# FILED January 3, 1996 Cecil Crowson, Jr. App ellate C ou rt Clerk I N TH E C O U R T O FA PPEA LSO FTEN N ESSEE EA STER N SEC TI O N

EX PLO SI V E SPEC I A LI STS , I N

C. , ) C

/ A N O . 03A 01- 9509- C

H

- 00305 ) Pl a i ntif f

- A

pp e lle e , ) KNOX C HANC ER Y ) v. ) HON. H. DAVI D C ATE, ) C HANC ELLOR W HALEY C

ONSTR UC TI ON C O. , I NC. , )

) AFFI R

M ED AND D e f e nda nt - A

ppe l l a nt . ) R EM ANDED

HOW AR D G. HOGAN, GR

ESHAM & HOGAN, Kn o x vi l l e , f or Pl a i nt i f f

- A pp e l l ee. R ON C UNNI NGHAM

, FI NKELSTEI N, KER N, STEI NBER

G & C UNNI NGHAM

, K noxvi l l e , f or D

e f e nda nt - A

ppe l l a nt .

O PI N I O N

Fr a nks . J .

I n t hi s a c t i on, pl a i nt i f f w a s a w a r de d j udgm

e nt f or w or k pe r f or m

e d unde r a c ont r a c t , a nd de f e nda nt ha s a ppe a l e d, i ns i s t i ng t ha t pl a i nt i f f di d not pe r f or m i n a c c or da nc e w

i t h t he agr eem

e nt b e t w

eent he p a r t i e s . The de f e nda nt hi r e d pl a i nt i f f t o bl a s t t he r oc k on t he G oody' s Fa m

i l y C l ot hi ng Pr oj e c t , ne a r I nt e r s t a t e 40- 75 i n K noxvi l l e , f or $3. 50 pe r c ubi c ya r d, w i t h pl a i nt i f f s uppl yi ng t he pow

de r a nd i ns ur a nc e a nd t he de f e nda nt s uppl yi ng t he f ue l2

f or the dr ills . The r e w a s n ow

r itte nc o nt r a c t, a n dp l a i ntif f be ga n bl a s t i ng i n m i d- N ove m be r 1988 a nd bl a s t e d unt i l t he e nd of D e c e m be r w he n pl a i nt i f f w

a s t e r m

i na t e d by de f e nda nt . Es s e ntia lly , th e de t e r m i n a tiv e is s u e o na pp e a l w a s f r a m e d by t he Tr i a l J udge i n hi s f i ndi ngs of f a c t : The di s put e pe r t a i ns t o w he t he r or not t he pl a i nt i f f w a s r e qui r e d t o f ur ni s h a n e nd pr oduc t , a f t e r bl a s t i ng, of t he r oc k t he s i z e of t w o f e e t i n di a m e t e r or le s s . The p l a i ntif f e m ph a tic a llyde ni e s t h a t t hi s w

a s t he agr eem

e nt , ands a y s t he r o c k , a f t e r b l a s ting , w a s tob e the s i z e s oit c ou l db e m ove d, a nd t he de f e nda nt e m pha t i c a l l y a s s e r t s t ha t i t w a s t he agr eem

e nt . The Tr i a l C

our t , a f t e r he a r i ng t he e vi de nc e , c onc l ude d: Tode t e r m

i n e w h a t t he cont r act w a s i nt hi s cas e t he c r e di b i l i t yo f t he w i t n e s s b ecom

e s cr u c i a l . W he n t he pl a i nt i f f ' s t e s t i m ony e vi de nc e i s c ons i de r e d i n t he l i ght of t he l og book a nd ot he r w r i t t e n e vi de nc e of t he de f e nda nt , a nd t he f a c t t ha t t he count e r - c l a i m app ear s t oh a v e ar i s e naf t e r t he f a c t, th e C

our t c o n c l u de s th a t the p l a i ntif f ' s ve r s i on of t he c ont r a c t a ppe a r s t o be t he c or r e c t ve r s i on. The p l a i nt i f f ' s evi de nce w a s t ot he ef f ect t h a t t he c ont r a c t di d not r e qui r e t ha t t he bl a s t e d r oc k ha d t o be t w o f e e t or l e s s a nd pa na bl e , w hi l e de f e nda nt ' s pr oof w a s t ha t s uc h w a s t he a gr e e m

e nt . The Tr i a l J udge , i n m a ki ng hi s f a c t ua l de t e r m

i na t i on, r e l i e d he a vi l y on t he t e s t i m ony of p l a i ntif f ' s w

itne s s e s toth a t e f f e c t, a n dth a t de f e n d a nt di d not c om

pl a i n or pr ot e s t t he w a y a nd m

a nne r i n w

hi c h pl a i nt i f f w a s bl a s t i ng t he r oc k, w hi c h t he Tr i a l C

our t f ound w

a s c or r obor a t e d by t he l og book a nd ot he r w r i t t e n e vi de nc e of t he de f e nda nt , i . e . , no not a t i on of a ny c om pl a i nt a bout p l a i nt i ff' s p e rfor m a n c e . The f a m

ilia r r u l e r e qui r i n gn oc ita tio nis th a t a pp e l l a t e cour t s g e ne r a l l yde f e r t ot he Tr i a l C our t ' s3

de t e r m i n a tio no f the c r e di b ilityo f the w itne s s e s . W

e f i nd not hi ng i n t hi s r e c or d t ha t w oul d r e qui r e a ny de vi a t i on f r om t he r ul e i n t hi s c a s e . The Tr i a l C our t obs e r ve d t he de m e a nor of t he w

i t ne s s e s a nd he a r d t he t e s t i m ony, a nd w

a s i n a be t t e r pos i t i on t ha n t hi s C our t t o e va l ua t e t he r e s pe c t i ve w i t ne s s e s ' c r e di b ility .

D e f e nda nt ' s pr i nc i pa l a r gum e nt on a ppe a l , a s s t a t e d i nits br i e f is :

I t i s t he pos i t i on of de f e nda nt t ha t r e a s ona bl y pr ude nt bus i ne s s m e n i n t he bl a s t i ng a nd s i t e pr e pa r a t i on a nd c ons t r uc t i on i ndus t r y w oul d ne ve r e nt e r i nt o a n a gr e e m e nt t o dr i l l , s hoot , a nd t r a ns por t r oc k t o a c ont r ol l e d f i l l a r e a w i t hout r e qui r i ng t ha t t he r oc k f r a gm e nt s c om

pl y w i t h t he c us t om of t he i ndus t r y f or a c ont r ol l e d f i l l a r e a , i.e ., tob e tw

of e e t or le s s indi a m e t e r . The de f e nda nt di d of f e r e vi de nc e t ha t t hi s w a s t he c us t om

i n t he i ndus t r y, a nd i ns i s t s t ha t t he c ont r a c t s houl d be de t e r m i ne d, t a ki ng i nt o a c c ount t he c us t om a nd us a ge of t he t r a de , c iting Be a t y C h e v r o l e t, Inc . v . C o m p l e t e Au t oTr an s it, I n c . , 586 S . W

. 2d 122 ( Te nn. A

pp. 1979) ; J . Aver y Br y an, I n c . v . H ubbar d, 225 S . W

. 2d 282 ( Te nn. A

pp. 1949) . The l e ga l pos i t i on a dva nc e d i s s ound, how e ve r , t hi s e vi de nc e w a s di s put e d by pl a i nt i f f ' s e xpe r t w i t ne s s . Pl a i nt i f f of f e r e d t he t e s t i m ony of a n e xpe r t e xpe r i e nc e d i n bl a s t i ng, w ho t e s t i f i e d i n pe r t i ne nt pa r t : Q. A s s um i ng t ha t you ha ve a c ont r a c t t o bl a s t t he r oc k t ha t w

e f ound out he r e , a nd w e ' r e t a l ki ng a bout a t t he G

oody' s s i t e t o t w o- f oot or l e s s , w oul d you ha ve us e d t he pa t t e r n, a nd t he a m ount of dyna m

