Elmer Richardson, Individully and as Surviving Spouse of Goldie H. Richardson v. City of Knoxville

Court of Appeals of Tennessee

Elmer Richardson, Individully and as Surviving Spouse of Goldie H. Richardson v. City of Knoxville

DecidedOctober 3, 1996

Docket03A01-9602-CV-00049

StatusPublished

This text of Elmer Richardson, Individully and as Surviving Spouse of Goldie H. Richardson v. City of Knoxville (Elmer Richardson, Individully and as Surviving Spouse of Goldie H. Richardson v. City of Knoxville) 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

Elmer Richardson, Individully and as Surviving Spouse of Goldie H. Richardson v. City of Knoxville, (Tenn. Ct. App. 1996).

Pincite

Opinion

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE FILED EASTERN SECTI ON October 3, 1996

Cecil Crowson, Jr. Appellate C ourt Clerk

ELM ER RI CHARDSON, I ndi vi du a l l y, ) KNOX COUNTY a n d a s Sur vi vi ng Spous e of ) 03A01- 9602- CV- 00049 Go l d i e H. Ri c ha r ds on, De c e a s e d ) ) Pl a i nt i f f - Appe l l e e ) ) ) v. ) HON. HAROLD W M I BERLY, ) J UDGE ) CI TY OF KNOXVI LLE ) ) AFFI RMED AS MODI FI ED De f e nda nt - Appe l l a nt ) a nd REMANDED

SHARON E. BOYCE OF KNOXVI LLE FOR APPELLANT

J OHN T. J OHNSON, J R. , OF KNOXVI LLE a nd BI LL FAI N OF SEYMOUR FOR APPELLEE

O P I N I O N

Godda r d, P. J .

The Ci t y of Knox vi l l e a ppe a l s j udgme nt s r e nde r e d i n

f a v o r o f El me r Ri c ha r ds on, s ur vi vi ng s pous e of Gol di e H.

Ri c h a r d s on, f or pe r s ona l i nj ur i e s r e c e i ve d by hi m a nd t he

wr o n g f u l de a t h of hi s wi f e i n t he a mount of $30, 000, a nd

$ 1 3 0 , 0 0 0, r e s pe c t i ve l y. The Ci t y r a i s e s t he f ol l owi ng t hr e e i s s ue s :

I. WHETHER THE TRI AL COURT ERRED I N FI NDI NG THAT THE CI TY OF KNOXVI LLE W 60 PERCENT AT FAULT AND THE AS UNKNOW DRI VER AND DRI VER, ELAI NE W N ASHAM W HALEY WERE J OI NTLY 4 0 PERCENT AT FAULT.

II. WHETHER THE TRI AL COURT ERRED I N FI NDI NG THAT THE CI TY OF KNOXVI LLE W NOT I M UNE FROM SUI T UNDER AS M TENNESSEE CODE ANNOTATED SECTI ON 29- 20- 203.

III. WHETHER THE TRI AL COURT ERRED I N ALLOW NG THE I TESTI MONY OF DR. GARY LETHCO AS TO THE CAUSE OF GOLDI E RI CHARDSON' S DEATH UNDER TENNESSEE RULE OF EVI DENCE 7 03.

The a c c i de nt gi vi ng r i s e t o t hi s s ui t oc c ur r e d on J un e

8 , 1 9 9 2 , whe n a n a ut omobi l e be i ng ope r a t e d by El a i ne W s ha m a

W a l e y , c r a s he d t hr ough a f e nc e e nc l os i ng t he Ri c ha r ds ons ' h

p r o p e r t y, vi ol e nt l y s t r uc k t he f r ont por c h of t he i r r e s i de nc e

wh e r e t he y we r e s i t t i ng, knoc ki ng down a br i c k wa l l e nc l os i ng t h e

p o r c h a nd s howe r i ng br i c k on t he m. Bot h we r e i nj ur e d a nd M s . r

Ri c h a r d s on di e d one mont h l a t e r , on J ul y 8, 1992.

The Ri c ha r ds ons ' r e s i de nc e s i t s a t t he i nt e r s e c t i on o f

Hi g g i n s Ave nue , whi c h r uns ge ne r a l l y i n a nor t h a nd s out h

d i r e c t i on, a nd Young Hi gh Pi ke , whi c h r uns ge ne r a l l y i n a n e a s t

a n d we s t di r e c t i on. Toml i ns on St r e e t , whi c h r uns i n a nor t h a n d

s o u t h d i r e c t i on, i nt e r s e c t s Young Hi gh Pi ke , j us t e a s t of Hi gg i n s

Av e n u e . ( Se e a ppe ndi x. )

Pr i or t o t he t i me of t he a c c i de nt , a bout 10: 45 a . m. , i t

h a d b e e n r a i ni ng h e a vi l y a nd t he s t r e e t s we r e we t . M . W l ey s ha

2 wa s r e t u r ni ng t o he r home , t r a ve l i ng i n a we s t e r l y di r e c t i on o n

Yo u n g Hi gh Pi ke , whi c h ha s a 30 mi l e - pe r - hour s pe e d l i mi t . Sh e

wa s t r a ve l i ng a t a ppr oxi ma t e l y 25 mi l e s pe r hour , i nt e ndi ng t o

t u r n r i ght ont o Hi ggi ns Av e nue . As s he a ppr oa c he d Hi ggi ns ,

a n o t h e r c a r , whos e dr i ve r wa s ne ve r i de nt i f i e d, r e l yi ng upon M . s

