Dobbins v. Terrazzo MacHine & Supply Co.

479 S.W.2d 806, 1972 Tenn. LEXIS 401
CourtTennessee Supreme Court
DecidedMay 1, 1972
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 479 S.W.2d 806 (Dobbins v. Terrazzo MacHine & Supply Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tennessee Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dobbins v. Terrazzo MacHine & Supply Co., 479 S.W.2d 806, 1972 Tenn. LEXIS 401 (Tenn. 1972).

Opinions

[807]*807OPINION

CRESON, Justice.

The record in the instant case involves a suit instituted by appellant in the Circuit Court of Davidson County, Division VI, to recover for personal injuries sustained when a Terreo floor machine he was operating exploded. Appellees filed motions to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12.02 of the Rules of Civil Procedure. The trial court sustained the motions and dismissed appellant’s suit.

In this opinion the parties will be referred to as they appeared in the trial court; that is, Louis Dobbins, as plaintiff, and Terrazzo Machine & Supply Co., Inc., Kohler Company and Klein and Company, Inc., as defendants.

In his complaint plaintiff alleges that on July 22, 1970, he was employed by Art Mosaic & Tile Company of Nashville; that on this date plaintiff was assigned by his employer to operate a Terreo floor machine; that plaintiff’s employer purchased the floor machine from Klein and Company, Inc. on April 26, 1967; that the machine was manufactured by Terrazzo Machine & Supply Co., Inc.; that there was installed in the floor machine an engine which was designed and manufactured by Kohler Company; that while plaintiff was operating the machine it exploded and severely injured him. The instant suit was filed on July 13, 1971, on the theory of (1) common law negligence, (2) breach of express and implied warranties, and (3) strict liability in tort.

Defendant Terrazzo Machine & Supply Co., Inc. filed an answer in which it specifically denies that it was guilty of any negligence in the manufacture of the floor machine; that it breached any express or implied warranties; or that the floor machine was “in an unreasonably dangerous condition when it left the hands of this defendant.” Incorporated in the answer is a motion to dismiss the complaint because it fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The ground for this motion is that the cause of action is barred by T.C. A. § 28-304.

Kohler Company and Klein and Company, Inc. both filed motions to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12.02 of the Rules of Civil Procedure. In each motion it is alleged that plaintiff failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted because the suit is barred by the provisions of T.C.A. § 28-304.

On September 10, 1971, plaintiff filed an affidavit wherein it is stated that on July 22, 1970, plaintiff suffered personal injuries while employed by Art Mosaic & Tile Company; that plaintiff “was paid temporary total disability, permanent partial disability, and medical expenses, pursuant to the Workmen’s Compensation statute”; and that plaintiff has been authorized by his employer’s Workmen’s Compensation carrier to file the instant suit pursuant to T.C.A. § 50-914 to recover the moneys paid to plaintiff as Workmen’s Compensation benefits.

The trial judge, relying on the case of Flynn v. Camp (1971) Tenn., 470 S.W.2d 347, was of the opinion that T.C.A. § 28-304 barred plaintiff’s suit. The trial court ordered the cause dismissed. The trial judge felt that the provisions of T.C.A. § 50-914 were inapplicable.

Plaintiff has seasonably perfected an appeal to this Court. The sole issue presented in the case at bar is whether the time for instituting the instant suit is governed by T.C.A. § 28-304 or T.C.A. § 50-914.

Defendants argue that the trial judge was correct in his determination that plaintiff’s cause of action was barred by T.C.A. § 28-304, relying on Jackson v. General Motors (1969) 223 Tenn. 12, 441 S.W.2d 482, and Flynn v. Camp, supra.

Jackson v. General Motors, supra, was a suit by the purchaser of an automobile and his wife against the manufacturer. The purchaser and his wife sought to recover [808]*808for personal injuries and medical expenses sustained when the automobile which had been parked in a driveway rolled backwards down the driveway and struck the buyer’s wife, injuring her. The manufacturer demurred to the declaration because the declaration showed on its face that the action was barred by T.C.A. § 28-304. At that time T.C.A. § 28-304 provided as follows:

“Actions for libel, for injuries to the person, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, criminal conversation, seduction, breach of marriage promise, and statutory penalties, shall be commenced within one (1) year after cause of action accrued.”

This Court held that the one year limitation ran from the date of the wrongful act or omission and not from the date the damage occurred which was merely the result of the prior wrongful act or omission. In other words, the breach of duty occurred when the defective product was purchased.

After the opinion in Jackson v. General Motors, supra, was announced, the Legislature amended T.C.A. § 28-304. T.C.A. § 28-304, as amended, provides as follows:

“Actions for . . . injuries to the person . . . shall be commenced within one (1) year after cause of action accrued. For the purpose of this section, insofar as products liability cases are concerned, the cause of action for injury to the person shall accrue on the date of the personal injury not the date of the negligence or the sale of a product. The preceding sentence shall not apply to causes of action accruing prior to May 20, 1969.”

In Flynn v. Camp, supra, this Court passed upon the effect of the amendment to T.C.A. § 28-304, and held that the 1969 amendment is not to be given retroactive effect. In other words, in products liability cases the statute of limitations runs from the date of purchase of the defective article for those goods purchased prior to the effective date of the amendment.

Defendants assert that since the floor machine in the case at bar was purchased on April 26, 1967, then under the authorities discussed above, plaintiff’s suit is barred by the one year statute.

It is plaintiff’s assertion that the instant case was timely filed. He argues that he sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of his employment; that the provisions of T.C.A. § 50-914

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Dobbins v. Terrazzo MacHine & Supply Co.
479 S.W.2d 806 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1972)

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Bluebook (online)
479 S.W.2d 806, 1972 Tenn. LEXIS 401, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dobbins-v-terrazzo-machine-supply-co-tenn-1972.