Lutz v. John Bouchard & Sons Co.

575 S.W.2d 7, 1974 Tenn. App. LEXIS 148
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedApril 26, 1974
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 575 S.W.2d 7 (Lutz v. John Bouchard & Sons Co.) 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
Lutz v. John Bouchard & Sons Co., 575 S.W.2d 7, 1974 Tenn. App. LEXIS 148 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1974).

Opinion

OPINION

TODD, Judge.

The defendant, Rex Beeler, individually and d/b/a Tennessee Boiler Company, has filed in this Court a petition for the writs of certiorari and supersedeas seeking relief from an order of the Trial Judge requiring that the deposition of Dr. Donald Kinser be taken by the plaintiff.

This is a suit for personal injuries sustained by plaintiff, an employee of Hamilton National Bank, as a result of the explosion of a mechanical device being used by defendants in repair work on the premises of said bank. The complaint alleges dangerous propensities of said machine, failure to discover and warn of same, and relies upon the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur.

One of the defendants, John Bouchard and Sons Company, Inc., has heretofore been dismissed by summary judgment, leaving only the defendant, Rex Beeler, individually and d/b/a Tennessee Boiler Company, before the Court.

[9]*9On October 16,1973, plaintiff gave notice to defendant of the taking of the deposition of Dr. Donald Kinser on November 1, 1973.

On the same date, plaintiff also gave notice of taking the deposition of the same witness on November 6, 1973.

On October 19, 1973, defendant filed a motion to quash the notice for deposition of Dr. Kinser on the following grounds:

“Pursuant to the orders of this Court, the defendant turned over to plaintiff’s counsel the metal fingers from the turbine machine involved in this case in order that plaintiff, and/or his expert, might examine, inspect or test said objects, with the stipulation that the objects should not be physically altered and thereafter plaintiff’s attorney took the objects to Dr. Donald L. Kinser, a metallurgist who had been employed as an expert by the defendant, and requested an examination and opinion, which was declined for the reason that said person had previously been employed by the defendant as an expert to examine said objects, and his findings of fact and opinion were privileged and not available to the plaintiff or his attorney, and now the plaintiff’s attorney has given notice that the deposition of Dr. Donald L. Kinser will be taken on November 6, 1973, without the consent of Dr. Donald L. Kinser, or the defendant who employed him.”

In support of said motion to quash, defendant filed the affidavit of its attorney to the effect that Dr. Donald L. Kinser had been previously employed by defendant to inspect the parts of the broken machine and give his opinion concerning same; that said services have been rendered; that plaintiff has not made reasonable effort to secure the services of another expert and is attempting to establish and prove his case at the expense of defendant.

Plaintiff filed the affidavit of his attorney that he had previously used the services of Dr. Kinser and his associates in other cases; that he (plaintiff’s attorney) had great respect for the integrity and ability of Dr. Kinser and his associates; that he had offered to pay defendant one-half of the cost of employment of Dr. Kinser in return for access to his findings in which event “it might not be necessary” to hire another expert; that said offer was refused; that the nearest qualified expert was in Atlanta, Georgia; and that plaintiff had agreed to pay the witness $100.00 to give the proposed deposition.

On November 12, 1973, the motion to quash was set for hearing; there was no appearance for the plaintiff; and the motion was sustained. Thereafter, on November 14, 1973, the previous action of the Court was superseded by an order requiring that the deposition be taken on December 5, 1973.

The last mentioned order is the subject of the present petition for certiorari and su-persedeas.

The plaintiff has filed in this Court a “Motion to Dismiss” on the following grounds:

“1. The petition shows on its face that it is an appeal from a purely interlocutory matter.
2. The brief of law filed by the defendant in support of the petition erroneously states the applicable law.
3. Assuming arguendo that Tennessee has adopted the old minority cases cited by the defendant, the ruling of the trial court would still involve a matter of discretion and fact finding and should not be disturbed by piece-meal, interlocutory appeal.”

In Medic Ambulance Service, Inc., et al. v. McAdams, 216 Tenn. 304, 392 S.W.2d 103 (1965), the Supreme Court said:

“[10] We concede the order of the trial court was not a final one as insisted by plaintiff, but we think it is subject to review by the appellate courts on petition for the writ of certiorari.
‘ “Certiorari” at common law performed the function of aid to a review and supervision of the proceedings of inferior boards and tribunals by a superior tribunal, not taking the place of appeal or writ of error, but bringing up the entire record in order to a determination wheth[10]*10er there had been an absence or excess of jurisdiction, or a failure to proceed according to the essential requirements of the law.’ Conners v. City of Knoxville, 136 Tenn. 428, 189 S.W. 870 (1916).
“As said in the case of Taylor v. Continental Tenn. Lines, 204 Tenn. 556, 322 S.W.2d 425 (1959):
‘We have repeatedly held that it is error to grant a discretionary appeal in a court of law; and appeals to this Court in such cases are dismissed as being premature. However, in a proper case errors complained of in a judgment not final in form or substance, is subject to review by the appellate courts upon a petition for the writ certiorari.’
“In the case of Wattenbarger v. Tullock, 197 Tenn. 279, 271 S.W.2d 628 (1954), this Court said:
‘It is settled by the case of State ex rel. McMorrow v. Hunt, 137 Tenn. 243, 192 S.W. 931 (1916), that this supervisory or superintending writ may be granted in a proper case although the decree is not final.’
“We think the error here complained of amounted to an illegality which is fundamental, as distinguished from an irregularity, a technical or formal error not affecting jurisdiction or power; and, although not a final order or judgment, is, nevertheless, reviewable by the common law writ of certiorari. State ex rel. McMorrow v. Hunt, supra.” 216 Tenn., pp. 320, 321, 392 S.W.2d at 111.

The foregoing disposes of grounds 1 and 3 of the motion to dismiss.

Ground 2 of the motion to dismiss is addressed to the merits of the petition which will be discussed hereafter.

The Motion to Dismiss is respectfully overruled.

As to the merits of the petition for certiorari, the facts are undisputed. The defendant had previously contracted with Dr. Donald Kinzer to examine the broken parts of the subject machine and to render his expert opinion thereon. Dr. Kinzer had made such examination; but, so far as the record shows, had rendered no formal, written report to defendant.

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Bluebook (online)
575 S.W.2d 7, 1974 Tenn. App. LEXIS 148, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lutz-v-john-bouchard-sons-co-tennctapp-1974.