THI RD DI VI SI ON DOYLE, P. J.

, REESE and BROWN, JJ.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

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H I S
C O U R T. A LL FILIN G S M U ST B E S U B M I TTE D WITH IN
TH E TIM E S S E T B Y

O U R C O U R T R U LE S

.

Nov em ber 1, 2021



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 1 A0 77 7

. M ALLARD v

. M ETROPOLITAN ATLANTA RAPID

TRANSIT AUTHORITY.

D O Y LE , Pres i d i n g J u d g e.

In th i s t o rt act i on , Ken dra M al l ard ap peal s a DeKal b Co u n t y St at e Co u rt o rd er

s ev eri n g s o m e of h er cl ai m s an d t ran s ferri n g t h em to Fu l t o n Co u n ty Su p eri o r Co u rt

. 1

Fo r t h e reas o n s t h at fo ll o w, we rev ers e.

T h e r e c o rd s h ows t h at in M ay 2 0 1 6

, M al lard fi l ed i n DeKal b Co u n t y St at e

Co u rt a co m

p l ai n t fo r d am ag es ag ai n s t M et ro p o l i t an At l an t a Rap i d T ran s i t Au t h o ri t y

(“ M ARTA”), DeAn g el o Bry an t

, an d Kh ary Sci p i o , a ft er Bry an t ab du ct ed M al l ard

fro m t h e Ken s i n g t o n R o a d M A R T A s t at i o n 2 an d rap ed h er, an d Sci p i o t o o k h er

1 Aft er i ss ui n g it s o rd er, t h e t ri al co u rt i s s u ed a cert ifi cat e o f im m ed i at e rev i ew

an d t h is Co u rt g ran t ed M al l ard ’ s ap p l i cat i o n fo r i n t erl o cu t o ry ap peal

.

2 It i s u n d i s p u t ed t h at t h e Ken s i n g to n s t at i o n i s l ocat ed i n DeKal b Co u n t y

.p o s s es s i o n s fro m t h e M ARTA s t at i o n p rem i s es aft er t h e y w e r e d ro p p ed d u ri n g h er

ab d uct i o n

. In h er co m

p l ai nt

, M al l ard ack n owl ed g ed th at t h e Gen eral As s em b l y fi x ed

v en ue fo r s u i t s ag ai n s t M ARTA i n Fu l t o n Co u n ty Su p eri o r Co u rt

. 3 M al l ard

, h o wev er,

a l l e g ed t h at ven u e an d p ers o n al ju ri s d i ct i o n ov er M ARTA an d Bry an t (a Fu l t o n

Co u n t y r e s i d en t ) w ere p ro p er in t h e D eKal b Co u n t y St at e Co u rt b ecau s e MARTA

was jo i n tl y an d s ev eral l y l i ab l e fo r t he dam ag es s he s u s t ai n ed fro m t h e act i o n s o f

Sci p i o (a DeKal b Co u nt y res i d en t ). 4

In J un e 20 1 6

, M ARTA an s w ered

, “ ad m it -[i n g ]

, f o r t h e p u rp o s e o f t h i s

l i ti g at i o n o nl y , t h at ju ri s d i ct io n an d v en u e are p ro p er.” Co n fu singly

, in the a ffi rm at i v e

d efen s es s ect io n o f i t s an s wer, M ARTA p os ed t hat “ [v ] en u e m ay b e im p ro p er,” an d

“ [t ] h i s Co u rt m ay

l ik e [s i c] p ers o n al ju ri s d ict i o n o v er Defen d an t b y v i rt u e o f v en u e

b ei n g i m p ro p er.” Th ere i s n o i n d i cat io n i n t h e reco rd t h at Bry an t o r Sci p i o h av e

an s wered o r t h at Bry an t h as co n t es t ed v en u e.

