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(`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular~&)C>3|x C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wptU(#$  0  -Bu Z$Arrus BT RomanLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5  R$      1    _ Rule10(CourtofAppeals).MemorandumOpinion.(b)TheCourt,withtheconcurrenceofalljudges  participatinginthecase,mayaffirm,reverseormodifytheactionsofthetrialcourtbymemorandumopinionwhena  formalopinionwouldhavenoprecedentialvalue.Whenacaseisdecidedbymemorandumopinionitshallbedesignated  "MEMORANDUMOPINION,"shallnotbepublished,andshallnotbecitedorreliedonforanyreasoninasubsequent T L unrelatedcase.# ~#(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularHP LaserJet 4050 Series PCL 5e,,,,0(hH  Z(Times New Roman ,cAZ"Arial Regular- -(|G2$ !.8dd8         0   d(|3r$ !.8dd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3r$ !.8dd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8dd8     _  8TqXXdd8  @ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @kk$ATNASHVILLE# #Ԉ .&   June2000Session T L XTqX #XXTq#BILLYR.STONEv.BELLSOUTHTELECOMMUNICATIONS,INC.,XTqX  R J @@ ADirectAppealfromtheCircuitCourtforRobertsonCounty R J @@No.8956TheHonorableRobertW._Wedemeyer_,Judge >6 @@*AV) ` dE<` A   @@TTNo.M199902256_COA_ԄR3CVFiledSeptember14,_2000_   AV) ` dE<` A      Plaintiff_nonsuited_Ԁcomplaintforpersonalinjuriesapproximatelyfouryearsaftersuitwasfiled   withouthavingtakenanyactiontoprosecutethesuit.Anothercomplaintwasfiledwithinoneyear  ofthe_nonsuit_Ԁpursuantto_T.C.A._Ԁ281105andsummonswasissuedthesameday.Thesummons  wasnotreturned,andplaintiff,onedayshortofayearlater,issuedalias_summones_Ԁandservicewas  effected.Defendantfiledamotiontodismissonthegroundthatthecomplaintwas"timebarred." x Thetrialcourt,whilefindingthatthesuitwasnottimebarred,dismissedthecomplaintonitsmerits ld forfailuretodiligentlyprosecute.Plaintiffhasappealed.Wereverse. XP  _Tenn.R.App.P._Ԁ3;AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourtReversed  0(   #XTqv#XTqX.W.FrankCrawford,P.J.,W.S.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichAlanE._Highers_,  J.andDavidR.Farmer,J.,joined.  GaryD._Copas_,Nashville,ForAppellant,BillyR.Stone   PatrickW.Turner,Nashville,ForAppellee,_Bellsouth_ԀTelecommunications,Inc. " J  #XXTqy #XTqX#XXTq #XTqX XTqXXXTq ..8dXXd8     @! MEMORANDUMOPINION   #  1      ׈ |$t! ___________________________________________________________________________ h%`"  CRAWFORD,J.  @'8 $ #XTqXX XTq #XTqXXXTq  Plaintiff/appellant,BillyR.Stone,appealstheorderofthetrialcourtgrantingamotionto   dismissfiledbydefendant/appellee,_Bellsouth_ԀTelecommunication,Inc.    Thefactsarenotindispute.OnOctober11,1993,plaintifffiledacomplaintallegingthat   onOctober12,1992,hetrippedoveratelephonelinenegligentlyplacedbydefendant.Avoluntary   _nonsuit_ԀwastakenontheoriginalcomplaintbyorderenteredJuly22,1997.Thecasebeforeuswas   filedonJuly21,1998,andsummonswasissuedthatdaytotheSheriffofHamiltonCounty.   However,thesummonswasnotreturned,andplaintiffissuedaliassummonsesonJuly20,1999.The | t summonseswereservedbycertifiedmailonAugust5,1999. h`   Defendantfiledamotiontodismissonthegroundsthatplaintiffscomplaintwastime @8  barred.Thetrialcourtgranteddefendantsmotiontodismissthecomplaint.Theorderstates: ,$  8  8`    ThedefendantsMotiontoDismisstheComplaintisgranted.   AlthoughtheCourtdoesnotbelievethatthecaseisbarredbythe   StatuteofLimitations,theCourtisoftheopinionthattheplaintiffhas   notdiligentlyprosecutedhisclaim,whichisforaninjurythat  allegedlyoccurredonOctober12,1992.` x` x 8  8`    Accordingly,theComplaintisdismissedwithprejudice.  Costsareassessedtotheplaintiffandsureties,forwhichexecution xp mayissue.d\` x` x 8  8`    SOORDERED,thisthe25thdayofOctober,1999.<4` x` x   Plaintiffhasappealed,andtheonlyissueforreviewiswhetherthetrialcourterredin   grantingdefendantsmotiontodismiss.    Plaintiffassertsthatthetrialcourterredinfindingthathehadnotdiligentlyprosecutedhis   personalinjuryclaim.Heassertsthatthepriorsuitwasvoluntarily_nonsuited_Ԁandtimely_refiled_ ! pursuantto_T.C.A._Ԁ#XTqXXXTq #XT XXXTq#XTqX XXTp#XTqXXXTqԀ281105(Supp.1999).Hearguesthatanyfailuretoprosecutemustbebased " onactionstakeninthesuitbeforeus.Defendantassertsthattheentirehistoryofthecase,including # plaintiffsfailuretoanswerdiscoveryrequestsassociatedwiththeoriginalcomplaint,shouldbe $  takenintoconsideration.Wedisagree.  t%l!   The savingsstatuteaccordsuntoaplaintiffwhofilesasecondactionwithinoneyearof L'D # thevoluntary_nonsuit_Ԁofhisfirstsuitthesameproceduralandsubstantivebenefitswhichwere 8(0!$ availabletotheplaintiffinthefirstaction. SeeEnergySavingProducts,Inc.v._Carney_ ,737 $)"% S.W.2d783(Tenn.Ct.App.1987).Sincetheplaintifftimely_refiled_Ԁhissuit,hisactionsin *#& prosecutingthesuitshouldbejudgedinaccordancewiththeproperlyfiledcomplaint.We,byno *#' means,condonetheconductofplaintiffsattorneyinhisprosecutionofthecomplaintoriginally +$( filed.Bythesametoken,itappearsthat_that_Ԁcasecouldhavebeenmovedforwardmore  expeditiouslyhaddefendantscounselutilizedtheavailablerulesofprocedure.Needlesstosay,it  appearsinexcusablethat_that_Ԁcaselanguishedinthecourtforapproximatelyfouryearsbeforeitwas  voluntarilydismissed.However,wearedealingwiththelawsuitfiledJuly21,1998.     Plaintiffissuedsummonsthedatethesuitwasfiled,andwhenitwasnotreturned,heissued   aliassummonseswithinoneyearoftheissuanceoftheoriginalsummons.Thisisauthorizedbythe   rules. See _Tenn.R.Civ.P._Ԁ3. | t   Uptothispoint,plaintiffhasprosecutedhissuitwithinthetimelimitsestablishedbyour TL  rules.Thus,astothepresentactionwecannotsaythattheplaintiffhasnotdiligentlyprosecutedhis @8  suit. ,$    Accordingly,theorderofthetrialcourtdismissingthecomplaintisreversed,andthecase   isremandedtothetrialcourtforsuchfurtherproceedingsasmaybenecessary.Costsoftheappeal   areassessedagainsttheappellee,_Bellsouth_ԀTelecommunications,Inc.,anditssurety.#XTqXXXTq#      `     h   __________________________________________     `     h   W.FRANKCRAWFORD,PRESIDINGJUDGE,_W.S._