The second edition of Tennessee Law of Civil Trial is now available for purchase. The new edition updates the first edition of the text published five years ago. The 500-page book is designed to help lawyers prepare for the procedural issues that arise from jury selection through post-trial motions. It also…
The absolute privilege against a Tennessee defamation claim given to some state officials “for statements made in the course of their official duties” does not extend to district attorneys general. In Burns v. State of Tennessee, No. E2018-02174-COA-R9-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. Nov. 26, 2019), plaintiff was the lead investigator for…
Those interested in the current law of Tennessee on the issue of whether contractual waivers of liability are enforceable in Tennessee may wish to read my recent article in Tennessee Bar Journal. Contractual waivers, also referred to as exculpatory provisions, attempt to limit liability for negligence (or perhaps even reckless and…
Where a trial court did not undergo the required analysis under Tennessee Rules of Evidence 702 and 703 before deciding to exclude plaintiff’s expert witness testimony in a premises liability case, summary judgment for defendant was vacated and the case was remanded. In Linkous v. Tiki Club, Inc., No. E2019-00357-COA-R3-CV…
In a Tennessee defamation case, statements made in an email regarding a deposition in a federal lawsuit fell under the litigation privilege and dismissal was affirmed. In Kilgore v. State of Tennessee, No. E2018-01790-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. Nov. 13, 2019), plaintiff had been involved in a previous federal lawsuit. In…
North Carolina has come into the late 20th century by adopting a legal citation system that makes sense for the lawyers of today – and the public. The state Supreme Court adopted a new format for case citations, the reference that tells the public how to find a specific court…
Where a plaintiff filed a Tennessee health care liability (medical malpractice) action and died of unrelated causes while the suit was pending, the cause of action did not automatically pass to his wife. Instead, the suit was “eligible to be revived” and a motion for substitution of party should have…
The Tennessee Supreme Court recently affirmed that the fair report privilege does not apply to “a nonpublic, one-on-one conversation between a newspaper reporter and a detective of the county sheriff’s department, who also served as the public information officer for the sheriff’s department.” In Burke v. Sparta Newspapers, Inc., No.…
Where a tortfeasor died before suit was filed and “no personal representive was appointed for the deceased tortfeasor and more than a year had elapsed following the accrual of the plaintiff’s cause of action,” dismissal of the Tennessee personal injury suit was affirmed. In Khah v. Capley, No. M2018-02189-COA-R3-CV…
An autonomous tractor-trailer recently completed a cross-country trip carrying a load of butter. Although autonomous truck and car technology is not yet for prime time, the tests continue. The impact on the trucking industry will be significant. Personal costs are one-third of the marginal cost of running a truck, even…