Hartley v. MacOn Bacon Tune, Inc.
Hartley v. MacOn Bacon Tune, Inc.
Opinion of the Court
Robin T. Hartley and his wife, Teresa L. Hartley, sued Macon Bacon Time, Inc., d/b/a Precision Time (“Precision Tune”) for personal injuries and loss of consortium respectively after Robin Hartley allegedly sustained injuries from a slip and fall at Precision Tune. The Hartleys (collectively “Hartley”) appeal the trial court’s grant of summary judgment.
Moss, Precision Tune’s shop manager, testified that the shop had no set hour or times for inspection and the general procedure was “to straighten up and make sure it was spotless” at the end of the day. He admitted that he had not instructed anyone to mop or sweep that particular day and that he had not inspected the floor before Hartley arrived. According to Moss, rainwater was on the floor because every time a car came in, water dripped off the car. Moss also testified that he routinely allowed customers to remain in the service bay area to watch him work on their cars.
Precision Tune offered the testimony of Jimmy Davidson, a salesman who arrived after Hartley fell. Davidson, who regularly transacted sales with the owner, claimed that the floor was obviously wet from rainwater. Although Davidson testified that he overheard Moss tell Hartley, “I told you, you were too drunk to be walking around this wet floor with those flip-flops on,” he admitted that he could not honestly say that Hartley appeared to have been drinking.
Precision Tune moved for summary judgment on several grounds. It contended that Hartley failed to show it wilfully or wantonly caused his injury, it exercised due care in keeping its premises safe to the general public, and Hartley failed to exercise ordinary care for his own safety. The trial court awarded summary judgment as a matter of law. Held:
We have carefully reconsidered this case in light of Robinson v. Kroger, 268 Ga. 735 (493 SE2d 403) (1997).
Hartley’s legal status under OCGA §§ 51-3-1; 51-3-2 is an issue remaining to be tried. Although Precision Tune contends that Hartley was a trespasser or a licensee, Hartley asserts that he was an invitee, lawfully on the business premises in connection with the repair of Marsh’s vehicle and “for the purpose of shopping for and assessing the business’ service and parts prices.”
An owner or occupier is subject to liability to a licensee for injury caused by a condition on the property, but only if the owner (a) knows or has reason to know of the condition and should realize that it involves an unreasonable risk of harm to the licensee, and should expect the licensee will not discover or realize the danger; and (b) fails to exercise reasonable care to make the condition safe or to warn the licensee of the condition and risk involved. London Iron &c. Co. v. Abney, 245 Ga. 759, 761 (2) (267 SE2d 214) (1980); Bunch v. Stanton, 174 Ga. App. 233, 235 (1) (329 SE2d 538) (1985). See Patterson v. Thomas, 118 Ga. App. 326, 328 (163 SE2d 331) (1968) (jury question as to whether defendant created unreasonable risk for licensee who slipped on rug placed on slippery floor).
Where an injury is caused by a condition on the property, the act of the owner must be a wilful and wanton act in order for an injured licensee to recover. Brooks v. Logan, 134 Ga. App. 226, 228 (1) (213 SE2d 916) (1975). However, it is usually wilful or wanton not to exercise ordinary care to prevent injury to a person who is known to be or may reasonably be expected to be within a hidden peril on one’s premises. Brooks, 134 Ga. App. 228 (1).
After the presence of a licensee is known, he must be treated with the same care as an invitee as to active negligence, and he must be warned by the exercise of ordinary care as to hidden dangers. Cooper v. Corp. Prop. Investors, 220 Ga. App. 889, 891 (470 SE2d 689)
Notwithstanding Precision Tune’s claim, no admissible evidence showed that Moss instructed Hartley to remain inside the car or warned him to watch his step. Davidson’s testimony as to what he purportedly overheard was inadmissible hearsay. Matthews v. Wilson, 119 Ga. App. 708, 711 (168 SE2d 864) (1969).
Even if Precision Tune lacked actual knowledge of the hazard, constructive knowledge may be inferred when there is evidence that an employee of the owner was in the immediate vicinity of the dangerous condition and could have noticed and removed the hazard or the owner lacked a reasonable inspection procedure. Food Giant v. Cooke, 186 Ga. App. 253, 254 (1) (366 SE2d 781) (1988). Here, it is undisputed that Moss was in the immediate area of Hartley’s fall, and was watching Hartley as he suddenly slipped. Precision Tune offered no evidence that it had inspected the floor prior to Hartley’s arrival or that anyone had been instructed to mop or sweep it. According to Moss, Precision Tune had no regular inspection policy other than to tidy up before the employees left for the day. Whether the concurrent acts or omissions of failing to remove the rainwater that allegedly dripped from Marsh’s car or other vehicles or failing to discover and remove the other fluid from the garage floor constituted such negligence as would give rise to liability must be resolved by a jury. See Wade, 206 Ga. App. at 270 (4) (b) (distinguishing between pre-existing hazards and those arising after plaintiff’s arrival).
