Joseph C. Thomas v. The Standard Fire Insurance Company - Concur

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE AT KNOXVILLE

December 10, 2015 Session

JOSEPH C. THOMAS, ET AL. V. THE STANDARD FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY, ET AL.

Appeal from the Chancery Court for Hamilton County No. 12-0328 Jeffrey M. Atherton, Chancellor

No. E2015-01224-COA-R3-CV-FILED-FEBRUARY 17, 2016

D. MICHAEL SWINEY, C.J., concurring.

I concur fully in the majority’s decision in this case. I write separately only to express my opinion that the appropriate summary judgment standard to be applied by Tennessee courts now is as set forth in Rye v. Women’s Care Center of Memphis, MPLLC, ___ S.W.3d ___, 2015 WL 6457768 (Tenn. 2015), rather than Tenn. Code Ann. § 20-16-101. I believe our Supreme Court intended for the retroactive application of Rye when it stated: “In civil cases, judicial decisions overruling a prior cases generally are applied retrospectively.” Rye, ___ S.W.3d at ___n.9, 2015 WL 6457768 at *35 n.9. While there may be very little, if any, difference between the summary judgment standard as set forth in Rye and as contained in Tenn. Code Ann. § 20-16-101, I believe Rye sets the standard and is controlling on the courts of this State.

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D. MICHAEL SWINEY, CHIEF JUDGE