ÿWPCv 1# ¾U DÉ %  0( 0”;4Ïãòw@ú 0D: 0J~ 0TÈ 0^ 0hz 0râ 0|T 0†Ð 0V 1uæ 0d[ 0@¿ D3ÿ B)2 DC[ AMž Bë U* 2 AQ: Æ‹ 0DQ 0D• D/Ù Bv~%vÓ£˜HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,ü,,,,,ü0nLHÎ8§ÖhZŠ,Century-WP RegularX($¡¡(D(2´¤$¤¤Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  ÝÒ°ÒÒX°ÒÓ  Óà ` àòòÚ  Ú0Ú  ÚóóŒƒ*#3|xj V[W[X[Y[Z[D\D]^Ó€j(#Ã$òòÚ  Ú0Ú  Úóó2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò&&&&'ÿÿdxd% Line 7 d####7Border 1dd* $Cþÿ << Gÿÿ d< Œ 9p`(Arial þÝ ƒ!ÝÔ€ÔÝ  ÝÝ ƒ+"ÝÝ  ÝÔ€'ÔÔ€'ÔÓ  ÓÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€'XÔÌÌò òSeptember€24,€1997ÌÌCecil€Crowson,€Jr.ÌÔ€'ôÔAppellate€Court€Clerkó ó*+ ,-Cþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3¯$¢¢Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  Ý($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó..'÷ÿ dxdüÿP PdPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHÚ(d'hStyl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÒ  h HD: Geneva ÒÒ  h HD: Geneva ÒÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€ÔÝ  Ý›Ò  ÒÒ ° ÒÒ  ÒÒ X ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑœÑ\R AØ'\Ñ›Þ ÞÌà@ àIN€THE€COURT€OF€APPEALS€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àWESTERN€SECTION€AT€JACKSONÌ______________________________________________________________________________ÌÌBILLY€J.€JOHNSON,€ET€AL.,à àà àà àClaims€Commission€No.€101„959Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àC.A.€No.€02A01„9609„BC„00224̜ـ*ÙßR€%($A1-j|4` Å `€€@ÿRß›à àPlaintiff,Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àHon.€Martha€Brasfield,Ïà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àCommissioner€ofÏClaimsÌv.à àà àà àà àà àà àà àÌÌSTATE€OF€TENNESSEE,ÌÌà àDefendant.ÌÌMIKE€MOSIER€and€J.€COLIN€MORRIS,€Mosier€&€Morris,€Jackson,€Attorneys€forÏPlaintiff.ÌÌJOHN€KNOX€WALKUP,€Attorney€General€and€MARY€G.€MOODY,€AssistantÏAttorney€General,€Nashville,€Attorneys€for€Defendant.ÌÌò òòòREVERSED€AND€REMANDEDó óóóÌÌOpinion€filed:Ì______________________________________________________________________________ÌÌò òTOMLIN,€Sr.€J.ó óà@ àÌà àà àà àà àà àà àÌÓÓÔ€Ôà àœJoshua›€David€Johnson€(hereinafter€ð ðJoshðð),€age€4,€was€struck€andÏinjured€by€a€van€driven€by€Leeann€Waldrop€on€a€Jackson€city€street.€€At€theÏtime€of€the€accident€Ms.€WaldropÔ€Ô€was€an€employee€of€the€TennesseeÏDepartment€of€Human€Services€and€was€acting€within€the€scope€of€herÍemployment.€€œJoshððs›€father,€Billy€J.€Johnson,€(hereinafter€ð ðPlaintiffðð)Ïfiled€a€notice€of€claim€on€his€behalf€œagainst€the›€State€of€Tennessee,Ïalleging€negligence€on€the€part€of€Ms.€Waldrop.€€This€claim€was€transferredÏto€the€Claims€Commission,€who€after€a€hearing€found€that€Plaintiff€hadÏfailed€to€carry€the€burden€of€proof€that€Ms.€Waldrop€was€driving€her€van€atÏan€excessive€rate€of€speed€or€that€she€failed€to€keep€a€proper€lookoutÏahead.€€The€Commissioner€found€from€all€the€proof€that€the€proximateÏcause€of€the€accident€was€œJosh›€suddenly€darting€from€behind€a€dumpsterÏinto€the€path€of€Ms.€Waldropððs€van.€€While€Plaintiff€has€appealed,€we€are€ofÏthe€opinion€that€Defendant€has€more€clearly€stated€the€issues.