The Center for Constitutional Litigation has an interesting post about efforts by out-of-state defendants to remove cases from state court to federal court before in-state defendants are served.
Day on Torts
Tennessee Requires Formal Notice Before Each Medical Malpractice Filing
The issue of whether a Tennessee plaintiff who nonsuits his or her first medical malpractice (now heatlh care liability) complaint must give a second notice before re-filing is a closed matter given the recent ruling in Foster v. Chiles. In the recent case of Potter v. Perrigan, No. E2013-01442-COA-R3-CV (Tenn.…
Adding Employer As Defendant More Than One Year After Incident
When a plaintiff files a auto or other personal injury lawsuit, he may not be aware of all the potential defendants that should be named. Fairly often, a plaintiff may seek leave to amend his complaint and add a defendant even after the statute of limitations on the underlying claim…
New Local Rules in Tennessee’s 23rd Judicial District
The judge’s in Tennessee’s 23rd Judicial District – Cheatham, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys and Stewart Counties – have adopted new rules of court for the circuit and chancery courts. Among the new rules is a requirement that all civil cases except appeals from the general sessions court be mediated before they…
Tennessee Products Liability Claim Falls Short
A recent Court of Appeals case illustrates that trying to make a Tennessee product liability claim against a product that did not technically cause the injury can be quite difficult. In Long v. Quad Power Products, LLC, No. E2013-02708-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. March 20, 2015), plaintiff was injured while pressure…
When Does Bad Conduct Rise to the Level of Outrageous Conduct?
A recent Tennessee Court of Appeals case serves as a reminder that the bar for proving outrageous conduct is high for plaintiffs attempting to make a case for intentional infliction of emotional distress (“IIED”). In Kindred v. Nat’l College of Bus. and Tech., Inc., No. W2014-00413-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. March…
No Proof on Notice of Hazard Results in Dismissal of Case
In a recent premises liability case, the Tennessee Court of Appeals overturned a trial court decision for plaintiff on the basis of lack of actual or constructive notice of a dangerous condition, a key element in any premises liability case. In Barkley v. Shelby Co. Board of Educ., No. W2014-00417-COA-R3-CV…
Sponge Case Falls Under HCLA Not Ordinary Negligence
In Smith v. Testerman, No. E2014-00956-COA-R9-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. March 10, 2015), the Court of Appeals recently took up the issue of whether a case sounds in ordinary negligence or health care liability. After a hernia repair, plaintiff developed an infection requiring additional surgery…
Sandy Hook Parents Sue Mother of Murderer
The parents of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting have sued the shooter’s mother. The complaint alleges that the late Nancy Lanza, mother of Adam Lanza, negligently allowed her son access to the Bushmaster A-15 used in the shootings when she knew or should have known made her son a…
Trial Court Cannot Impose Additional Limitations on Ex Parte Interviews in Healthcare Liability Cases.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-26-121(f) allows defendants in a Tennessee medical malpractice (now called healthcare liability) case to petition the court for a “qualified protective order allowing the defendant…and their attorneys the right to obtain protected health information during interviews, outside the presence of claimant or claimant’s counsel, with the…