Lisa Jones, Charlotte Tackett, and Jenetta Brock v. James Davenport, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Employment of Security and Lake City Health Care Center

• Court: Court of Appeals of Tennessee
• Decided: November 10, 1995
• Docket: 03A01-9506-CH00187
• Status: Published

Opinion

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE

EASTERN SECTI ON FILED November 1, 1995

Cecil Crowson, Jr. LI SA J ONES, CHARLOTTE TACKETT, ) C/ A NO. 03A01- 9506- CH- 0018 7 Appellate C ourt Clerk a n d J ENETTA BROCK, ) ) CAMPBELL CHANCERY Appe l l a nt s , ) ) HON. BI LLY J OE W TE, HI v. ) J UDGE ) J AM ES DAVENPORT, COM I SSI ONER, ) M TENNESSEE DEPARTM ENT OF ) EM PLOYM ENT SECURI TY, ) ) a nd ) ) LAKE CI TY HEALTH CARE CENTER, ) AFFI RMED ) AND Appe l l e e . ) REMANDED

M CHAEL C. M I URPHY, M r i s t own, f or Appe l l a nt s . or

CHARLES W BURSON, At t or ne y Ge ne r a l a nd Re por t e r , . ROBERT W STACK a nd J AM . ES H. TUCKER, J R. , As s i s t a nt At t or ne y Ge n e r a l , Na s hvi l l e , f or Appe l l e e , Commi s s i one r , Te nne s s e e De p a r t me nt of Empl oyme nt Se c ur i t y.

O P I N I O N1

Fr a nks . J .

1 The Court of Appeals' Rules provide:

RULE 10. AFFIRMANCE WITHOUT OPINION

(a) The Court, with the concurrence of all judges participating in the case, may affirm the action of the trial court by order without rendering a formal opinion when an opinion would have no precedential value and one or more of the following circumstances exist and are dispositive of the appeal:

(1) the Court concurs in the facts as found or as found by necessary implication of the trial court.

(2) there is material evidence to support the verdict of the jury.

(3) no reversible error of law appears.

Such cases may be affirmed as follows: "Affirmed in accordance with Court of Appeals Rule 10(a)." Appe l l a nt s ' a ppe a l f r om t he Cha nc e l l or ' s

d e t e r mi na t i on t ha t t he de ni a l of une mpl oyme nt be ne f i t s wa s

p r o p e r l y ba s e d on t he e mpl oye e s ' mi s c onduc t c onne c t e d wi t h

t h e i r wor k. Se e T. C. A. §50- 7- 303( a ) ( 2) .

The Cha nc e l l or i n f i ndi ng t he r e wa s " a mpl e e vi de nc e

f o r t h e de c i s i on" s a i d

t he a ppe a l s t r i buna l i n t hi s c a s e f ound t ha t t he e mpl oye e s we r e di s c ha r ge d i n a c c or da nc e wi t h t he e mpl oye r ' s wor k pol i c y of " c onduc t de t r i me nt a l t o pa t i e nt c a r e or c e nt r a l ope r a t i ons r e s ul t i ng i n ne gl e c t or a bus e of pa t i e nt " . The a ppe a l s t r i buna l f ound t ha t t he e mpl oye e s a l l owe d a pa t i e nt t o r e ma i n on t he f l oor f or a n i na ppr opr i a t e t i me pe r i od whi c h r e s ul t e d i n s e ve r e ne gl e c t or ha r mi ng of t he pa t i e nt . Thi s f i ndi ng wa s ba s e d upon t he t e s t i mo n y of e ye wi t ne s s e s . Thi s f i ndi ng of f a c t wa s a dopt e d by t he Boa r d of Re vi e w.

The i s s ue on a ppe a l i s whe t he r t he r e wa s s ubs t a nt i a l

a n d ma t e r i a l e vi de nc e t o s uppor t t he de ni a l of be ne f i t s .

T. C. A. §50- 7- 304( i ) . The r e i s t e s t i mony f r om wi t ne s s e s whi c h

wa s f o und c r e di bl e t o t h e e f f e c t t ha t t he pa t i e nt f e l l a nd wa s

a l l o we d t o r e ma i n on t he f l oor , c r a wl i ng a nd t hr a s hi ng a r ou n d

i n a p a r t i a l l y nude c ondi t i on f or up t o t hi r t y mi nut e s be f or e

b e i n g pr ope r l y r e s t r a i ne d a nd r e t ur ne d t o he r r oom by

a p p e l l a nt s , who we r e r e s pons i bl e f or t he pa t i e nt s ' car e.

W c onc l ude t ha t t he Cha nc e l l or ' s j udgme nt s houl d b e e

a f f i r me d pur s ua nt t o Rul e 10( a ) of t hi s Cour t .

Ac c or di ngl y, t he c a us e i s r e ma nde d t o t he Tr i a l

Co u r t wi t h c os t s of t he a ppe a l a s s e s s e d t o a ppe l l a nt s .

________________________ He r s c he l P. Fr a nks , J .

2 CONCUR:

_ _ _ _ _ ______________________ Do n T. M M r a y, J . c ur

_ _ _ _ _ ______________________ Ch a r l e s D. Sus a no, J r . , J .