WPC GofC P*עjYhtj&1(K ;,FPFY|B.C]qqFԃXNF/̃LM宻f} "k+s|N9_x,;pS kY&Nk4j?>He$ 0W 0D A?B{-s (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular9,t2 ~13|x C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wptU(hH  Z 6Times New Roman Regular  R-B$      2    _Thenoticerequirementcanalsobemetbyshowingthatthedefendantsmethodofoperationcausedthe  hazardoussituation. VickiRenaTrebingv.FlemingCos. ,40S.W.3d42,46(Tenn.Ct.App.2000).Utleymakesno t suchallegationintheinstantcase.Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(#$  0  HP LaserJet 4050 Series PCL 6,,,,0 Sysco R-B$      1    _TheaffidavitdoesnotmakeitclearwhenCookoverheadthatcomment.- -(|G2-B$ !.8dXXd8         0   d(|3AM$ !.8dXXd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3AM$ !.8dXXd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8dd8     _  8A)XXdd8  @ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @kk$ATNASHVILLE# #Ԉ &   November5,2001Session L XA)X #XXA)#ROBERTWADEUTLEY J v.  ^ ROBERTORRSYSCOFOODSERVICESCOMPANYXA)X  " r @@ AnAppealfromtheCircuitCourtforDavidsonCounty " r @@No.99C472BarbaraN.Haynes,Judge ^  @@*AV) ` dE<` A "  @@TTNo.M200002904_COA_ԄR3CVFiledAugust7,_2002_   AV) ` dE<` A     Thisisapremisesliabilitycase.Theplaintiffwasshoppinginastoreownedbythedefendantwhen  theplaintiffslippedandfellonaclearliquidsubstanceandsustainedpersonalinjuries.Theplaintiff  shoppersuedthedefendantstoreowneronatheoryofpremisesliability.Thetrialcourtgranted x summaryjudgmentinfavorofthedefendant.Theplaintiffnowappeals.Weaffirm,findingthat d theplaintiffsubmittedinsufficientevidencetocreateagenuineissueofmaterialfactregarding P whetherthestorehadactualorconstructivenoticeofthedangerousconditionpriortotheplaintiffs < fall. (x  Tenn.R.App.P.3;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourtisAffirmed  P   #XA)#XA)X.HollyKirbyLillard,J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichW.FrankCrawford,_P.J._, ( _W.S._,andDavidR.Farmer,J.,joined.  DonaldD._Zuccarello_,Nashville,Tennessee,fortheappellant,RobertWadeUtley.   EugeneN.Bulso,Jr.,andBarbaraHawleySmith,Nashville,Tennessee,fortheappellee,RobertOrr t"! SyscoFoodServicesCompany. `#" S OPINION #XXA)#XA)X 8% $ #XXA) #XA)X    #XXA)h #XA)X XA)XXXA)OnMarch27,1998,Plaintiff/AppellantRobertWadeUtley( Utley)wasshoppingfor '`"& grocerieswithRonaldCook( Cook)attheDefendant/AppelleeRobertOrrSyscoCashNCarry 'L#' Foodstore( Sysco).Whileshopping,Utleyslippedandfellonaclear,slipperysubstanceabout (8$( 15to20feetfromthecheckoutcounter.Utleysustainedpersonalinjuriesfromthefall.NoSysco )$%) employeeswereinthevicinityatthetime. *&*  ,',   OnFebruary19,1999,UtleyfiledalawsuitagainstSyscofordamagesfromhisinjurieson  atheoryofpremisesliability.UtleyallegedthatSyscokneworshouldhaveknownthatadangerous  condition,namelytheclearsubstanceonthefloor,existedonitspremises.Insupportofhisclaim,  UtleyfiledanaffidavitbyCook,whichstatedthattheclearsubstanceonwhichUtleyslipped t appearedtobeoil,thatitcoveredasignificantarea,andthatthoseattemptingtoassistUtleyhad ` troublemaintainingtheirbalance.Intheaffidavit,Cookassertedthatheheardan unnamed L  employeeofSyscosay thattheoilshouldhavebeencleanedupbeforeUtleyfell. #  1      ׀Cookalsostated 8  thathewaspresentwhenamanagerfromthestoreapproachedUtleyand apologizedforMr. $ t Utleysaccident.  `   InanswerstoSyscosinterrogatories,Utleycontendedthatamanagerofthestorecalledhim  8  twoweeksaftertheincident,apologized,andsaidthathewasawarethatsomeonehadspilledoil $  onthefloorandthatithadnotbeencleanedup.Utleysdepositionwaslatertaken.Syscoclaims   thatUtleysdepositiontestimonycontradictshisresponsestotheinterrogatories,clarifyingthatthe   storemanagermadenosuchadmission,butsimplycalledUtleyoutofconcern.Syscosubsequently   filedamotionforsummaryjudgment,assertingthatUtleyhadfailedtoprofferevidencefromwhich   thetrieroffactcouldreasonablyinferthatSyscohadcreatedthedangerousconditionorthatSysco p hadconstructiveknowledgeofitpriortoUtleysfall. \   OnOctober24,2000,thetrialcourtconductedahearingandsubsequentlyenteredanorder 4 