If it is determined that Hartley was a licensee, then evidence of Precision Tune’s imputed superior constructive knowledge will not save Hartley’s case, if the risk was not an unreasonable one. But a jury must decide whether Precision Tune should have realized the existence of an unreasonable risk to Hartley, if, in fact, this purported hazard constituted such a risk, and whether Precision Tune failed to exercise ordinary care to make the condition safe or to warn Hartley. Abney, 245 Ga. at 761 (2). Even assuming solely for the sake of argument that Precision Tune had a customary goal of “tidiness,” that fact, without more, is not sufficient to negate the possibility that on this specific occasion a deviation from that procedure occurred. Burke v. Bi-Lo, 212 Ga. App. 115, 117 (441 SE2d 429) (1994).
Judgment reversed.
The Supreme Court vacated Hartley v. Macon Bacon Tune, 227 Ga. App. 679 (490 SE2d 403) (1997) due to that decision.
Under the Restatement, Torts 2d § 332 (3) (Invitee Defined), according to the commentary, Hartley was an invitee. “It is not necessary that the visitor shall himself be upon the land for the purposes of the possessor’s business. The visit may be for the convenience or arise out of the necessities of others who are themselves upon the land for such a purpose.” Restatement, Torts 2d, § 332, Comment on (3) (g). “[A] child taken by a mother or nurse to a shop is a business visitor; and this is true irrespective of whether it is necessary for the customer to take the child with her in order to visit the shop.” Id.
Although the owner of Precision Tune asserted that he had instructed Marsh not to come on the premises, Moss flatly denied that claim. Moss disclosed that when an investigator had come to take a recorded statement about the incident, “[everybody in the shop decided we didn’t see anything.” This factual dispute regarding Hartley’s status precludes summary judgment. Bishop, 194 Ga. App. 876 (2).
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting.
This appeal was previously decided by this Court in a seven-judge opinion in Hartley v. Macon Bacon Tune, 227 Ga. App. 679 (490 SE2d 403) (1997). The Supreme Court granted a petition for writ of certiorari, vacated our judgment in the case, and remanded the case to this Court “for reconsideration of the merits of petitioner’s appeal in light of our holding in Robinson v. Kroger Co., [268 Ga. 735 (493 SE2d 403) (1997)].” Unpublished order of the Supreme Court dated January 23, 1998.
In Robinson v. Kroger Co., the Supreme Court reaffirmed that “in order to recover for injuries sustained in a slip-and-fall action, an invitee must prove (1) that the defendant had actual or constructive knowledge of the hazard; and (2) that the plaintiff lacked knowledge of the hazard despite the exercise of ordinary care due to actions or conditions within the control of the owner/occupier.” Id. at 748-749. “Robinson also confirmed that under Lau’s Corp. v. Haskins, [261 Ga. 491 (405 SE2d 474) (1991)] a defendant moving for summary judgment ‘need no longer affirmatively disprove the nonmoving party’s case; instead the burden on the moving party may be discharged by pointing out by reference to the record that there is an absence of evidence to support the nonmoving party’s case.’ (Citations and punctuation omitted.) Robinson, supra, 268 Ga. at 747; [cit.]. Although Robinson readjusted this burden with regard to the second element of the cause of action (whether plaintiff lacked knowledge of hazard despite ordinary care), the burden remained the same with regard to the first element. Robinson, supra, 268 Ga. at 747-748. Where defendant points to an absence of evidence on the first element, plaintiff must present evidence the defendant had superior actual or constructive knowledge of the hazard, or else suffer summary judgment. [Cits.]” Hardee’s Food Systems v. Green, 232 Ga. App. 864-865 (502 SE2d 738) (1998).
In Hartley, we concluded that the evidence showed as a matter of
In light of Robinson v. Kroger Co., our conclusion under the second element of the cause of action cannot stand. In Robinson, the Supreme Court stated that: “[W]e must disapprove of the appellate decisions which hold as a matter of law that an invitee’s failure to see before falling the hazard which caused the invitee to fall constitutes a failure to exercise ordinary care. We also take issue with the Court of Appeals’ holding in the case at bar that an invitee fails to exercise ordinary care for personal safety as a matter of law when the invitee admits she failed to look at the location where she subsequently placed her foot. Demanding as a matter of law that an invitee visually inspect each footfall requires an invitee to look continuously at the floor for defects, a task an invitee is not required to perform . . . since the invitee is entitled to assume that the owner/occupier has exercised reasonable care to make the premises safe for the invitee and continues to exercise such care while the invitee remains on the premises.” 268 Ga. at 743. Accordingly, I agree with the majority that a reconsideration in light of the holding of Robinson v. Kroger Co. requires that we conclude a jury issue is presented as to whether Hartley exercised ordinary care for his own safety under the second element of the cause of action.
