The Tennessee Court of Appeals recently ruled on a curious case of slip-and-fall.  In the case of Petros Goumas v. Jimmy Mayse, et al., the Tennessee Court of Appeals in Knoxville found that the Trial Court correctly granted summary judgments to the defendants.  The plaintiff was the fiancé of the daughter of the defendants, Jimmy Mayse and wife, Barri Mayse.  Goumas was staying with his future in-laws when he slipped on a rock and broke his arm.  It was daylight and dry at the time of the accident.  Goumas had worked on the property before and knew where the rock was located. Continue reading →

The doctrine of spoliation of evidence can cause major problems for both plaintiffs and defendants in civil litigation.  Often times, months or years pass before the defendant is notified of a claim.  As a result, defendants may have no notice that there is a duty to preserve evidence relevant to future litigation until after the evidence is discarded, lost or destroyed during the normal course of business.  It is paramount, therefore, that businesses understand the rules associated with spoliation of evidence and adopt sound policies and procedures to (a) identify a potential claim; and (b) take reasonable steps to preserve evidence material to the claim. Continue reading →