3 See Ga. L

. 1 9 6 5

, p p

. 2 2 4 3

, 2 26 5

, § 1 0 (t ). An ex cep t i o n fo r act i on s

co n cern in g s ch ed u l ed s erv i ces an d ch arg es is i n ap p l i cab l e h ere. See Ga. L. 19 6 5

, p p. 2 2 4 3 , 2 2 6 5 , § 1 0 (t ), cro s s -referen ci n g Ga. L. 1 9 6 5 , p p . 2 2 4 3

, 2 2 5 7 , § 9 (c).

4 See Gl o ver v. Do n al d

s o n , 2 4 3 Ga. 4 7 9

, 47 9

, 4 8 3 (2 5 4 SE2 d 8 5 7 ) (1 9 7 9 ) (“ Th e Gen eral As s em

b l y m ay fi x t h e res i d en ce of M ARTA fo r v en u e p urp o ses wh en i t i s s u ed al o ne

. . . , b u t t h e Co n st i tu t i o n

. . . p ro vi d es t he v e n u e w h e n M ARTA i s

s u ed as a jo i nt t o rt feas or.”).

2In M al l ard ’ s dep o s i t i o n, s h e s t at ed t h at at t h e t i m e o f t h e i n ci d en t in Sep t em b er

2 0 1 5

, s h e was wo rk i n g t h e cl o s i n g s h i ft at a n o rt h Fu l t o n Co u n t y d ep art m en t s t o re,

l eav i ng t h ere aro u n d 1 0 : 30 p.m

. a n d t ak i n g a M ARTA t rai n fro m t h e No rt h p o i nt

s t at i o n t o t he Ken s i n g t o n s t at i o n

. M al l ard arri v ed at t h e Ken s i ng t o n st at io n aro u n d

m i d n i g ht

, an d s h e was carry i n g h e r p u r s e o n h er s h o u ld er, h ad o ne o f h er t wo cel l

p h o n es i n o n e h an d

, an d carri ed s o m e b ag s co n t ai n i ng p u rch as es i n h er o t h er h an d.

M al lard s aw a m an n e a r o n e rai l o n t h e l an di n g o f a lo n g s tai rway l eav in g t h e t rai n

s t at i o n p lat fo rm , an d s he pas sed b y h i m q u i ck l y , an s w eri n g “ I’ m o k ay ,” i n res p o n s e

t o hi s q u es t i o n o f “ Ho w y o u d o i n g ? ” Aft er M al l ard pas s ed h i m , Bry an t cam e u p fro m

b eh in d an d g rab bed h er.

W h en Bry an t g rab bed her b y t h e s h o u l d ers , M al l ard t h rew h er p h o n e d o wn ; s h e

ex p lai n ed t h at “ h e t o ok m y p u rs e , a n d h e t h rew m

y p u rs e. He p h y si cal l y t o o k i t o ff

o f m y s h o u l d er an d t h rew i t

, an d t h at ’ s wh en h e co ck ed t h e g u n , an d h e pu t i t t o t h e

b ack of m

y h ead

. ” Sh e t o l d h im

, “ J u s t t ak e ev ery th i n g

. J u s t l et m e g o

. J u s t t ak e

ev ery t hi n g

. An d h e sai d

, ‘ I w i l l t a k e e v e r y th i n g , b u t fi rs t

. . . .’ An d t h at ’ s wh en h e

p ro ceed ed t o d rag m e b ack u p t h e s t ai rs , an d back o ver t h e rai l i ng an d i n t o t h e

b u s h es .” Aft er h e rap ed h er, Bry an t wal k ed b ack t o ward t he s t at i o n , an d M al l ard g ot

d res s ed an d al s o w en t b ack t o ward t h e s t at i o n . Sh e es t i m at ed t h at t h e as s au l t l as t ed

3ap p ro x i m at el y 1 5 o r 2 0 m i n u t es , an d s h e i m m ed iat el y fl ag g ed d o w n t h e o ffi cer an d

rep o rt ed t h e i n ci d en t . M al l ard s aw h er b el o n g i ng s s trewn aro u n d t h e s t ai rway

.

