WPC # VU:a % 0(b w4  0J 0TZ 0^ 0h 0rt 0| 0b 0 1ux 0d U*Q B){ DC AM 4v~1v B D3 0@ AOa 0D' D/k BHP LaserJet 4Si/4SiMX PS 600dpiPSCRIPT0 ,rAZ"Arial RegularX($- -Ӏ D dddP#3|x 2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23    ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(Arial% Line 7 d7Border 1dd-C << G !  #d#     YYY FILEDXSeptember20,1996CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk  PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'@Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   BA Op Geneva  BA Op Geneva  d%%%%'dxd("$    -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! .       \RA'\7XXdd7    JANETKAUFMANand   )JESSEKAUFMAN,    )      ) Plaintiff/Appellants,   )      ) AppealNo.      ) 01A019604CV00165VS.      )      ) DavidsonCircuitL !;+'h|`  `L      ) No.93C229OPRYLANDUSA,INC.,   )      ) Defendant/Appellee.  )@ COURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ MIDDLESECTIONATNASHVILLEAPPEALEDFROMTHECIRCUITCOURTOFDAVIDSONCOUNTYATNASHVILLE,TENNESSEETHEHONORABLEMARIETTAM.SHIPLEY,JUDGEROSEMARYE.PHILLIPSP.O.Box590Goodlettsville,Tennessee370700590 AttorneyforPlaintiffs/AppellantsParksT.ChastainBREWER,KRAUSE,BROOKS&MILLSSuite2600,TheTower611CommerceStreetNashville,Tennessee37203 AttorneyforDefendant/Appellee@ AFFIRMEDANDREMANDED       BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGECONCUR:TODD,P.J.,M.S.KOCH,J.  @ OPINION X  Inthisslipandfallcasethejuryreturnedaverdictforthepropertyowner.Onappeal,theplaintiffsassertthatthetrialjudgescommentswhileoverrulingamotionforanewtrialshowthatshedisagreedwiththeverdict;thatinperformingherdutyasthirteenthjurorsheshouldhavesettheverdictaside.Weaffirm.@ I.   Afterthejurysverdict,theplaintiffmovedforanewtrialonthefollowingground: ThelawandevidenceinthiscausepreponderatesinfavoroftheplaintiffsandagainsttheDefendant.Afterhearingargumentsonthemotionthetrialjudgestated: 0    THECOURT:Okay.Well,obviously,whatbothofyouhaveparticularlyconcentratedonistheoriginalquestionofwhethertherewasliabilityofOpryland.AgreatdealofthetrialwastakenupwiththedamagestoMs.Kaufmanandwhethershewasinjuredinthefirstfallorinjuredinthesecondfallandsoforth.Soitappearstomethismorningbylookingatyourbriefs,andIvereviewedmynotesparticularlyastotheliabilitypart,thatalotofthisdoescenteraroundthefactofwhetherMs.ThrasherdidgivenoticeorwhetherOprylandwasonnoticebythatpreviousfallthattherewasadangerousconditionhere. AndIthinktomethisobviouslywasajuryquestion.Idontthinkitcouldhavebeenadirectedverdict,soIcanprobablylookatbothsidesofthisquestion.Butasthe13thjuror,withoutreallycommentingfurtherontheevidencebecausethatseemstogetusintrouble,ImjustgoingtosaythatIapprovetheverdictofthejuryinthiscase.      Immediatelyafterthecourtoverruledthemotionforanewtrial,thedefendantargueditsmotionfortheawardofdiscretionarycosts.Inthecourseofthatdiscussionthetrialjudgestated[I]dothinkthey[theplaintiffs]hadalegitimateclaim.@ II.   Whenapartymovesforanewtrialonthegroundthattheverdictisagainsttheweightoftheevidence,itisthedutyofthetrialjudgetoweightheevidenceanddeterminewherethepreponderancelies.JamesE.StratesShows,Inc.v.Jakobik,554S.W.2d613(Tenn.1977).Ifthetrialjudgeisdissatisfiedwiththeverdictitisherdutytosetitaside.Vaulxv.TennesseeCentralRailroadCompany,120Tenn.316,108S.W.1142(1907).  Theappellatecourtsfunctionisnottoreweightheevidencebuttoseeifthetrialjudgeproperlyreviewedtheevidenceandwassatisfiedordissatisfiedwiththeverdict.Millerv.Doe,873S.W.2d346(Tenn.App.1993).Ifthetrialjudgeapprovestheverdictwithoutcommenttheappellatecourtspresumethatsheproperlyperformedherfunctionasthirteenthjuror.Holdenv.Rannick,682S.W.2d903(Tenn.1984).Ifthetrialjudgemakescommentsontherecordwhenoverrulingamotionforanewtrial,theappellatecourtwillexaminethecommentstodetermineifthethirteenthjurorfunctionhasbeenproperlycarriedout.Id.  Inthiscasewethinkthetrialjudgeproperlyperformedherdutyasthirteenthjuror.Wecannotinferfromanyofhercommentsthatshedidnotweightheevidenceorthatshedisagreedwithwherethepreponderancelay.Thefactthatthetrialjudgethoughttheplaintiffshadalegitimateclaimdoesnotindicateanythingmorethanherbeliefthattheclaimwasnotfrivolous.  ThejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmedandthecauseisremandedtotheCircuitCourtofDavidsonCountyforanyfurtherproceedingsnecessary.Taxthecostsonappealtotheappellants.      _____________________________      BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGECONCUR:_______________________________HENRYF.TODD,PRESIDINGJUDGEMIDDLESECTION_______________________________WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE   X @ %