessee had no personal jurisdiction over Defendant and dismissed the case. We affirm.

Tarrance Robinson vs. Neil Clement, et al
M2001-00365-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge William C. Koch, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Ellen Hobbs Lyle
This appeal involves a state prisoner housed at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution who was disciplined for possessing a deadly weapon. After exhausting his internal appeals, the prisoner filed a common-law writ of certiorari in the Chancery Court for Davidson County, alleging that the disciplinary proceedings had violated his due process rights. The trial court granted the State's motion to dismiss the petition. On this pro se appeal, the prisoner asserts that the trial court erred by dismissing his petition. We have determined that the prisoner's petition does not state a claim upon which relief can be granted and, therefore, affirm the trial court.

United States Pipe & Foundry Company v. Steven L. Camp
E2000-01198-WC-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Thayer, Sp. J.
Trial Court Judge: L. Marie Williams, Circuit Judge
The trial court found the employee had sustained a temporary injury to his back and awarded medical benefits to treat his symptoms. On appeal the employee insists his injury was of a permanent nature. Judgment of the trial court is affirmed.

Of The Evidence Is Otherwise. T
E1997-00276-WC-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: John K. Byers, Sr. J.
Trial Court Judge: Billy J. White, Chancellor
The trial court found the plaintiff sustained a 4 percent vocational disability to the body as a whole as a result of exposure to formaldehyde which caused permanent respiratory injury. The trial judge found the plaintiff failed to show by a preponderance of the evidence that he sustained any psychiatric injury as a result of the accident. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Ronald Scott Revis v. Roane County, Tennessee,
E2000-01709-WC-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Thayer, Sp. J.
Trial Court Judge: Russell E. Simmons, Jr., Circuit Judge
The trial court dismissed the complaint finding the injury did not arise out of and in the course of employment. On appeal it was determined the injury arose out of employment but did not occur in the course of employment. Judgment of the trial court is affirmed.

Ryder Driver Leasing, Inc. v. Wilson
E2000-00905-WC-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: John K. Byers, Sr. J.
Trial Court Judge: Dale Workman, Circuit Court Judge
The trial court found the plaintiff had a compensable psychiatric injury. We affirm the findings of the trial court.

James Fristoe v. Citizens Utilities Company,
M2000-01736-WC-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: James L. Weatherford, Sr.J.,
Trial Court Judge: John A. Turnbull, Judge
The defendants appeal the judgment of the trial court awarding the employee, a telephone lineman, 95% vocational disability for injuries he sustained falling off a telephone pole. The defendants assert that the trial court erred in determining Mr. Fristoe's vocational disability rating by failing to give appropriate consideration to the findings of the treating physician in this case. For the reasons set out in this opinion, We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

James Moody vs. William Lea
W2000-02916-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Trial Court Judge: R. Lee Moore Jr.
This appeal involves a dispute over an oral contract to lease farming equipment. The agreement provided that the defendant could use the plaintiff's farming equipment for an amount to be determined by a formula. The defendant began farming his land, intending to plant cotton, when the Mississippi River rose and the backwater covered his property. Because the backwater remained on the land for such a long period of time, the defendant could no longer grow cotton; he had to grow soybeans instead. Subsequently, the defendant refused to pay the plaintiff the amount the plaintiff claimed under the contract, and the plaintiff sued. The trial court held that the contract was enforceable and that the defendant's performance was not excused by the doctrine of frustration of commercial purpose. The defendant appeals the ruling of the trial court. For the reasons below, we affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand the case to the trial court to modify the judgment.

Carrie Marsh vs. Christopher Sensabaugh
W2001-00016-COA-R3-JV
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Trial Court Judge: J. Roland Reid
This is a child custody case involving the child's natural father and a third-party, the maternal aunt. The trial court held in favor of the maternal aunt, upon a determination the father was an unfit parent. The court based its decision on the father's previous charge of contempt for failure to pay child support, previous visitation practices, and lack of knowledge regarding the child's educational status, such as her teachers, grades and attendance at parent-teacher conferences. Father appeals the trial court's decision. For the reasons below, we affirm the ruling of the trial court.

Philip Owens vs Bristol Motor Speedway, Inc.
E2000-02667-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Richard E. Ladd
In this putative class action suit, the plaintiff, Philip Owens, alleges that the defendant, Bristol Motor Speedway, Inc. ("Bristol Speedway"), engaged in a conspiracy to fix the prices of souvenirs sold at its racetrack. The trial court denied certification of the alleged class and granted Bristol Speedway's motion for summary judgment as to the plaintiff's individual claims. We affirm.