WPC B6xp8jbK\Ή{Tt fZ'KpX6&}jk_1\v'O3Yt.JrCZEA+\sD qcrP*Yv\sl?*!x(md<]?!1hE9>䲷-O^?q6Ĉmd6njQw?t͒c%B{ح; bHˬ:;$F5S{W鸵/WQZO0M B=g}ۘbͻ]J{"@^ƭF֨c)؛Pcd iWnH{hf#=8]`I!Aj56lF-S{>L^ _W[4z:r'hY #P1r<+td @\0u C1BO[kr#D1D1,#D1D1 #D1D10  0T$T$08T$T$08T$8T$) ZT$T$   0      8   )6(XXXX6 Plaintiff/Appellant,  )  AppealNo. * z    )  01A019804CH00203 :  v.   )     J     )  WilliamsonChancery Z  GREGORYENTERTAINMENT,INC.)  No.II24914R2 j     ) Defendant/Appellee.  )   @P P  APPEALFROMTHECHANCERYCOURTOF   @ WILLIAMSONCOUNTYATFRANKLIN,TENNESSEE @! ! THEHONORABLEHENRYDENMARKBELL,JUDGE 4 DAVIDA.LUFKINLUFKINHENLEY&CONNERAttorneysatLaw530S.GaySt.7thFloor D  Knoxville,Tennessee37902 AttorneyforPlaintiff/AppellantJ.RUSSELLFARRARJOHNE.CARTERFARRAR&BATES,L.L.P.211SeventhAvenue,N.,Suite320Nashville,Tennessee372191823 AttorneysforDefendant/Appellee@ $ #D1REVERSEDANDREMANDED#D1# #  40+)  #D1D1N#   PATRICIAJ.COTTRELL,JUDGE 2-+ CONCUR:KOCH,J.CAIN,J.  :d52 & &7XXdXXd7 &  @%#D1 MEMORANDUMOPINION#D1#2 #     D1D1 Theprimaryissueinthiscaseiswhetherthetrialcourtshouldhavegranted 0 PlaintiffsmotiontoamenditscomplainttocorrectdeficienciesthatwereraisedbyDefendantinamotionforjudgmentonthepleadingsD1D1.Plaintiffdisputesthat `  theComplaintisdeficient,butrequestedtobeallowedtoamendtheComplaintbyattachingdiscoverabledocumentsthatwouldhavebeenintroducedattrial.Weareoftheopinionthatleavetoamendshouldhavebeengranted. TheunderlyinglawsuitinvolvestheAppellantinsurersattemptstocollectpaymentforworkerscompensationinsurancecoveragewhichAppellantassertswasprovidedandAppelleedenieswaspurchased.Thepartiesfilingsinthetrialcourtindicatethattheywereclearlyawareofthebasisofthedispute.FidelityandCasualtyclaimsitprovidedabenefit(workerscompensationinsurancecoverage)andthatGregoryEntertainmentfailedtoprovidecompensationforthatbenefit.Fromthebeginningofthelawsuit,GregoryEntertainmenthasdefendedonthebasisitneversignedacontractwithFidelityandCasualtytoprovidetheinsurancecoverage. Whatcouldhavebeenarelativelystraightforwardlawsuitbecameprocedurallycomplicated.AdiscoverydisputeemergedwhenGregoryEntertainmentsoughttodeposeFidelitysemployeewhoseaffidavitwasattachedtotheComplaint.ThedepositionwasnoticedfortwodaysbeforeChristmas,bynoticedatedDecember3.Initially,onDecember22,Fidelityresistedthedepositionclaimingnoknowledgeofthatemployee,andrequestingthatanydepositionsofFidelitybetakenatFidelitysofficeorbytelephoneorinwriting.Later,Fidelityattemptedtocorrectitserrorregardingitsemployee,butsoughttohavethedepositionoftheoutofstateemployeetakenbywritteninterrogatoryorbytelephone. Meanwhile,otherskirmisheswereescalating.TheComplaintonSwornAccountwasfiledAugust28,1997;theAnswerwasfiledOctober13,1997;PlaintifffiledaMotionforDefaultJudgment;anAmendedAnswer(underoath)wasfiledonOctober27,1997;DefendantfiledaMotionforJudgmentonthePleadingsonJanuary12,1998,allegingPlaintifffailedtostateaclaimand,alternativelyrequestedacontinuanceofthetrialwhichhadbeensetforFebruarybyagreedorderwhichalsowithdrewthemotionfordefaultjudgment;onJanuary 94A 28,1998,Plaintiffrequestedacontinuanceofthehearingonthemotionforjudgmentonthepleadings,whichhearinghadbeensetforJanuary26;onFebruary6,1998,PlaintifffiledaResponsetoDefendantsMotionforJudgmentonthePleadings;onFebruary6,1998,thetrialcourtdismissedthecomplaintwithoutprejudice,findingdefendantsmotiontobewelltaken,apparentlyfindingadefectunderTenn.R.Civ.P.10.03inthefailuretoattachdocument(s)underlyingthelawsuit.ThetrialcourtnotedthatPlaintiffhadsuggestedanysuchdefectcouldbecuredbyamendment. Rule15.01oftheTennesseeRulesofCivilProcedureprovidesthatleavetoamend shallbefreelygivenwhenjusticesorequires.OurSupremeCourthasrecognizedthatthislanguageinRule15.01 substantiallylessenstheexerciseofpretrialdiscretiononthepartofatrialjudge.Branchv.Warren, Y 527S.W.2d89at91,92(Tenn.1975);seealsoCravenv.Lawson,534S.W.2d D 653,655(Tenn.1976). Intheinstantcase,judgmentonthepleadingswasrenderedinfavorofdefendantresultingindismissaloftheaction.Inconsideringwhethertograntamendment,atrialcourtshouldconsiderseveralfactors,including unduedelayinfilingtheamendment,lackofnoticetotheopposingparty,badfaithbythemovingparty,andthefutilityofamendment.Gardinerv.Word,731S.W.2d !$ 889,89192(Tenn.1987).Thetrialcourtdidnotaddressanyofthesefactors,andbaseduponourreviewoftheentirerecord,weareunabletofindanyofthefactorsmilitatingagainstamendment#'2'2` #'2'2oranyinjusticewhichwouldresultfrom g&!* amendment. oSincePlaintiffofferedtoamenditsComplainttoattachdocuments,thisCourtneednotaddresstheissueofwhetheroqTennqtq.qtqqtqRqtrq.uleoqrts.stsstsCiv.stsstsProc.stssuesseeRuleofCivilProcedureus10.03requiredthatsothedocumentsowowereowooworequiredowoowotoowoowoowobeattachedtotheComplaint.oItappearstousthatamendmentisthemoststraightforwardmethodtofurtherresolutionofthisapparentlystraightforwarddispute.Rule1oftheTennesseeRuleofCivilProcedureprovides, nTnheserulesshallbeconstruedtosecurethejust,speedy,andinexpensivedeterminationofeveryaction.Thispolicyisfurtheredinthiscasebyallowingamendment. Theorderofthetrialcourtdismissingplaintiffscomplaintand,thereby,denyingplaintiffsrequestforleavetoamendisvacatedandplaintiffisallowedtoamendthecomplaint. 94B vp   pv Thiscaseisremandedtothetrialcourtforfurtherproceedings.Inviewoftheproceduralhistoryofthiscase,thecostsofappealaretaxedtoAppellant.#'2'25#   ________________________________     PATRICIAJ.COTTRELL,JUDGECONCUR:_________________________WILLIAMC.KOCH,JUDGE__________________________WILLIAMB.CAIN,JUDGE