In a recent lawsuit against Grundy County, Chattanooga attorney Thomas E. LeQuire secured a dismissal in a lawsuit when the plaintiff agreed to dismiss the case. The case involved the death of a passenger in a car fleeing from a deputy sheriff. The deceased woman’s mother sued the county, the sheriff, and the deputy sheriff on various theories of liability. Early in the case, Tom was able to get all claims dismissed except for the one against the county for alleged negligence of the deputy.
Tom filed a motion for summary judgment on that remaining claim, based on the statute that provides immunity to a local government and its employees for claims of injury to a fleeing suspect. The case law interprets that statute to apply to passengers as well as to the driver.
Following the filing of that motion for summary judgment, the mother agreed to dismiss the case.
Tom is a senior partner at Spicer Rudstrom, concentrating his practice primarily on local government liability defense, including GTLA claims, federal civil rights claims, and general tort liability defense, particularly in serious personal injury cases. He is the managing member of the firm’s Chattanooga office and has received an AV-Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell.