Elder v. Smith
Elder v. Smith
Opinion of the Court
The purpose of the summary judgment is not to by-pass a jury trial but to eliminate the necessity therefor when there is no genuine issue of fact, and the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Holland v. Sanfax Corp., 106 Ga. App. 1 (126 SE2d 442); Caldwell v. Gregory, 120 Ga. App. 536 (171 SE2d 671); Connors v. City Council of Augusta, 120 Ga. App. 499 (171 SE2d 578). It enables the trial judge to filter out the sham issues in order to avoid needless and time-consuming litigation. But any doubt as to the existence of an issue is resolved against the movant. Thus we must examine the evidence in this light to determine if the movant-appellant carried the burden of removing doubt as to the existence of a jury issue in this case. Examination of the defendant’s testimony by deposition discloses that the defendant in “jacking up” the vehicle was aware that it was doing some slipping, and while the plaintiff was under the automobile, the jack slipped, and the automobile fell on the plaintiff. It is argued that the plaintiff had knowledge that the jack was slipping, and even if the de
The deposition of the plaintiff’s mother was that, when she
It is noted that the plaintiff testified that the defendant was at the jack and operating it at the time it fell, and that he did not say anything to him at all; that the jack was not going up at the time the jack fell. He was not asked specifically whether the defendant told him to get out from under the car because the jack was slipping, but from the questions and answers in the deposition it shows the plaintiff’s testimony is contradictory of the defendant’s, as to how the alleged injury occurred. Examination of the depositions clearly shows that the defendant admits knowledge of the defective jack, but claims the plaintiff knew of such defect in the jack and thus assumed an obviously dangerous position in reference thereto. The defendant claims he advised the plaintiff that the jack was slipping and to get out from under the car. Examination of the plaintiff’s testimony shows he testified that no such warning was given.
But above all, the defendant’s admission against his interest at the hospital to the mother of the plaintiff makes an issue for determination by a jury as to whether or not a claim exists. In Central of Ga. R. Co. v. Mosely, 112 Ga. 914 (3) (38 SE 350) the Supreme Court held that the court erred in refusing to admit evidence by the defendant that the plaintiff had “admitted ‘that the injury was caused by his own fault, and that nobody was at fault but himself.’ ” This evidence, the court said, created an issue for the jury to decide. Similarly, see Wade v. Drinkard, 76 Ga. App. 159 (5) (45 SE2d 231); Rentz v. Collins, 51 Ga. App. 782 (2) (181 SE 678); Hobbs v. New England Ins. Co., 212 Ga. 513, 519 (93 SE2d 653) and citations at page 520. Of course, the rule of law is that such admissions shall be scanned with care. Code § 38-420. But. whose duty is it to do this? A jury alone. Phoenix Ins. Co. v. Gray, 113 Ga. 424 (2) (38 SE 992); Smith v. Page, 72 Ga., 539, 544; Burk v. Hill, 119 Ga. 38 (45 SE 732); Wootten v. Braswell, 48 Ga. App. 312 (2) (172 SE 679).
From examination of the testimony, neither the alleged negligent acts of the plaintiff nor of the defendant are so plain,.
All of these questions should be resolved by a trial in the ordinary manner rather than by summary adjudication, and the trial court correctly overruled the defendant’s motion for summary judgment.
Judgment affirmed.
Dissenting Opinion
On motion for summary judgment by a defendant in a tort action in which the petition alleged that the defendant “negligently caused” an “automobile” to fall upon the plaintiff, it appeared without dispute that plaintiff, who had some experience in the matter, volunteered to help the defendant install some shock absorbers on an automobile, and that in the process it was discovered by both parties that an automobile jack being used to raise and lower the automobile was doing some slipping and that in the course of the operation while the plaintiff was under the automobile, the jack slipped and the automobile fell on the plaintiff. Such evidence refutes the charge that the defendant negligently caused the automobile to fall upon the plaintiff and further shows that the failure of the defendant to warn the plaintiff that the jack would slip, even if negligent, was not the causative factor, as the evidence shows without contradiction that the plaintiff knew of such defect and discovered it at the same time as the defendant. One who has knowledge of a defect and voluntarily assumes an obviously dangerous position in reference thereto can not complain of the failure of another to warn him of such defect. Wade v. Roberts, 118 Ga. App. 284, 287 (163 SE2d 343); Beasley v. Elder, 88 Ga. App. 419 (1, 2) (76 SE2d 849). In my opinion, the trial court erred in overruling the defendant’s motion for summary judgment.
The majority seemingly questioned the fact that the plaintiff was a volunteer because the defendant testified that after the plaintiff had volunteered to show him what he was doing wrong that he, the defendant, asked the plaintiff to “show me what had to be done.” This constituted no more than an acceptance of the help already volunteered.
The majority also relies upon a contention that the plaintiff’s testimony raises an issue as to whether the defendant was operating the jack at the time it failed. While the plain
I am authorized to state that Presiding Judge Jordan and Judge Eberhardt concur in this dissent.
Reference
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- ELDER v. SMITH, by Next Friend, Et Al.
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