W a l e y ' s r i ght t ur n s i gna l , whi c h s he ha d a c t i va t e d, pul l e d i nt o h

Yo u n g Hi gh Pi ke , i nt e ndi ng t o t ur n l e f t a nd t r a ve l i n a n e a s t e r l y

d i r e c t i on. Al t hough M . W l e y i s uns ur e a bout t he move me nt o f s ha

h e r c a r , t he mos t r e a s ona bl e e xpl a na t i on i s t ha t of f e r e d by a n

e mp l o y e e of t he Ci t y' s Tr a f f i c Engi ne e r i ng De pa r t me nt t ha t M . s

W a l e y dr ove he r ve hi c l e of f t he r i ght s i de of t he r oa d, t he n h

o v e r c o r r e c t e d, c r os s i ng t he r oa d, dr i vi ng t hr ough t he f e nc e , a n d

t h e n i n t o t he br i c k wa l l e nc l os i ng t he por c h.

The a r e a e nc ompa s s i ng t he i nt e r s e c t i on of Young Hi gh

Pi k e a n d Hi ggi ns Ave nue ha d be e n t he s c e ne of a numbe r of

a c c i d e nt s , whi c h a r e a c c ur a t e l y s e t out i n M . Ri c ha r ds on' s r

br i e f :

Be t we e n J a nua r y 1, 1986 a nd J une 8, 1992, t he r e we r e t we nt y a ut omobi l e a c c i de nt s i n t he i mme di a t e v i c i ni t y o f t he i nt e r s e c t i on whe r e t he a c c i de nt o c c ur r e d out of whi c h t hi s l a ws ui t a r i s e s . On Oc t obe r 2 0 , 1987, a ve hi c l e c r a s he d i nt o t he f e nc e a t t he p r ope r t y whi c h ul t i ma t e l y t he Ri c ha r ds ons pur c ha s e d. Th e Ri c ha r ds ons pur c h a s e d t he s ubj e c t pr ope r t y i n t he s p r i ng of 1990. I n M y 1990, a not he r ve hi c l e r a n of f a t h e r oa d i nt o t he Ri c ha r ds ons ' ya r d a nd knoc ke d down a f e nc e . On M y 18, 1991, a mot or c yc l e s t r uc k a f e nc e on a t h e Ri c ha r ds ons ' pr ope r t y. On Nove mbe r 10, 1991, a mo t or c yc l e e nc r oa c he d upon t he Ri c ha r ds ons ' pr ope r t y a n d t he dr i ve r wa s ki l l e d. On M y 21, 1992, a not he r a v e hi c l e s t r uc k t he Ri c ha r ds ons ' f e nc e a nd c r a s he d i nt o t h e Ri c ha r ds ons ' a ut omobi l e , whi c h wa s pa r ke d i n t he d r i ve wa y.

3 M . W l e y d e s c r i be s t he a c c i de nt a nd he r a c t i ons a s s ha

f o l l ows :

Q. And t ha t da y wha t we r e you goi ng t o do?

A. W l l , I wa s goi ng ba c k e a nd t ur n on Hi ggi ns , b u t a c a r pul l e d out i n f r ont of me , a nd I gue s s I p r e t t y we l l muc h pa ni c ke d whe n i t pul l e d out i n f r ont o f me , a nd I pr oba bl y t ur ne d a l i t t l e bi t t oo s ha r p.

Q. Do you r e me mbe r whe n you we nt up on t he r i ght s i de of Hi ggi ns up i n t he gr a s s wi t h your c a r ?

A. Pr e t t y we l l muc h s o. I mus t ha ve hi t my b r a ke s , ' c a us e I s t a r t e d s l i di ng.

Q. The n wha t ha ppe ne d a f t e r t ha t , a f t e r you got u p i n t he gr a s s on t h e r i ght s i de of Hi ggi ns - -

A. I h i t t he f e nc e .

Q. You' r e t a l ki ng a bout t he f e nc e on Hi ggi ns a t t h e Ri c ha r ds ons ' hous e ?

A. Ye s . And t he l a s t t hi ng I r e me mbe r goi ng o v e r t hi s , but whe ne ve r I di d t ha t e vi de nt l y I f r oz e , a n d I mus t ha ve s t i l l ha d my f oot on t he br a ke , a nd I c o nt i nue d t o s l i de . I mus t ha ve ha d my f oot on t he b r a ke a nd t he ga s a t t he s a me t i me , be c a us e I c ont i nue d t o s l i de i nt o t he hou s e .

. . . .

Q. I be l i e ve a t your de pos i t i on you dr e w a d i a gr a m, Exhi bi t 1 t o your de pos i t i on, s howi ng t he o t he r c a r t ha t pul l e d out i n f r ont of you on Young Hi gh Pi ke ?

A. Uh- huh. Be c a us e I wa s t r yi ng t o ma ke t he t u r n, a nd I gue s s I got s c a r e d, a nd whe ne ve r I ma de t h a t t ur n, s he pul l e d out i n f r ont of me a nd I wa s ma ki ng my t ur n. And I t hi nk wha t I di d wa s , i ns t e a d of h i t t i ng my br a ke s , I t hi nk I wa s he r e , mus t ha ve s l i d o v e r he r e .

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