WPC? 2# UN %% 0(+w@S4 0l 0D"f 0@n 0J 0T 0^L 0h 0r 0| 0 0 1u 0d B D3 U>? B)} DC AM U*6 (` AQ  0D 0D D/' BV{sv~vlHP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLH(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($ UeDDӀa"pz3|x((3$ !      0  (#$  0  ("$    2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X d 'dxd<  9p`(&Times New Roman% Line 7 d$$$$7Border 1dd* %C << G<  9p`(Arial  !#d##  +"  ''   YYY FILED'X August18,1997CecilCrowson,Jr.'AppellateCourtClerk *+ ,-C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  ($$   1  ..' dxdP Pd q !#d##   $       Rule10(CourtofAppeals).MemorandumOpinion .(b)TheCourt,withconcurrenceofalljudgesparticipatinginthecase,mayaffirm,reverseormodifytheactionsofthetrialcourtbymemorandumopinionwhenaformalopinionwouldhavenoprecedentialvalue.Whenacaseisdecidedbymemorandumopinionitshallbedesignated MEMORANDUMOPINION,shallnotbepublished,andshallnotbecitedorreliedonforanyreasoninasubsequentunrelatedcase.PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'hStyl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   h HD: Geneva  h HD: Geneva ! . #  \RA'\` ` pX\RA'\7e[XXdd7ћ @ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE,WESTERNSECTION@ ATJACKSON @ _______________________________________________________ ) C.A.No.02A019703CV00056 STEVECARROLLandwife , ) McNairyCountyCircuitCourt TAMMYCARROLL , ) No.4251 ) ̀Plaintiffs/Appellants. ) HON.JONKERRYBLACKWOOD, ) JUDGEVS. )  ) AFFIRMEDANDREMANDED J.R.ROACH , ) ) OPINIONFILED:̜*R&(%A1-j|xQ`  `@RߛDefendant/Appellee. ) ) W.J.REYNOLDS ,Reynolds&ReynoldsLawFirm,Savannah,forPlaintiffs/Appellants. CHARLESM.PURCELL ,Waldrop&Hall,P.A.,Jackson TERRYABERNATHY ,LawOfficesofTerryAbernathy,SelmerforDefendant/Appellee.______________________________________________________________________________@ MEMORANDUMOPINION /   ______________________________________________________________________________  ` ` X      FARMER,J.  SteveCarrollandwifeTammyCarrollsuedJ.R.RoachtorecoverfordamagessustainedasaresultofavehicularaccidentbetweenacardrivenbyMr.CarrollandatruckandtrailerdrivenbyMr.Roach. Followingabenchtrial,thetrialjudgefoundthatMr.Carrollsnegligencewas50%ormoreofthetotalnegligenceofthepartiescompared,thustheplaintiffsrecoveryisbarred. McIntyrev.Balentine ,833S.W.2d52(Tenn.1992).Theplaintiffscontendonappealthatthetrialcourtsrulingwasinerror.Ourreviewofthismatteris denovo ontherecordwithapresumptionthatthetrialcourtsfindingsoffactarecorrectunlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Rule13(d)T.R.A.P. TheaccidentoccurredinaruralareaofMcNairyCountyattheintersectionofBethesdaRoadandPurdyRoad.Priortotheimpact,Mr.Carrollwasdrivinga1991ChevroletautomobileinagenerallywesterlydirectiononBethesdaRoadandMr.Roachwasdrivingatrucktractorwitha25foottrailerinagenerallyeasterlydirectiononPurdyRoad.BethesdaRoadcurvestotheleftataboutthepointwherePurdyRoadintersectswithit.ThereisastopsigngoverningtrafficonPurdyRoad. Mr.Carrolltestifiedthathehadnomemoryoftheaccidentatallandwasunabletoestimatehisspeed.Hewasdrivingtheautomobilenormallydrivenbyhiswife,althoughhehasdrivenitonnumerousoccasions. Mr.J.R.Roachtestifiedthatheandhisbrother,JamesRoach,werehaulinghay.Astheyapproachedtheintersection,hestoppedatthestopsign,sawnothingcomingandproceededtopullontoBethesdaRoadwhichwouldentailhimbearingtohisleftashepulledawayfromthestopsign.AshestartedtopullontoBethesdaRoad,hesawavehiclecomingintheoppositedirectiononBethesdaRoad