Droussoitis v. Damrron

CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedJuly 16, 1997
Docket01A01-9612-CV-00548
StatusPublished

This text of Droussoitis v. Damrron (Droussoitis v. Damrron) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Droussoitis v. Damrron, (Tenn. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

ANNABEL DROUSSIOTIS, ) Appeal No. ) 01A01-9612-CV-00548 Plaintiff/Appellant, ) ) VS. ) ) Rutherford Circuit Case No. 31892 FILED CINDY DAMRON, DONALD DAMRON, ) and MRS. DONALD DAMRON, ) July 16, 1997 ) Defendants/Appellees. ) Cecil W. Crowson Appellate Court Clerk

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE MIDDLE SECTION AT NASHVILLE

APPEAL FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF RUTHERFORD COUNTY AT MURFREESBORO, TENNESSEE

HONORABLE J. S. DANIEL, JUDGE

Frank Fly 301 North Spring Street Murfreesboro, TN 37130 ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT,

Steven A. Dix 201 West Main Street Murfreesboro, TN 37130 ATTORNEY FOR DEFENDANTS/APPELLEES

AFFIRMED AND REMANDED

HENRY F. TODD PRESIDING JUDGE, MIDDLE SECTION

CONCURS:

BEN H. CANTRELL, JUDGE, WILLIAM C. KOCH, JR., JUDGE ANNABEL DROUSSIOTIS, ) Appeal No. ) 01A01-9612-CV-00548 Plaintiff/Appellant, ) ) VS. ) Rutherford Circuit ) Case No. 31892 CINDY DAMRON, DONALD DAMRON, ) and MRS. DONALD DAMRON, ) ) Defendants/Appellees. )

O P I N I O N

The captioned plaintiff has appealed from a summary judgment overruling her motion for

summary judgment against the defendants, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Damron, and rendering summary

judgment dismissing her suit against Mr. and Mrs. Donald Damron, parents of the third defendant,

Cindy Damron, against whom a jury verdict of $552,500.00 was rendered and made the judgment

of the Trial Court.

The complaint alleges that plaintiff was injured when struck by a vehicle operated by Cindy

Damron, 22 year old daughter of the appellees. As to the liability of appellees, the complaint states:

6. Plaintiff states that the vehicle operated by Defendant, Cindy Damron was purchased and/or maintained by Defendants, Mr.& Mrs. Donald Damron, who are the natural parents of Defendant, Cindy Damron, for the general use, pleasure and convenience of the family members, including Defendant Cindy Damron. Plain- tiff states that at the time of said collision, Defendant Cindy Damron was living at home with the parents as a dependent of said parents and that Defendant, Cindy Damron was using said vehicle for the family purpose of driving herself back and forth from said home in Coffee County, Tennessee to her classes at MTSU in furtherance of the family purpose of providing a college education for Defendant Cindy Damron with the express knowledge and consent of Defendants, Mr. & Mrs. Donald Damron, at the time of said collision.

7. In the alternative, Plaintiff states that Defendants, Mr. & Mrs. Donald Damron, purchased, provided or maintained said vehicle as a joint enterprise with Defendant, Cindy Damron, based upon the expressed or implied agreement between said parties to carry out the common purpose of providing trans- portation for the college education of Defendant, Cindy Damron and to engage in the expense sharing for said educational pur- pose with each party having an equal right to voice in the direction and to engage in the expense sharing for said educa-

-2- tional purpose with each party having an equal right to a voice in the direction and control of said common educational purpose. Accordingly, under the facts of this case and the law of Tennessee, any negligence attributable to Defendant Cindy Damron is hereby imputed to Defendants, Mr. & Mrs. Donald Damron under the Family Purpose Doctrine and/or the Joint Enterprise theory of law.

To these allegations, Mr. & Mrs. Damron responded:

6. The Defendants deny the allegations contained with Paragraph VI of the Complaint, and therefore, strict proof is demanded thereof.

7. The Defendants deny the allegations contained with Paragraph VII of the Complaint, and therefore, strict proof is demanded thereof.

Mr. & Mrs. Damron’s Motion for Summary Judgment states as grounds only the following:

Come now the Defendants, DONALD and MRS. DONALD DAMRON (hereinafter, DONALD and DONNA DAMRON), by and through counsel, and would respectfully move this Court, pursuant to Rule 56 of the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure, for summary judgment. The defendants would show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact regarding the theories of liability asserted against these Defendants. In support of this Motion, a contemporaneously filed brief is submitted, along with the Affidavit of CINDY DAMRON.

The unsworn memorandum contains no admissible evidence.

A subsequently filed affidavit of Cindy Damron states:

1. The vehicle I drove on the date of the accident in this case (March 31, 1993), was titled to me. A copy of the title is attached hereto as Exhibit 1.

2. I had owned the car since 1991.

3. I maintained my own policy of insurance on the vehicle.

4. I was 22 years of age on the date of the accident.

5. I had complete control and discretion over the use of the vehicle.

-3- 6. I was going to one of my college classes at the time of the accident.

The title certificate does not appear in the record with the affidavit.

Subsequently, plaintiff moved for summary judgment against Mr. & Mrs. Damron, relying

upon the affidavit/depositions of plaintiff, and the depositions of Mr. & Mrs. Damron which contain

evidence of the following facts:

(1) Cindy Damron’s parents had given her older brother a vehicle after he became old enough to drive.

(2) Cindy Damron’s parents likewise provided her younger brother with a vehicle after he became old enough to drive, the same vehicle they had originally given to her older brother.

(3) Neither Cindy Damron nor her parents bought or paid for the vehicle Cindy was driving at the time of the acci- dent because it was given to her by her Grandfather.

(4) Cindy’s father sometimes pays to renew the license plates on said vehicle.

(5) Cindy’s parents sometimes pay for the insurance on said vehicle.

(6) Cindy’s younger brother sometimes does the tune-ups on said vehicle.

(7) As a part of these tune-ups, Cindy’s younger brother worked on the transmission, radiator, and brakes of said vehicle.

(8) When Cindy paid her younger brother for repair work done on said vehicle, she paid with money that she got from her mother.

(9) Every time said vehicle needed repairs that were not done by Cindy’s younger brother, Cindy’s father carried said vehicle to the repair shop and paid for all such repairs.

(10) In addition, Cindy’s father bought and paid for the new battery in said vehicle and her father paid for new tires on said vehicle.

(11) Cindy’s older brother installed a new radio on said vehicle.

-4- (12) Cindy’s father filled up said vehicle with gasoline practically every Sunday afternoon so that Cindy could return from home in Tullahoma to MTSU, and he always paid for said gas himself.

(13) The tank of gas provided by Cindy’s father each Sunday afternoon would last her all week, until the next Sunday afternoon. - -- -

(1) Cindy drove said vehicle whenever she wanted.

(2) Cindy did not need anyone’s specific permission to drive said vehicle.

(3) Cindy’s father and younger brother would also drive said vehicle from time to time.

(4) Cindy used said vehicle to go from her parent’s home in Tullahoma to the grocery store, post office, and to visit friends and relatives.

(5) When Cindy used said car to go to the grocery store in Tullahoma, she would sometimes get food for every- body in her family.

(6) Cindy also used said car to run errands for the day care business operated by her mother at their home in Tullahoma, such as to go to the grocery store and buy food for all the children.

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