Ev en t u al l y , B r ya n t w as ap p reh en ded

, an d a search o f h i s ap art m en t rev eal ed

M al lard ’ s o l d cel l p h o n e t h at h ad b een i n h er p u rs e. Sci p i o was ap p reh en d ed aft er h e

u s ed Mal l ard ’ s Breezecard t o acces s t he t rai n , an d h e ad m i t t ed t o a M ARTA p o l i ce

o ffi cer t h at h e h ad st o len s o m e o f M al l ard ’ s i t em s aft er en co un t eri ng t h em o n t h e

fl oo r aro u n d m i d ni g h t

, wh ich was ab o u t t h e t i m e s h e was b ei n g as s au l t ed at t h e

s t at i o n

. 5

Ap p ro x im at el y t h ree y ears aft er fi l in g i ts an s wer, o n J u n e 2 5

, 2 0 19

, MARTA

m o ved fo r “ Sep arat e Tri al s a n d t o Tran s fer Ven u e,” arg u i n g t h at i t wo u l d b e

p reju d i ci al t o h av e a t ri al o n b o t h t h e cl ai m s ag ai n s t Sci p i o an d cl ai m s ag ai n st Bry an t

,

an d if th e cl ai m s w ere s ev ered

, t h en ven u e wo ul d b e p ro p er i n Fu l t on Co u n ty fo r t h e

cl ai m s ag ai n s t Bry an t

. M al l ard res p o n d ed

, an d i n O c t o b er 2 0 1 9

, M A RTA rep l i ed

,

i n cl u d i n g a reco rd i n g of Sci p i o’ s i n t erv i ew wi t h M ARTA p ol i ce aft er t h e i n c i d en t

,

an d M ARTA al so fi led an am en d ed an s wer, cl ari fy i n g t h at v en ue was i m pro p er.

5 W e n o t e t hat i n th e fact s s ect i on of i ts rep l y b ri ef, M ARTA ci t es t o t h e fi rs t

p ag e o f M al l ard ’ s d ep o s i t io n rat h er t h an an ex act p ag e up o n w h i ch an y o f t h e al l eg at i o n s ap pear. Th is i s n o t an accep tab l e m et h o d o f c i t a t i o n t o t h e reco rd

. See

Co u rt o f Ap p eal s Ru l e 2 5 (b ) (1 ), (c) (3 ).

4Aft er a h eari n g o n t he m o t i o n to s ev er, t h e t ri al co u rt i n i t i al l y d en i ed t h e

m o ti o n , bu t M ARTA m o v ed fo r reco n s i d erat i o n , an d t he t ri al c o u r t g r an t ed t h e

m o ti o n o n t h e bas is th at Bry an t an d Sci p i o were su cces s i v e an d n ot jo in t to rt feas o rs

. 6

M al lard ap p eal s t h i s ru l in g

.

M al l ard arg u es t h at t he t ri al co u rt ab us ed i t s d is cret i o n b y sev eri n g t h e cl ai m s

ag ai n s t Bry an t an d M ARTA fro m h e r c l ai m s ag ai n st Sci p i o an d M ARTA an d by

t ran s ferri n g t h e cl ai m s ag ai n s t Bry an t an d M ARTA t o Fu l t o n Co un t y

. 7 W e ag ree.

M ARTA d oes n o t arg u e t h at M al l ard i s precl u d ed fro m s u i ng i t an d Sci p i o as

jo i n t t ort feas o rs o r t h at Mal l ard i s p recl u d e d f r o m s u i n g i t an d Bry an t as jo i nt

t o rt feas o rs

. No r d oes M A RTA co n t en d th at M al l ard was p ro h i b i t ed fro m s u i n g i t in

DeKal b Co u n ty fo r t h e cl ai m s ag ai n s t i t an d Sci p i o as jo i n t t o rt feas ers

. 8 MARTA

cl ai m s , h o wev er, t h at b ecau s e Bry an t an d Sci p i o were n ot “ act i n g i n co ncert ,” t h ey

6 See, e.g

. , Ga

y v. Pi gg l y-W i g g l y S o ut h er n In c ., 1 8 3 Ga. Ap p

. 1 7 5

, 1 8 0 -1 8 1 (2 ) (3 5 8 SE2 d 4 6 8 ) (1 9 8 7 ).

