# FILED June 6, 1997 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

ANTHONY W

. NANC E, ) C / A N O . 03A 01- 9701- C

V

- 00037 a n dBR ANDON NANCE, ) ) CA M PBELLCI RCU

I T Pl a i ntif f s - A

p p e lla nt s , )

) HON. CONR

AD E. TR

OUTM AN, J R. , v. ) J UDGE ) C HR I STOPHER

H. STR

UNK, ) AFFI R M ED I N PAR

T, ) R EVER SED I N PAR

T, D e f e n d a nt - A

p p e l l ee. ) AND R EM ANDED

VI C PR YOR , BASI STA, PR

YOR & BALLOFF, J a c k s b o r o , f o r Pl a i ntif f s - A

p p e lla nt s . DANI ELM

. GAS S , O’ NEI L, PAR KER & W I LLI AM S ON, Kn o x v i l l e , f o r D e f e n d a nt - A

p p e l l ee. DENNI SL. BABBa n dVONDA M . LAUGHLI N, BUTLER , VI NES&

BABB, K noxvi l l e , f or D

e f e nda nt - A

ppe l l e e , G

ua r a nt y N

a t i ona l I ns ur a nc e C om pa ny.

O PI N I O N

Fr a nks . J . I n t hi s a c t i on a r i s i ng f r om a m ot or ve hi c l e a c c i de nt , t he de f e nda nt s w e r e gr a nt e d s um

m a r y j udgm

e nt a nd p l a i nt i f f s h a v e app eal e d .

A nacci d e nt o ccur r e db e t w eena m

o t o r v e hi c l e dr i v e n by pl a i nt i f f N

a nc e a nd a t r uc k dr i ve n by de f e nda nt St r unk. Ta ki ng t he e vi de nc e m os t f a vor a bl e t o pl a i nt i f f s , bot h2

ve hi c l e s w

e r e t r a ve l i ng nor t h on I nt e r s t a t e 75, t hr ough t he J e llic oM

o u nt a i n s . Pl a i ntif f w a s dr i v i n ghi s e m p t yf l a t b e d t r act o r t r a i l e r i nt h e l e f t l a n e at a r a t e o f ap p r o x i m a t e l y6 0 m ph, w he n a gr e y s t a t i on w a gon s udde nl y s w

e r ve d i n f r ont of hi m , c a us i ng hi m

t o m ove i nt o t he r i ght l a ne t o a voi d t ha t ve hi c l e . D

e f e nda nt St r unk’ s t r uc k w a s t r a ve l i ng i n t he r i ght l a ne a t a ppr oxi m

a t e l y 10 t o 15 m

i l e s pe r hour , a nd pl a i nt i f f ’ s ve hi c l e c ol l i de d w i t h t he r e a r of St r unk’ s t r uc k. St r unk s t a t e s t ha t he w a s t r a ve l i ng 40 t o 45 m i l e s pe r hour a nd ne ve r s a w t he gr e y s t a t i on w a gon i n t he vi c i ni t y, a nd t ha t pl a i nt i f f ’ s ve hi c l e s i m pl y c a m

e ba r r e l i ng up t he r i ght l a ne a nd r e a r - e nde d hi m . The dr i ve r of t he gr e y ve hi c l e ha s ne ve r be e n i de nt i f i e d or f ound.

I np l a i ntif f ’ s s u it a g a i n s t D e f e n d a nt, p l a i ntif f a l l e ge d t ha t de f e nda nt w a s t r a ve l i ng a t s uc h a n unr e a s ona bl y l ow r a t e of s pe e d s o a s t o i m pe de t r a f f i c on t he hi ghw a y i n vi ol a t i on of T. C. A . §55- 8- 154 a nd hi s ne gl i ge nc e w a s a pr oxi m a t e c a us e of t he a c c i de nt . R e s pondi ng t o de f e nda nt ’ s m ot i on f or s um

m a r y j udgm

e nt , t he Tr i a l C

our t gr a nt e d s um

m a r y j udgm e nt on t he ba s i s t ha t t he pr oxi m a t e c a us e of t he a c c i de nt w a s t he ne gl i ge nt ope r a t i on of t he gr e y m ot or ve hi c l e . Sum m a r y j udgm

e nt i s r e vi e w

e d w i t hout a t t a c hi ng a ny pr e s um pt i on of c or r e c t ne s s t o t he j udgm e nt . M

