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Say the words "slip and fall" and "grocery store," and a mental image of a shopper sliding across the produce section on a banana peel inevitably comes to mind. It's so cliché that it's almost humorous - unless you are a person who broke a bone or herniated a disc in a fall.The fact is that there are many serious injuries in grocery stores in Kentucky and across the nation each year, many of which could have been avoided had the store fulfilled its duty of care to the customer. Read More

Most people who own an automobile know that it is important to obtain a copy of the insurance policy. However, many consumers do not fully understand all of the different options that may be available to them, much less the many limitations and exclusions contained in a typical policy.When an accident happens, a misinformed consumer can be extremely surprised and disappointed to find out what exactly is and, perhaps more importantly, is not covered, especially after years of faithfully paying monthly premiums to the insurance company.As the plaintiff in a recent insurance dispute lawsuit found out, just a few words in an insurance policy can make a tremendous difference in the insurance company's responsibility to pay out certain benefits in the event of an accident. Read More

Generally speaking, businesses such as retail stores, restaurants, and even hospitals have a duty to keep their premises in a reasonably safe condition. When a business fails to do so, it can be held liable for the resulting physical injuries (or even a guest's wrongful death). Those injured or the family of someone who died can file a premises liability lawsuit.However, such cases are sometimes difficult to prove, and the plaintiff has the burden of establishing the defendant's liability. If the plaintiff is unable to make out a case of negligence, he or she will not be able to recover any monetary damages, regardless of the severity of the injuries sustained in the accident. Read More

By Nathan Vinson, Attorney English, Lucas, Priest and Owsley, LLPYou’d think giving money away would be easy, wouldn’t you? And for the most part, it is. But it’s important to pay attention to some of the details so you don’t end up getting socked with a tax bill or missing out on a tax deduction in return for your generosity.In our last post, we discussed how to give money to your children, grandchildren or anyone else you’d like without much complication (such as having to file a gift tax return).  Now, let’s turn to gifting that can net you a tax deduction on your income tax return (in addition to just making you feel good). Read More

It is not unusual for an insurers to balk at paying medical expenses for injuries suffered in a car accident or to take the stance that an accident was too minor to have resulted in a serious injury. Medical experts often disagree with this position, however, since each person has a different threshold for injury, and even a "minor" crash can cause permanently disabling injuries.In one recent case, chiropractic bills were the subject of a lawsuit in which an injured person sought to have those covered by an insurance company.  Read More

By Nathan Vinson, Attorney English, Lucas, Priest and Owsley, LLPIt’s a generous time of year.There are donations making their way to non-profits, and checks being written in lieu of gifts to family members. If you prefer to give money rather than gifts to children, grandchildren or others on your list, there are a few things you need to know before you write that check.We’ll address just giving to your children in this blog post; we’ll address giving to charities in part two later this month.The main point: your gift can trigger your obligation to file a gift tax return if you aren’t careful. We’ll walk you through who you can give to, how you can give and how much you can give. Here’s the official information from the IRS. Read More

How much do you know about your insurance coverage? For instance, if you have two cars insured under separate uninsured/underinsured motorist policies, do you assume that you are covered under both policies for an accident in either vehicle? Or do you know that there may be an insurance exclusion that applies?This issue was the subject of a recent Kentucky Supreme Court case in which the justices strongly disagreed about whether an "average American" could understand certain exclusions in two insurance policies issued to a man who was later hurt by an underinsured driver. Read More

When it comes to claims arising from an 18-wheeler accident, an injured person is often wise to "cast a large net" and name as many defendants as possible. This is because insurance coverage issues and policy limits can restrict the ultimate recovery from a particular defendant, but, if several defendants are named, it is more likely that the plaintiff will be fully compensated for his or her medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.Of course, the defendants named in a tractor-trailer wreck case may have a viable defense, and they have a right to seek the dismissal of the case against them on procedural grounds. In such cases, it is up to the courts to decide who stays and who goes. Read More

By Nathan Vinson, AttorneyEnglish, Lucas, Priest and OwsleyOwning a business is the American dream for many. It’s building something from your own hands that you’ve shaped and created. It’s long hours, and a labor of love – but in the end – it’s yours. And that’s a fantastic feeling if you’ve got an entrepreneurial streak.But that feeling of ownership is what keeps a lot of business owners from planning for the future. It’s hard to envision a time when your business will go on without you. Your failure to plan for that inevitability is your biggest vulnerability as an entrepreneur, and can rob you of the equity you’ve built over the years of business ownership.The best succession plan is one that you make before you need it. It’s on the shelf, ready to go, should something happen to you or other key business owners or managers. It is also a living plan, though, that you should review at least annually and update as needed, just as you would with any other estate documents such as a will or trust.Even if you don’t see yourself ever leaving your business, creating a plan is a good exercise in thinking about the strategy and purpose of your business, your role in it and the importance of having key people to help you execute your vision. You may find this article from the Small Business Administration on how to exit your business helpful. Read More

Some of the first concepts that law students are taught involve identifying the potential parties to a lawsuit and the appropriate court to file their claim. For instance, in order to seek relief in a court of law, a potential plaintiff must have standing. This means that the party has a sufficient connection to the issue to support that person's participation in the legal proceedings at issue.It's a simple enough idea. But what happens when a plaintiff dies before the matter is resolved? Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure 25.01 states that, unless the claim is extinguished by the plaintiff's death, another interested party (such as the successor or representative of the plaintiff) may file a motion to be substituted as the plaintiff.A Tennessee appellate court recently had an occasion to review a trial court's decision regarding this issue in a motor vehicle collision case. Read More