Opinion ID: 2418420
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Parties and the Pleadings

Text: The complaint sought damages for injuries and the subsequent death of Charles Miller from an accident which occurred in February, 1974. The action was brought by the administratrix and next-of-kin of the decedent, Mrs. Mary C. McCampbell. The complaint alleged that the decedent was injured when a dump-truck, owned by defendant Eugene Crawley, was delivering gravel to the decedent's property in Monroe County, Tennessee. It was alleged that a hoist failed while the truck bed was in a raised position, causing the bed to tilt and the gravel to be spilled upon the decedent. Allegedly as a result of injuries sustained in this accident, the decedent died on March 3, 1974, a little less than one month later. The complaint contained various allegations of common-law negligence against Crawley, the owner of the vehicle, based primarily upon conduct of his employee and driver, Daniel R. Plemons. The other five defendants to this part of the action were sued on theories of strict liability, negligence and breach of warranties of merchantability and fitness for particular purposes. The complaint alleged that the defendant American Lease Plans, Inc., either sold the truck to Eugene Crawley or transferred it to him under a lease-purchase agreement. It was alleged that American Lease Plans, Inc., was engaged in the business of leasing and selling the type of vehicle involved in the accident. The defendant Commercial Truck & Trailer Sales, Inc., was also alleged to be engaged in the business of assembling and selling such vehicles. The complaint stated that the latter company actually delivered the truck to Eugene Crawley but did so under an arrangement whereby American Lease Plans, Inc., would ultimately sell it to him. The defendant Reynolds Body Company was alleged to be engaged in selling, manufacturing and installing truck beds and hoist apparatus of the type involved, and it allegedly sold the truck bed and hoist to Commercial Truck & Trailer Sales, Inc. The defendant Peabody Galion Corporation was alleged to have manufactured, assembled and sold the hoist to Reynolds Body Company, and the defendant Joseph T. Ryerson & Son was alleged to have manufactured, assembled and sold the cylinder and its components, which were part of the hoist apparatus. Apart from the malpractice action, each of the defendants filed a motion for summary judgment. Only one filed an answer. All of the defendants contended that the action was barred by the one-year statute of limitations, and four of them alleged that as a matter of law the plaintiff was not entitled to recover for breach of warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose under the Uniform Commercial Code. As to the malpractice action, the present suit was instituted on October 29, 1976. The complaint alleged that the plaintiff had originally employed respondent J.D. Lee, an attorney, to prosecute an action for damages against the other defendants for the death of her father. It was alleged that he failed to institute the action within one year from the date of the accident, although he did file a complaint on February 5, 1975. It was stated that this former action was dismissed by voluntary nonsuit. The plaintiff claimed that if the former suit was not timely initiated, then she was entitled to recover damages as the result of alleged negligence and breach of contract by the defendant Lee. This defendant filed a motion to dismiss based upon improper joinder and upon the ground that venue was localized in Monroe County under the provisions of T.C.A. § 20-401.