c C a ll v . W

ilde r , 913 S . W

. 2d 150, 153 ( Te nn. 1995) . Sum m a r y j udgm

e nt i s a ppr opr i a t e w

he n, vi e w

i ng a l l e vi de nc e a nd i nf e r e nc e s i n t he l i ght m

os t f a vor a bl e t o t he non- m ovi ng pa r t y, t he r e a r e no di s put e d i s s ue s of m a t e r i a l f a c t a nd t he m ovi ng pa r t y i s e nt i t l e dtojud g m e nt a s a m

a t t e r o f la w

. B y r dv. H

a l l , 847 S . W . 2d 208 ( Te nn. 1993) .1 S e e C a r r v. O

z bur n - H

e s s e y St o r age Co . , 1996 W L383295 ( Te nn. A pp. 1996) . I n Ca r r , p l a i n t i f f r ear - e n d e d d e f e n d a n t , w h o h a d j u s t t u r n e d ont o t h e hi ghwa y f r o m an i n t e r s e c t i on. Th e r e a s ona b l e n e s s of t h e d e f e n d a n t ’ s s p eed , w h i c h was no t d i spu t e d - 2 0 m p h - was no t d i r ect l y a d d r ess e d b y t h e Co u r t . A l t h o u g h t h e Co u r t m a y h a v e m

a d e an i m

p l i c i t j u d g m e n t t h a t t h e d e f e n d a n t was no t d r i v i n g i n v i o l a t i o n o f t h e st a t u t e , t h e b asi s up o n w h i c h t h e sum

m a r y j u d g m

e n t was up h e l d was t h a t an e x a m i n a t i o n o f t h e ci r c u m s t a n ces s u r r o u n d i n g t h e acci d e n t sup p o r t e d f i ndi ng pl a i n t i f f m o r e t h a n 50%

at f a u l t i n t h e ac c i d e n t . Th e o t h e r case i s W a tts v . W

ilk e r s o n , 1994 W L85951 ( Te nn. A

pp. 1994) . 3 Th e s t a t u t e p l e di nt hi s cas e r ead s i np e r t i n e nt p a r t: M

i ni m um s pe e d r e g ul a t i o n - T ur no ut s - Pa s s i ngbay s - Pe nal t i e s . - ( a ) N o pe r s on s ha l l dr i ve a m ot or ve hi c l e a t s uc h a s l ow s pe e d a s t o i m

pe de t he nor m

a l a n dr eas o n a b l e m

o v e m e nt o f t r a f f i c , ex cep t w h e n r e du ceds p eedi s n ecess a r yf o r s a f e o p e r a t i o no r i n c o m p l i a n c e w

i t hthe la w

. . . . T. C. A . § 55- 8- 154( a ) . Thi s s t a t u t e i s ci t e di no n l yt w oTe nn e s s ee cases , ne i t he r of w

hi c h m a de a ny e xpl i c i t de t e r m i na t i on of w

ha t c o n s titut e s a v i o l a tio no f th e s t a t u t e . 1 . W a tts v . W

ilk e r s o n uphe l d a j ur y ve r di c t f i ndi ng t he s l ow dr i ve r 40%

a t f a ul t f or a na c c i d e nt. Thi s f i n di n go f lia b ilityis c o n s i s t e nt w ith c a s e s in v o l v i n gs i m ila r s t a t u t e s ino t h e r s t a t e s , w hi c hh a v e he l d a que s t i on of w he t he r s uc h a s t a t ut e ha s be e n vi ol a t e d a nd w he t he r s uc h vi ol a t i on c ons t i t ut e s t he ne gl i ge nt pr oxi m a t e c a us i ng or c ont r i but i ng t o a n a c c i de nt i s f or t he j ur y. 66 A . L. R. 2d 1194; e . g . , G r iffinv . Illi n o i s Be ll T e l ep h o n e C

o . , 180 N . E. 2d 228, 230 ( I l l . C t . A pp. 1962) ; F

o n v ille v . D

i x o n , 193 S . E. 2d 406 ( N . C. C t . A pp. 1972) ; Le o v . Adam s , 208 N

. W . 2d 706 ( S . D

. 1973) ; M

i na v . Boi s e C

as c ade C

orp. , 681 P. 2d 880, 884 ( W a s h. C t . A pp. 1984) . The s e c a s e s a c know l e dge t ha t ? d a w dl e r s , as w

e l l as s p eede r s , canb eco m e a m e n ace t ot h e s a f e t yo f th e i r f e llo w m o t o r i s t s . ? C

