Where the trial court granted summary judgment to defendant store in a premises liability case based on the finding that there was no dangerous condition, but the plaintiff’s appellate brief only addressed the issue of notice, summary judgment for defendant was affirmed.

In Williams v. Dollar General Corporations, LLC, No. E2023-00702-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. Mar. 6, 2024) (memorandum opinion), plaintiff entered a Dollar General store operated by defendant while it was lightly raining. Plaintiff was wearing slides, and the store had a mat at the front and a wet floor sign. Plaintiff’s shoe got caught on the mat and plaintiff fell, injuring herself.

Plaintiff filed this premises liability claim against defendant, and defendant moved for summary judgment on several grounds. In support of its motion for summary judgment, defendant submitted a seven-minute video containing excerpts of security camera footage, as well as a longer, unedited version of the footage. At the motion hearing, the trial court stated that it was unable to view the longer version of the video due to technical issues, and it offered plaintiff the opportunity to play the longer version, which plaintiff declined.

The following graphs demonstrate the resolution of personal injury, wrongful death, and other tort cases in Bradley County, Tennessee during the last six fiscal years ending June 30, 2023.

BirdDog Law shares this information for every county in Tennessee. Click on BirdDog’s County Pages, go to the county of choice, and click on Court Statistics.

Click on the link for more information on the Bradley County court system.

The following graphs demonstrate the resolution of personal injury, wrongful death, and other tort cases in Washington County, Tennessee during the last six fiscal years ending June 30, 2023.

BirdDog Law shares this information for every county in Tennessee. Click on BirdDog’s County Pages, go to the county of choice, and click on Court Statistics.

Click on the link for more information on the Washington County court system.

The following graphs demonstrate the resolution of personal injury, wrongful death, and other tort cases in Blount County, Tennessee during the last six fiscal years ending June 30, 2023.

BirdDog Law shares this information for every county in Tennessee. Click on BirdDog’s County Pages, go to the county of choice, and click on Court Statistics.

Click on the link for more information on the Blount County court system.

The following graphs demonstrate the resolution of personal injury, wrongful death, and other tort cases in Wilson County, Tennessee during the last six fiscal years ending June 30, 2023.

BirdDog Law shares this information for every county in Tennessee. Click on BirdDog’s County Pages, go to the county of choice, and click on Court Statistics.

Click on the link for more information on the Wilson County court system.

Where plaintiffs asserting a tortious interference with a business relationship claim could not show that the defendants intended to cause a breach or termination of the relationship, which had already been breached before defendants’ involvement, or that defendants acted with an improper motive, summary judgment for defendants was affirmed.

In Throckmorton v. Lefkovitz, No. M2022-01124-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. Feb. 29, 2024), plaintiff attorneys had previously represented clients in a property dispute in which clients’ goal was to be awarded the property at issue. Plaintiffs and clients had entered into a contingency fee agreement stating that clients would pay plaintiffs a percentage of the recovery, but recovery was not defined. After clients successfully obtained the property, plaintiff attorneys attempted to recover the percentage in the fee agreement based on a contract for the sale of the land that clients entered into. Clients contested that the amount sought was reasonable, and clients eventually hired defendant attorneys to represent them in the fee dispute.

Defendants advised clients to attempt to settle the dispute, and defendants engaged in settlement discussions with plaintiffs on behalf of clients. Defendants informed plaintiffs that if a settlement was not reached, clients would file for bankruptcy. Clients ultimately did file for bankruptcy, and through the bankruptcy process, plaintiffs and clients settled the fee dispute. Thereafter, plaintiff attorneys filed this case against defendant attorneys for tortious interference with a business relationship. The trial court granted defendants summary judgment, finding that the bankruptcy was a legitimate option, that defendants did not act with improper intent, and that there was no evidence that defendants “acted in self-interest.” Summary judgment was affirmed on appeal.

The following graphs demonstrate the resolution of personal injury, wrongful death, and other tort cases in Sullivan County, Tennessee during the last six fiscal years ending June 30, 2023.

BirdDog Law shares this information for every county in Tennessee. Click on BirdDog’s County Pages, go to the county of choice, and click on Court Statistics.

Click on the link for more information on the Sullivan County court system.

What is the consequence of a refusal to give an examination under oath to your  Tennessee automobile insurance insurer?  Your policy can be rendered void.

The facts.

Ponnapula was in a car wreck with Mr. Wright.  It appears there was not any liability insurance on the vehicle being driven by Mr. Wright.  Mr. Ponnapula made a claim against his own uninsured/underinsured motorist insurer, Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Company.

The following graphs demonstrate the resolution of personal injury, wrongful death, and other tort cases in Montgomery County, Tennessee during the last six fiscal years ending June 30, 2023.

BirdDog Law shares this information for every county in Tennessee. Click on BirdDog’s County Pages, go to the county of choice, and click on Court Statistics.

Click on the link for more information on the Montgomery County court system.

Tennessee court holds that publicly available information triggered the duty to inquire and claim being barred by the statute of limitations.

The Facts

In First Community Bank, N.A. v. First Tennessee Bank, N.A., No. E2022-00954-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. Feb. 13, 2024), plaintiff bank purchased “approximately $135 million in asset-backed securities in the form of 11 notes issued by several collateralized debt obligations and a collateralized mortgage obligation,” including some purchased from defendant. All purchases were completed by 2007. By May 2008, plaintiff knew that the securities had lost significant value. The investment experienced continued losses, defaults, and downgrades in 2008 and 2009. Plaintiff eventually sold the securities, incurring an approximately $100 million loss.

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