€€They€are:Ïwhether€the€Commissioner€erred€in€finding€that:€(1)€Ms.€Waldrop€was€notÏdriving€the€van€at€an€excessive€rate€of€speed€at€the€time€of€the€accident;Ï(2)€Ms.€Waldrop€was€maintaining€a€proper€lookout€ahead;€(3)€the€proximateÏcause€of€the€accident€was€the€act€of€œJosh›€in€riding€his€bicycle€into€theÏpath€of€the€state€van.€€For€the€reasons€hereinafter€stated,€we€reverse€theÏdecision€of€the€Commissioner.Ìà àWe€adopt€as€our€statement€of€facts€a€portion€of€the€final€order€ofÏthe€Commissioner,€wherein€the€facts€were€set€forth€as€she€found€them:ÌÓÓÌà8 àThe€accident€occurred€at€approximately€11€a.m.€on€June€4,Ï1991,€on€Westwood€Gardens€Drive€in€Jackson,€Madison€County,ÏTennessee.€€Westwood€Gardens€Drive€is€depicted€in€Exhibit€8,Ïwhich€was€not€drawn€to€scale.€€It€is€a€two„lane€street€runningÍnorth€and€south€with€angled€parking€on€each€side€of€the€street.€ÏThere€are€many€residential€units€located€on€the€street€in€whichÏmany€children€who€play€in€this€area€live.€€There€is€a€sidewalkÏwhich€runs€north€and€south€between€the€angled€parking€spacesÏand€the€yards€and€the€residential€units.€€Because€of€the€largeÏnumber€of€children€who€live€in€the€area,€the€posted€speed€limitÏis€fifteen€miles€per€hour.ÌÌà8 àThe€southernmost€end€of€Westwood€Gardens€Drive€is€a€dead„end.€€The€northernmost€part€of€the€street€trisects€intoÏWestwood€Avenue.€€A€fire€station€is€located€at€the€southwestÏcorner€of€this€trisection.€€Directly€south€of€the€fire€station,Ïfacing€Westwood€Gardens€Drive€is€the€Boys€Club€where€boysÏand€girls€who€live€in€the€area€go€for€activities€during€theÏÑ7€ iXXdðXXdð7Ñsummer.€€Snake€Hill€road€trisects€Westwood€Gardens€Drive€onÏthe€east€side€of€the€street€approximately€mid„way€betweenÏthe€dead„end€section€and€Westwood€Avenue.€€A€corner€marketÏis€located€at€the€northeast€corner€of€the€trisection€ofÏWestwood€Gardens€Drive€and€Snake€Hill€Road.€€A€DempseyÏdumpster€is€located€on€the€east€side€of€the€street€in€the€angledÏparking€spaces€north€of€the€corner€market.ÌÌà8 àOn€June€4,€1991,€Josh€lived€with€his€parents,€Billy€J.€JohnsonÏand€Phyllis€Johnson,€and€two€older€brothers,€ages€six€and€eight,Ïin€Unit€29B€which€is€a€duplex€unit€located€on€the€west€side€ofÏthe€street€to€the€south€and€west€of€the€corner€market.€€On€thisÏday,€Joshððs€two€brothers€had€gone€to€the€Boyððs€Club.€€Josh,€whoÏwas€four,€was€too€young€to€attend€the€club.€€He€was€outsideÏplaying€with€a€neighborððs€child.€€Once€during€the€morning,€heÏhad€come€inside€to€get€a€drink€of€water€and€had€returnedÏoutside.€€At€some€point,€he€left€his€friend€and€began€riding€aÏbicycle.ÌÌà8 àMs.€Waldrop€was€a€case€worker€for€the€Department€of€HumanÏServices.€€At€approximately€11€a.m.€she€had€completed€a€visitÏwith€a€client€who€lived€at€the€dead„end€section€of€WestwoodÏGardens€Drive.€€She€was€familiar€with€the€area€and€was€awareÏof€the€large€number€of€children€who€played€in€the€area.€€SheÍwas€proceeding€north€on€Westwood€Gardens€Drive€towardÏWestwood€Avenue€in€a€1986€Dodge€Van.€€She€approached€theÏmarket€and€noticed€a€large€number€of€children€and€slowedÏdown.€€Mr.€Gerald€Thomas,€the€Program€Director€of€the€BoyððsÏClub,€had€accompanied€this€group€of€approximately€fiftyÏchildren€from€the€Club€to€the€market€so€that€they€couldÏpurchase€their€lunches.