Opinion ID: 2418420
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Action of the Court of Appeals

Text: As to the legal malpractice action, the Court of Appeals, in a divided decision, held that the provisions of T.C.A. § 20-401 required the action to be brought in the county where the cause of action arose. It made some factual assumptions which we cannot verify from the record and concluded that the employment of counsel occurred in Monroe County where the attorney resided. The court then concluded that a legal malpractice action based on nonfeasance of an attorney arises in the county of the situs of the attorney-client relationship. It further concluded that since the attorney was shown to be a resident of Monroe County, in legal contemplation he must have been in that county when he failed to file the suit. The court held that the cause of action for legal malpractice could only have been filed in the county where the cause of action apparently arose, and the conclusion was reached that Monroe County was the only county in which Lee could be sued. As to the personal injury action, the Court of Appeals held that it was time-barred upon all theories and claims except that predicated upon breach of statutory implied warranties, T.C.A. §§ 47-2-314 and 315. As to that claim, the four-year statute of limitations provided in the Uniform Commercial Code was deemed applicable, and the action for breach of warranty was held to fall within the purview of and to be authorized by the Tennessee Wrongful Death Statute, T.C.A. § 20-607.