Akers v. J.B. Sedberry, Inc. case brief

Akers v. J.B. Sedberry, Inc. case brief summary
286 S.W.2d 617 (1955)

CASE SYNOPSIS

Defendants challenged judgment of the Chancery Court of Tennessee, which found in favor of plaintiffs in their suit for breach of employment contract.

CASE FACTS
Plaintiffs worked for defendant corporation under employment contracts. In a meeting with individual defendant, owner of defendant corporation, plaintiffs offered their resignations. Individual defendant did not accept the offer but proceeded with the meeting. Four days later, individual defendant notified plaintiffs that she accepted their offers of resignation. Individual defendant argued she had not refused the offers at the meeting and that they had not expired before her acceptance. The individual defendant also argued that the trial court improperly calculated damages under plaintiffs' employment contracts.

DISCUSSION

• The Court first held that, absent an express time limit on an offer, the offer generally expires at the end of the conversation at which it was made. 
• The evidence weighed in favor of a finding that individual defendant explicitly rejected the offers. 
• The trial court properly calculated damages under the terms of the contracts.

CONCLUSION
Judgment affirmed, as defendants breached the terms of plaintiffs' employment contracts.


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