Case Citation
Legal Case Name

Camper v. Minor Case Brief

Tennessee Supreme Court1996Docket #2335601
915 S.W.2d 437 1996 Tenn. LEXIS 58 Torts Family Law

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
4 min read

tl;dr: A truck driver suffered severe emotional distress after witnessing the body of a driver he collided with. The Tennessee Supreme Court abandoned its old “physical injury” rule for NIED, adopting a new general negligence standard requiring proof of a “serious” emotional injury via expert testimony.

Legal Significance: This case established the modern standard for negligent infliction of emotional distress (NIED) in Tennessee, replacing the inconsistent “physical manifestation” rule with a general negligence framework requiring proof of a “serious” injury supported by expert evidence. It also affirmed the family purpose doctrine’s validity.

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Plaintiff Bobby Camper was operating a cement truck when a car driven by a 16-year-old, Jennifer Taylor, pulled into his path from an intersection, causing a fatal collision for Taylor. Camper sustained only a minor physical scrape and did not fear for his own safety during the incident. Immediately after the crash, he exited his vehicle and viewed Taylor’s body in the wreckage. Subsequently, Camper alleged he suffered serious emotional injuries, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety, for which he sought psychiatric care. He filed a suit for negligent infliction of emotional distress (NIED) against the administrator of Taylor’s estate and the vehicle’s owner. The defendants moved for summary judgment, arguing that recovery was barred because Camper had not suffered a physical injury and was not in the “zone of danger,” as he never feared for his own safety. The trial court denied the motion, but the Court of Appeals reversed, granting summary judgment to the defendants.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: What is the proper legal standard for a claim of negligent infliction of emotional distress (NIED) where the plaintiff suffers no significant physical injury but alleges severe emotional harm from witnessing the result of an accident?

The court abandoned the “physical manifestation” rule for NIED and adopted a Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deseru

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Legal Issue

What is the proper legal standard for a claim of negligent infliction of emotional distress (NIED) where the plaintiff suffers no significant physical injury but alleges severe emotional harm from witnessing the result of an accident?

Conclusion

This landmark decision modernized Tennessee's tort law by replacing an archaic, formulaic Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea comm

Legal Rule

A plaintiff may recover for negligent infliction of emotional distress (NIED) by Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fug

Legal Analysis

The Tennessee Supreme Court conducted a comprehensive review of NIED jurisprudence, noting Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, s

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Flash Summary

  • Abandons the physical injury/manifestation rule for negligent infliction of emotional distress
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate ve

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