i t e , a nd t he s t e m m i ng t ha t Expl os i ve Sp e c i a lis t s u s e d ? A. W e ll, if I kn e w

th a t m

yr e qui r e m

e nt w a s tw o f oot or l e s s , t he n I pr oba bl y w oul d of ha d t o a dj us t m

y - - m a ybe I ' d ha d t o - - I w oul d of pr oba bl y s t a r t e d w i t h t ha t pa t t e r n. A nd I m a y of ha d t o a dj us t t he s t e m m i ng, a nd a dj us t i t i n4 t e r m s o f : Ca nI g e t b yw itha little le s s s t e m m i ng, a nd a l i t t l e m or e pow

de r , a nd not t hr ow r oc k. A

nd i t ' s goi ng t o be a ba l a nc e . J u s t like - - ju s t like M r . Cl a r ks a i d . It' s a c r i t i cal ar ea out t he r e . Q. But w

oul d you ha ve be e n c a pa bl e of doi ng i t , bl a s t i ng t ha t r oc k? A. Sur e . A

bs ol ut e l y. O

ne of t he r e qui r e m e nt s on one of our r e c e nt j obs , l i ke I w a s t e l l i ng you, a t t he a i r por t . The y ha d a r e qui r e m e nt not t w o- f oot , but dow

n t o t w

e l ve - i nc he s f or f i l l r oc k. Q. For f ill r o c k ? A. I don' t t hi nk t hi s t w o- f oot i s ne c e s s a r i l y a uni ve r s a l s t a nda r d t hi ng a nybody c a n s hoot . I t j us t de pe nds on t he j ob. A nd s om e j obs I ' ve s eenw e r e accept a b l e f or a f our - f o o t e r , or ev e n l a r g e r r o c k , i s accept a b l e . W e c onc l ude t he Tr i a l J udge pr ope r l y e va l ua t e d t he e vi de nc e be f or e hi m . H e pa s s e d on t he c r e di bi l i t y of t he w i t ne s s e s a nd f ound f r om de f e nda nt ' s w

r i t t e n doc um

e nt a t i on t ha t de f e nda nt , dur i ng pl a i nt i f f ' s pe r f or m a nc e , di d not obj e c t t o pl a i nt i f f ' s pe r f or m a nc e . I nt e r pr e t a t i on of a c ont r a c t by t he pa r t i e s a s s how n by t he i r a c t s m a y be a dopt e d by t he C our t i ne s t ab l i s hi ngthe te r m s o f the c o nt r a c t. H am bl e n C ount y v . C ity o f M o r r i s t o w

n , 656 S . W

. 2d 331 ( Te nn. 1983) . The C our t ' s de t e r m i n a t i o no f t he cont r act b e t w eent he p a r t i e s co m e s t ou s w i t h a pr e s um

pt i on of c or r e c t ne s s , unl e s s t he e vi de nc e pr e p o n de r a t e s o t he r w i s e . T. R. A

. P . R u l e 1 3 ( d) . W

e a f f i r m

the j udgm e nt . D e f e nda nt ' s c ount e r - c l a i m f or a ddi t i ona l e xpe ns e s i nc ur r e d w

a s c ont i nge nt upon a f i ndi ng t ha t pl a i nt i f f ha d br e a c he d t he c ont r a c t , a nd w e f i nd de f e nda nt ' s a ppe a l on t hi s i s s u e tob e w

ithout m

e r it. Pl a i ntif f s e e k s tor e c o v e r c o s t s , in t e r e s t a n d5

e xpe ns e s on t he a ut hor i t y of Te nne s s e e C ode A nnot a t e d §27- 1- 122 on t he gr ound t ha t t he a ppe a l w a s f r i vol ous . W

e c a nnot a gr ee. The ju dg m e nt o f the Tr i a l C our t is a f f i r m

e d , w ith c o s t s as s e s s e dt oapp e l l a nt , andt he cau s e r e m a nde d .

________________________ H e r s c he l P. Fr a nk s , J . CONC UR:

___________________________ D on T. M

c M ur r a y, J .

___________________________ C l i ffor dE. S a n de r s , Sr . J .