€€He€was€standing€in€the€parking€lot€atÏthe€market€when€he€observed€Ms.€Waldrop€as€she€proceededÏnorth€on€Westwood€Gardens€Drive.€€At€approximately€the€sameÏtime,€he€also€observed€Josh€who€was€riding€his€bicycle€on€theÏsidewalk€on€the€east€side€of€the€street€(same€side€as€theÏmarket)€and€heading€south€toward€the€market.€€He€realized€thatÏJosh€was€about€to€turn€into€the€street€but€did€not€see€theÏactual€turn.€€Josh€did€turn€into€the€street€and€was€struck€by€Ms.ÏWaldropððs€van.€€Ms.€Waldrop€never€saw€Josh.€€She€heard€a€loudÏnoise,€looked€in€her€rearview€mirror,€saw€the€child€lying€in€theÏstreet,€realized€she€had€struck€him€with€her€van€and€stopped.€ÏThe€bicycle€was€dragged€under€the€van€from€the€point€ofÏimpact€to€the€point€where€Ms.€Waldrop€stopped€the€van.ÌÌÌÓÓà àIn€this€case€Plaintiff€has€the€duty€of€proving€the€following€elementsÏof€his€claim:€(1)€a€duty€of€care€owed€by€the€Defendant€to€the€Plaintiff;€(2)Ïconduct€of€the€Plaintiff€falling€below€the€applicable€standard€of€careÏamounting€to€a€breach€of€that€duty;€(3)€an€injury€or€loss;€(4)€causation€inÏfact;€and€(5)€proximate,€or€legal€cause.€€òòMcClenahan€v.€Cooleyóó,€806€S.W.2dÏ767,€774€(Tenn.€1991).€€Ô€ÔÌà àThe€scope€of€this€courtððs€review€of€a€decision€of€the€ClaimsÏCommissioner€is€òòde€novoóó€upon€the€record€before€the€Commissioner.€€AllÏfindings€of€fact€made€by€the€Commissioner€come€to€this€court€with€aÍpresumption€of€correctness,€unless€we€find€that€the€evidenceÏpreponderates€against€these€findings,€requiring€an€affirmance€by€thisÏcourt.€€T.C.A.€ðþÿð€50„6„225(e)(2).€€Ìà@ àò òI.€The€SpeedÔ€Ô€Issue.ó óÌà àThere€were€three€witnesses€who€testified€concerning€the€issue€ofÏMs.€Waldropððs€speed.€€One€was€Ms.€Waldrop€herself.€€The€other,€also€anÏeyewitness,€was€Gerald€Thomas,€director€of€the€Boys€Club,€located€thereÏin€Westwood€Gardens.€€The€third€was€the€investigating€officer€of€theÏJackson€Police€Department,€who,€in€addition€to€testifying€as€to€theÏlocation€of€the€state€van€and€the€œslide›€marks€œmade€by›€the€dragging€of€theÏbicycle,€œalso€testified›€as€to€only€what€Ms.€Waldrop€told€him€œin€regard€toÏher€speed€at›€the€time€he€made€his€investigation€at€the€scene.€€Ìà àLarry€Freeman,€a€veteran€of€twenty„three€years€on€the€JacksonÏPolice€Department,€was€the€investigating€officer.€€œHe€testified€that€at€the›Ïscene€Ms.€Waldrop€stated€that€she€was€driving€north€on€Westwood€GardensÏwhen€Josh€came€out€from€behind€a€dumpster€[located€to€her€right]€riding€aÏbicycle€and€that€he€came€out€so€fast€that€she€did€not€realize€what€hadÏhappened€until€she€looked€in€the€rearview€mirror€and€saw€the€child€lying€inÏthe€street.ò ò€€œó óOfficer€Freeman€further€testified€that€Ms.€Waldrop€stated›€œthatÏð ðshe›€was€not€traveling€any€more€than€twenty€miles€œper›€hour€and€probablyÍnot€that€fast.ðð€The€posted€speed€limit€is€concededly€fifteen€miles€perÏhour.Ìà àPhotographs€taken€by€Officer€Freeman€were€introduced€at€theÏhearing€below.€€One€of€the€photographs€was€taken€while€the€state€van€wasÏstill€parked€in€the€œroadway›€where€it€had€come€to€a€stop€after€the€accident.