airbornedoverthehill.Heslammedonhisbrakesandcuthiswheels.Heestimatedhisspeedatapproximately10m.p.h.priortoapplyinghisbrakes.WhenhefirstsawthecarheestimatedthataboutonethirdoronequarterofthecarwasoverthecenterlineofBethesdaRoad.Asthecarapproachedhistruck,thecarturnedsideways,hitaditchonthecarsrightside,thencamebackandhitthetruck.Hedescribedtheimpactasturningthecabbackintheotherdirectionandstatedthatthetruckwasstoppedpriortoimpact.Thecarstruckthecabofthetruckabouttherightfrontwheel.HeestimatedMr.Carrollsspeedat60to80m.p.h.,possiblymore.Hetestifiedthatafterhistruckcametoastop,thewholetwolanesofBethesdaRoadwerecleartoMr.Roachsrightandalsosometentotwelvefeettotheshoulderoftheroadwascleartohisleft.HetestifiedthathemeasuredthedistancefromthetopofthehillfromwhichMr.Carrollwascomingtowardhimtobesomethingmorethan300feettothepointofimpact. JamesRoach,thedefendantsbrother,wasapassengerinthetruck.HetestifiedthatJ.R.pulleduptothestopsignandstopped.Jameslookedtohisrightandtoldhimitwasclearinthatdirection.ThetruckpulledforwardandJ.R.said [w]eregoingtogethit.JamesRoachthensawtheapproachingcaroverthehilltravelingat aprettyfastspeed.Asthecarcametowardthetruckitcamesidewaysintheroad,gotofftheroadontograveltothedriversright,thenbackontotheroadjustshortlybeforeimpact. Theonlyothereyewitness,TinaLittlejohn,wascalledbytheplaintiffs.ShetestifiedthatshesawtheaccidentfrominsideherhouseandsawtheRoachtruckcomingatahighrateofspeed.ShetestifiedthatthetruckdidnotstopandthattheCarrollcarwastryingtoleavetheroad.ShetestifiedthatthetruckwasinCarrollslaneatthetimeofimpact.Ms.Littlejohntestifiedoncrossexaminationthatshewearsglassesbutwasnotwearingthemthatday.Shetestifiedthatsheneedsherglasses toseegood.ShefurthertestifiedthatMr.J.R.Roachwasnotdrivingthetruck,butcameuponthesceneabout15minuteslater.Shetestifiedthattherewere6or7highwaypatrolmenpresentatthesceneandthatthemeninthetruckdidnotgotothecartotrytohelpMr.Carroll.J.R.Roachtestifiedthattherewereonly2highwaypatrolmenwhocametothescene.BothJ.R.andJamesRoachtestifiedthat,aftertheycrawledoutofthewindowofthetruck,theywentimmediatelytothecarwhereJ.R.RoachcrawledinsidethecarandheldMr.Carrollsheaduntilhelparrived. AppellantscontendthattheevidencethattheRoachvehiclewasoverthecenterlineofBethesdaRoadatthetimeofimpact,coupledwiththetestimonyofMs.Littlejohn,shouldnegatethetrialcourtsimputationofthegreaterfaulttoMr.Carroll.ItisapparentfromtherulingofthecourtbelowthatitfoundthetestimonyofJ.R.RoachandJamesRoachtobemorecrediblethanthatofMs.Littlejohn.Thetrialjudgehadtheopportunitytoseeandhearthewitnesses,toobservetheirappearanceanddemeanor.Hisdeterminationoftheircredibilityisentitledtogreatweightonappeal. TennTexPropertiesv.BrownellElectro ,778S.W.2d423(Tenn.1989); TownofAlamov.ForcumJamesCo. ,327S.W.2d47(Tenn.1959).Afterreviewingthisrecord,wedonotfindtheevidencetopreponderateagainstthetrialcourtsfindingthatMr.Carrollsnegligencewas50%ormoreofthetotalnegligenceofthepartiescompared. Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmedandthecostsofthisappealaretaxedtotheappellants,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.      ____________________________________      FARMER,J.______________________________CRAWFORD,P.J.,W.S.(Concurs)______________________________LILLARD,J.(Concurs)