h eek v. W

e i s s , 615 S . W

. 2d4

453, 458 ( M

o. C t . A pp. 1981) , q u o tingLa ffe r t y v . W

a ttle , 349 S . W . 2d 519, 528 ( M

o. C t . A pp. 1961) . The s pe e d of t he de f e nda nt ’ s ve hi c l e i s a n i s s ue of di s p u t e dm

a t e r i a l f act , as i t b ear s o nw h e t h e r t h e s t a t u t e w a s vi ol a t e d a nd w

he t he r s uc h vi ol a t i on, i f a ny, c ont r i but e d t o t h e p r o x i m

a t e cau s e o f t h e acci d e nt . Pr o x i m a t e cau s a t i o ni s t o be de t e r m

i ne d by t he t r i e r of f a c t , unl e s s a l l r e a s ona bl e pe r s ons w

oul d a gr e e on t he pr ope r out c om e . Se e M

c C l e nahan v . C ool e y , 806 S . W

. 2d 767 ( Te nn. 1991) . A c c or di ngl y, w

e va c a t e s um m a r y j udgm

e nt on be ha l f of t he s e de f e nda nt s a nd r e m a nd f or f ur t he r pr oc e e di ngs c ons i s t e nt w i t h t hi s opi ni on. Pl a i ntif f a l s of ile dthi s a c tio na g a i n s t hi s in s ur e r unde r t he uni ns ur e d a nd unde r i ns ur e d m ot or ve hi c l e c ove r a ge s t a t ut e . W

he n t he ow

ne r or ope r a t or of a ve hi c l e w hi c h c a us e s bodi l y i nj ur y or pr ope r t y da m a ge i s unknow

n, t he i ns ur e d c a n onl y r e c ove r i f :

( A ) A c t u a l p hy s i cal co nt act s h a l l h a v e o ccur r e d be t w e e n t he m

ot or ve hi c l e ow

ne d or ope r a t e d by s uc h unknow n pe r s on a nd t he pe r s on or pr ope r t y of t he i ns ur e d; or ( B) The e xi s t e nc e of s uc h unknow n m ot or i s t i s e s t a bl i s he d by c l e a r a nd c onvi nc i ng e vi de nc e , ot he r t ha n a ny e vi de nc e pr ovi de d by oc c upa nt s i n t he i ns ur e d ve hi c l e . T. C. A . §56- 7- 1201( e ) ( 1) . The onl y e vi de nc e i n t he r e c or d a s t o t he e xi s t e nc e of t he gr e y ve hi c l e c om e s f r om

t he t w

o oc c upa nt s of pl a i nt i f f s ’ ve hi c l e . The c ondi t i ons r e qui r e d by t he s t a t ut e ha ve not be e n e s t a bl i s he d i n t hi s c a s e a nd s um m a r y j udgm e nt w a s a ppr opr i a t e on t he i s s ue of uni ns ur e d m ot or i s t c o v e r a g e . C

ar di n v . C

am pbe l l , 920 S . W

. 2d 222 ( Te nn. A

pp. 1 9 9 5 ) . H

o w e v e r , t h e cl a i m

ag a i n s t t h e i n s ur a n ce car r i e r r e l a t i ng t o t he unde r i ns ur e d pr ovi s i on of pl a i nt i f f s ’ pol i c y w i l l b e r e i n s t a t e db ecau s e t h e act i o nh a s b eenr e i n s t a t e das5

t o t he r e m

a i ni ng de f e nda nt s . Th e co s t o f t h e app eal i s as s e s s e dt od e f e n d a nt an d t h e cau s e r e m

a n d e d .

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

___________________________ H ous t on M

. G odda r d, P. J .

___________________________ D on T. M

c M ur r a y, J .

# FILED June 6, 1997 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

ANTHONY W

. NANC E, ) C / A N O . 03A 01- 9701- C

V

- 00037 a n dBR ANDON NANCE, ) ) CA M PBELLCI RCU

I T Pl a i ntif f s - A

p p e lla nt s , )

) v. ) ) C HR I STOPHER

H. STR

UNK, )

) D e f e n d a nt - A

p p e l l ee. )

O R D ER

Thi s c a us e w

a s r e gul a r l y he a r d a nd c ons i de r e d by t he c our t . I TI SN

O W O R D ER ED t ha t t he j udgm

e nt of t he Tr i a l C our t i s af f i r m

e di np a r t , r e v e r s e di np a r t , an dt h e cau s e r e m a n d e d . The c os t s of a ppe a l a r e a dj udge d t o de f e nda nt , f or w hi c h e x ecut i o nm

a yi s s u e i f n ecess a r y . PER CU RI U M