€ÏWhile€the€photograph€shows€no€skid€marks€from€tires,€it€does€showÏscratch€marks€or€ð ðslide€œmarksðð›€as€described€by€the€officer.€€These€slideÏœmarks,›€cÔ€Ôontinuous€in€nature,€were€described€as€having€been€made€by€theÏbicycle€of€the€lad€that€had€been€caught€underneath€the€van.€€While€theÏofficer€did€not€measure€the€length€of€these€marks,€œby›€observing€them€inÏthe€œphotograph›€from€the€beginning€point€up€to€the€rear€of€the€van€it€wouldÏappear€to€be€clearly€at€least€fifty€feet,€if€not€slightly€more.€€Ì€€€€€€€The€witness€Thomas,€program€director€for€the€Boys€Club,€wasÏaccompanying€a€group€of€boys€from€the€club,€some€fifty€in€number,€down€toÏa€neighborhood€market€in€the€project€to€get€lunch.€€Thomas€was€standingÏnear€the€market,€south€of€the€dumpster€that€Josh€came€out€from€œbehind›Ïwhen€he€observed€the€state€van€driven€by€Ms.€Waldrop€pass€by€him€at€theÏmarket.€€Thomas€was€not€exact€in€his€œtestimony›€œbut,›œ›€on€one€occasion€heÏstated€that€she€was€going€at€least€twenty€to€twenty„five€miles€per€hourÏand€subsequently€that€she€was€traveling€between€fifteen€to€twenty„fiveÍmiles€per€hour.€€In€response€to€a€question€as€to€whether€the€speed€œMs.ÏWaldrop€was›€œtraveling›€was€safe€under€the€circumstances,€ThomasÏresponded€in€the€negative,€stating€that€they€had€problems€in€this€housingÏproject€all€the€time€with€children€crossing€the€œstreet›€and€that€one€had€toÏbe€œvery›€cautious€in€this€area.Ìà àMs.€Waldrop€testified€that€she€had€been€employed€by€the€TennesseeÏDepartment€of€Human€Services€for€fourteen€years€and€that€she€had€been€inÏand€out€of€Westwood€Gardens€for€many€years.€€She€was€fully€aware€thatÏmany€children€played€unsupervised€in€the€streets.€€She€stated€that€justÏbefore€the€accident€she€had€realized€that€it€was€near€lunch€œtime›€and€sheÏwas€indecisive€as€to€whether€to€go€to€her€home,€in€the€neighborhood,€forÏlunch€or€to€return€to€the€office.€€She€had€made€the€decision€to€return€to€theÏoffice€and€was€proceeding€north€to€Westwood€Avenue€when€the€accidentÏhappened.€€She€stated€that€while€she€did€not€see€her€speedometer,€she€wasÏof€the€opinion€that€she€was€going€fifteen€to€twenty€miles€per€hour.€€Ìà àMost€respectfully,€in€our€opinion€the€evidence€preponderates€againstÏthe€finding€of€the€commissioner€that€the€speed€of€Ms.€Waldrop€was€not€aÏcontributing€cause€or€approximate€cause€of€the€accident.€Ìà@ àò òII.€Maintaining€a€Proper€Lookout.ó óÌà àA€driver€of€a€vehicle€is€required€to€exercise€ordinary€care€inÍmaintaining€a€proper€lookout,€such€as€an€ordinary€person€would€do€underÏthe€same€or€similar€circumstances.€€òòColeman€v.€Byrnesóó,€242€S.W.2d€85Ï(Tenn.€App.€1950).Ìà àGerald€Thomas,€an€eyewitness€to€many€of€the€events€herein,Ïtestified€that€just€before€the€accident€Josh€was€riding€his€bicycle€in€aÏsoutherly€direction€on€the€sidewalk€on€the€east€side€of€the€street.€€At€thatÏtime€Ms.€Waldrop€was€driving€north€on€the€same€street,€with€someÏdistance€between€the€two€parties€involved.€€Ms.€Waldropððs€view€of€youngÏJosh€to€the€right€side€of€the€street€was€blocked€in€part€by€the€presence€ofÏa€large€dumpster€container,€located€in€the€€parking€area,€along€with€someÏparkedÔ€Ô€automobiles.