grantingSyscosmotionforsummaryjudgment.Utleynowappeals,claimingthatthereissufficient  p evidencetocreateagenuineissueofmaterialfactregardingwhetherSyscohadactualorconstructive  \ knowledgeaboutthedangerousconditionpriortotheincident. H   Wereviewthetrialcourtsgrantofsummaryjudgmentdenovowithnopresumptionof   correctness. Warrenv.EstateofKirk ,954S.W.2d722,723(Tenn.1997); Bainv.Wells ,936   S.W.2d618,622(Tenn.1997).Summaryjudgmentisappropriatewhen thepleadings,depositions,  answerstointerrogatories,andadmissionsonfile,togetherwiththeaffidavits,ifany,showthatthere  isnogenuineissueastoanymaterialfactandthatthemovingpartyisentitledtoajudgmentasa  matteroflaw.Tenn.R.Civ.P.56.04.#XA)XX XA) # XA)XXXA)# X XA) # XA)X  l   Incasesinvolvingpremisesliability,thepremisesownerhasthedutytoexercisereasonable D! caretopreventinjurytopersonslawfullyonthepremises. See_Hardesty_Ԁv.ServiceMerchandise 0"  Co. ,953S.W.2d678,681(Tenn.Ct.App.1997).However,thepremisesownerisnotaninsurer #l! ofthesafetyofthosewhoentertheestablishment,anditisnotpresumedthattheownerisawareof $X" allthattranspiresonthepremises.Thus,i#XA)XX XA)# XA)XXXA)# X XA)# XA)X nordertoestablishaprimafacieclaimofpremises $D # liabilityagainstthepremisesownerforallowingadangerousconditiontoexist,theplaintiffmust %0!$ establisheither(1)thatthedefendantcreatedthedangerousconditionthatprecipitatedtheinjury, &"%  or(2)thatthedefendanthadactualorconstructivenoticeoftheconditionpriortotheplaintiffs '#& injury.  #  2      ׀ Id. at682.Inthiscase,UtleydoesnotallegethatSyscocreatedthedangerouscondition,   i.e.,theoilonthefloor,nordoesUtleyallegethatSyscohadactualknowledgeofthecondition.  Rather,UtleyclaimsthatSyscohadconstructiveknowledgeofthespilledsubstanceonthefloor  priortoUtleysfall. t   #XA)XX XA)# XA)XXXA)# X XA)# XA)X Generally,suchconstructiveknowledgecannotbeestablishedintheabsenceofa showing L  thatthedangerousconditionexistedforsuchalengthoftimethatintheexerciseofordinarycare, 8  thedefendantknew,orshouldhaveknown,ofitsexistence. Jonesv.HCAHealthServs.of $ t Tennessee,Inc. ,No.M199800490COAR3CV,1999Tenn.App.LEXIS827,at*4(Tenn.Ct.  ` App.Dec.17,1999); seealso Workmanv.WalMartStoresE.,Inc. ,No.M200100664COAR3  L  CV,2002Tenn.App.LEXIS228,at*8(Tenn.Ct.App.April4,2002)(holdingthatplaintiffis  8  requiredtoshowthatthedangerousconditionexistedforsuchalengthoftimethatthedefendant $  kneworshouldhaveknownofitsexistence);#XA)XX XA)!# XA)XXXA)# X XA)!"# XA)X  Ailsworthv.Autozone,Inc. ,No.W200003024COA   R3CV,2001Tenn.App.LEXIS960,at*11(Tenn.Ct.App.Dec.31,2001)(same); _Hardesty_ ,952   S.W.2dat683(same).# X XA)&# XA)X #XA)XX XA)%# XA)XXXA)     Inthiscase,UtleysubmittedonlyhisowntestimonyandCooksaffidavit.Inhisdeposition, p UtleystatedthatnoSyscoemployeeswerenearbywhenhefell,andthatSyscoemployeeWillie \ SwaffordapologizedfortheincidentandtoldUtleythatsomeonehadspilledshorteningoilonthe H floorandthatithadnotbeencleanedup.Inhisdeposition,UtleyacknowledgedthatSwafforddid 4 notknowwhospilledtheoilorhowlongithadbeenonthefloor.Utleyalsoadmittedthathedid  p notknowhowtheoilmayhavebeenspilled,andthatnoonetoldhimhowitspilled,whenitwas  \ spilled,orwhomayhavespilledit.Similarly,Cooksaffidavitcontainsnoindicationofhowlong H theoilhadbeenonthefloorpriortoUtleysfall. 4   Utleynotesthatthespillwascloseinproximitytothecheckoutregistersandthatitcovered   alargearea.FromthishearguesthatareasonablejurycouldinferthataSyscoemployeeshould  haveknownthattheoilwastherebeforeUtleyfell.Whiletheproximityofthespilltothe  employeesworkstationisrelevant,itisnotsufficientinandofitselftoestablish thatasufficient  timeintervalhadpassedtochargethepremisesownerwithconstructivenoticeofthespilledoil. l  Workman ,2002Tenn.App.LEXIS228,at*9*10.Underthesecircumstances,wefindthatthe X  trialcourtwascorrectingrantingSyscosmotionforsummaryjudgment. D!   Thedecisionofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Costsaretobetaxedtotheappellant,Robert #l! WadeUtley,andhissurety,forwhichexecutionmayissue,ifnecessary. $X" #XA)XX XA)'#    `     h     ___________________________________ &"%    `     h     HOLLYKIRBYLILLARD,JUDGE#XXA)`'#