However, we also concluded in Hartley that Precision Tune was entitled to summary judgment under the first element of the cause of action (whether Precision Tune had actual or constructive knowledge of the hazard). As to the first element, we concluded that “the record shows that Hartley produced no evidence that Precision Tune had actual or constructive knowledge of any oil on the floor. . . .” 227 Ga. App. at 681. We further stated: “Because Precision Tune discharged its burden under Lau’s Corp. by showing there was no evidence in the record to show that it had actual or constructive knowledge of the substance on the floor, Hartley could not rest on his pleadings, but was required to point to specific evidence giving rise to a triable issue on the superior knowledge issue. Lau’s Corp., supra at 491. As Hartley did not do so, the trial court did not err by granting summary judgment to Precision Tune.” Id. at 685.
There is nothing in Robinson v. Kroger Co. which could cause this Court to reconsider and change the conclusion it reached in
As noted above, the Supreme Court’s remand order to this Court stated that this case was remanded “for reconsideration of the merits of petitioner’s appeal in light of our holding in Robinson v. Kroger Co.” Nothing in Robinson v. Kroger Co. requires any change in our previous decision to affirm the grant of summary judgment to Precision Tune under the first prong of the cause of action dealing with whether Precision Tune had actual or constructive knowledge of the hazard. Nevertheless, the majority now reverses our previous decision on the first prong for reasons which have nothing to do with Robinson v. Kroger Co.
Without explanation, the majority has concluded that our previous decision misstated critical facts related to whether Precision Tune had constructive knowledge of the hazard under the first prong. In our previous decision, we clearly held by a five vote majority that “the record shows that Hartley produced no evidence that Precision Tune had actual or constructive knowledge of any oil on the floor. . . Hartley, 227 Ga. App. at 681. The present majority now concludes to the contrary that there is evidence in the same record sufficient to establish constructive knowledge on the basis that an employee of Precision Tune was in the immediate area of the hazard and could have easily seen and removed the hazard. Banks v. Colonial Stores, 117 Ga. App. 581, 584-585 (161 SE2d 366) (1968).
The record does not support this conclusion. Hartley was a passenger in the car when the driver pulled the car into the mechanic’s bay so the car could be checked out by a Precision Tune mechanic. The mechanic was standing in front of the car and moved up to the
The majority further concludes that, because Precision Tune did not offer evidence of compliance with a reasonable inspection procedure, this failure to produce evidence was sufficient to create a jury issue as to whether Precision Tune had constructive knowledge of the hazard. Once again, the majority has reversed this Court’s previous holding on a first prong issue that has nothing to do with a reconsideration of this case in light of Robinson v. Kroger Co. As we stated in our previous decision in Hartley, under the Supreme Court’s ruling in Lau’s Corp., Precision Tune had no burden to produce evidence to negate Hartley’s claim that it had constructive knowledge; rather, it was entitled to rely on the absence of evidence in the record sufficient to show that the hazard had been on the floor long enough to have been discovered by a reasonable inspection. Lau’s Corp., 261 Ga. at 491, 495. In other words, as the Supreme Court held in Lau’s Corp., a defendant moving for summary judgment who does not carry the burden of proof at trial is not required to produce evidence that its alleged negligence was not the proximate cause of the plaintiff’s injury. Id. at 495. Rather, the defendant may demonstrate by reference to the record that there is an absence of evidence sufficient to establish that its alleged negligence was the proximate cause of the plaintiff’s injury. Id.
I am aware that our recent whole court decision in Straughter v. J. H. Harvey Co., 232 Ga. App. 29 (500 SE2d 353) (1998) relied upon a line of cases decided by this Court holding that “in order to withstand a motion for summary judgment, a plaintiff need not show how long a substance has been on the floor unless the defendant has established that reasonable inspection procedures were in place and followed at the time of the incident.” Id. at 30. I pointed out in my dissent in Straughter that the cases relied upon by the majority are no longer valid because they derive their authority from pre-Law’s Corp. summary judgment procedure. Straughter, 232 Ga. App. at 33-40 (Andrews, C. J., joined by Birdsong, P. J., dissenting). By requiring the defendant proprietor to produce evidence to negate the plaintiff’s claim that the proprietor had constructive knowledge of the hazard, these cases violate the principle established in Lau’s Corp. and reaffirmed in Robinson v. Kroger Co., that a defendant moving for summary judgment who will not bear the burden of proof at trial has no burden to produce evidence to negate the plaintiff’s claim; rather, the defendant may rely on the absence of evidence in the record sufficient to establish the plaintiff’s claim. I also pointed out in Straughter, as I do so again here, that the cases relied upon by the majority are directly contradicted by other decisions of this Court which recognize and apply the principle established in Lau’s Corp.
As the majority in Straughter failed to do, the present majority has failed to acknowledge or address the contradictory authority published by this Court on this issue. I once again point out to the majority that this Court has a duty to forthrightly address and resolve the contradiction in its decisions.
Reference
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- HARTLEY Et Al. v. MACON BACON TUNE, INC.
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- Published