€€Thomas€testified€that€about€two€to€three€secondsÏelapsed€between€the€time€Josh€turned€to€his€right€to€cross€the€street,Ïplacing€him€in€the€path€of€Ms.€Waldropððs€van,€and€the€sound€of€the€impactÏof€the€van€striking€Josh€and€his€bike.€€œÌà àMs.›€Waldrop€testified€that€she€never€saw€Josh€or€his€bike,€and€thusÏnever€applied€her€brakes,€until,€after€hearing€a€noise€œwhich€was€apparentlyÏthe€scraping€of€the€bicycle€under€the€van€on€the€pavement.€€She€looked€inÏher€rearview€mirror,€saw€the€lad€lying€in€the€street€behind€the€van€andÏthereupon€applied€her€brakes,€bringing€the€van€to€a€stop.€€Ìà àIn€addition,€a€photograph€of€the€van€taken€by€Officer€Freeman€at€theÍscene€shows€that€the€damage€from€the€collision€was€on€the€front€of€theÏvan,€to€the€left€or€on€the€driverððs€side€of€the€front.€€The€photographÏshowing€the€bicycle€under€the€driverððs€side€of€the€van€and€the€location€ofÏthe€slide€marks€in€the€asphalt€made€by€the€bicycle€placed€the€van€near€theÏcenter€of€the€road.€€Albeit€a€short€distance,€Josh€and€his€bicycle€couldÏhave€been€seen€by€a€motorist€in€the€roadway€as€he€traveled€from€the€westÏside€of€the€dumpster€to€the€point€in€the€roadway€where€the€collisionÏoccurred.€€We€are€of€the€opinion€that€the€evidence€preponderates€againstÏthe€finding€of€the€commissioner€that€at€the€time€of€the€accident€Ms.ÏWaldrop€was€maintaining€a€proper€lookout€ahead€and€acting€in€a€reasonableÏand€prudent€manner.Ìà@ àò òIII.€Proximate€Cause.ó óÌà àIn€her€final€order,€the€Commissioner€was€of€the€opinion€thatÏproximate€cause€was€the€determinative€issue€in€this€litigation.€€We€agree.€Ïð ðWhat€is€meant€by€ððproximate€causeðð€is€not€necessarily€that€which€is€nextÏor€last€in€time€or€place,€but€that€which€is€a€procuring,€efficient€andÏpredominate€cause.€€Closeness€in€causal€relation,€rather,€is€the€meaning.ðð€Ï(òòCitations€Omittedóó).€€òòColeman€v.€Byrnesóó,€242€S.W.2d€85,€91€(Tenn.€App.Ï1950),€òòSeeóó€òòalsoóó€òòNash€v.€Loveóó,€447€S.W.2d€593,›€598€(Tenn.€App.€1968).€ÏConsidering€our€disposition€of€the€prior€two€issues,€we€are€of€the€opinionÍthat€the€evidence€preponderates€against€the€commissionerððs€finding€thatÏJoshððs€act€of€darting€in€front€of€Ms.€Waldropððs€vehicle€was€òòtheóó€proximateÏcause€of€the€accident€and€his€injuries.€€In€our€opinion,€there€is€sufficientÏevidence€to€establish€œthat›€excessive€speed€under€the€circumstances€andÏthe€failure€of€Ms.€Waldrop€to€maintain€a€proper€lookout€ahead€each€couldÏserve€as€a€proximate€cause.€€Ìà àAccordingly,€the€judgment€of€the€commissioner€is€reversed.€€ThisÏcause€is€remanded€to€the€Tennessee€Claims€Commission€for€such€furtherÏproceedings€as€are€necessary€not€inconsistent€with€this€opinion.€€Costs€inÏthis€cause€on€appeal€are€taxed€to€Defendant,€for€which€execution€mayÏissue€if€necessary.€€ÌÌÓÓÔ€Ôà àà àà àà àà àà à__________________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àTOMLIN,€SR.€J.ÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà à__________________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àCRAWFORD,€P.€J.€W.S.€€€€€€€€(CONCURS)€ÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà à__________________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àHIGHERS,€J.€à àà àà àœ(CONCURS)›œÔ€Ô›