7 B ecau s e o f t he i n t erco nn ect ed n at u re o f t h e erro rs rai sed

, we ad d res s t h em

t o g et h er.

8 See, e.g ., G l o ver , 2 4 3 Ga. at 4 83 (h o ld i ng t h at p l ai n t i ff co ul d p u rs u e l aws u i t
i n DeKal b Co u n t y ag ai n st M ARTA an d i t s b u s d ri v er b ecau s e t h e pl ai n t i ff n am ed as

a jo i n t t o rt feas o r a DeKal b Co u n t y res i den t wh o w a s o p e r a t i n g a v eh i cl e t h at s t u ck

an d k i ll ed a ch i l d ex i t i ng t h e M ARTA b u s ).

5were n o t jo i n t t o rt feas o rs , wh i ch p ro h i b i t s a s i n g l e t ri al o n al l t h e cl ai m s as s ert ed by

M al lard an d i n s t ead req u i res t wo s ep arat e t ri al s i n t wo d i fferen t co u n t i es

. 9

As an i n i t i al m at t er, MARTA ad m i t t ed i n i t s an s wer th at “ v e n u e [i s ] p ro p er”

i n t he D eKal b Co u n ty act i o n

. 1 0 Fu rt h er, M al l a rd al leg es th at M ARTA’ s t o rt i ou s

fai l u re t o k eep it s p rem i s es s afe r e s u l t ed in t he i n ju ri es ag ai n st h er p ers o n an d

p ro p ert y perp et rat ed b y Bry a nt a nd S c ipio. 1 1 M A R T A ’ s ne g lig en ce al l eg ed l y o v erl ap s

wi t h t he co d efen d an t s ’ cri m i n al act s

. Th u s , M ARTA i s n o t al l eg ed t o b e a s u cces s i v e

t o rt feas o r i n an y i ns t an ce, an d i t s al l eg ed n eg l i gen ce res u l t ed i n m u lt i pl e i n ju ri es to

M al lard

, i n cl u d i ng Bry an t ’ s al l eg ed act o f s ep arat i n g M al l ard fro m h er p o s s es s i on s

9 Bry an t h as n o t an s wered o r ch al l en g ed v en u e as t o t h e cl ai m s ag ai n s t h i m

.

1 0 See Ro b i ns o n v. S t a r Ga s o f Ha wki n s vi ll e , 2 4 3 Ga. Ap p

. 1 12

, 1 1 3 (5 3 3 SE2 d

9 7 ) (2 0 0 0) (ex p l ai n i n g t h at “ t h e d efen s e o f i m p ro p er v en u e m ay b e wai ved b y a

n o n res i d en t d efen d an t

, an d s uch a wai v er m a y b e ex p res s o r im p l i ed ” an d h o l d i n g

t h at t h e t ri al co u rt a b u s e d i t s d i s cret i o n by t ran s ferri n g t h e cas e b ecau s e t h e

n o n res i d en t d efen dan t h ad ex p res s l y wai v ed i t s d efen s e o f v en u e).

1 1 “ ‘ [A] t o rt i o u s act m ay h av e s ev eral co ns eq uen ces , co ncu rren t o r s u cces s i ve, fo r al l o f wh i ch t h e fi rs t [t o rt feas o r] i s res p o n s i b l e.’ ” Br o wn v. Al l -Tech In ves t i n g Gr o up In c. , 2 6 5 Ga. Ap p

. 8 8 9

, 8 9 4 (1 ) (5 9 5 SE2 d 5 1 7 ) (2 00 4 ), q u ot i n g S o u t h er n R.

Co . v. W eb b

, 1 1 6 Ga. 1 5 2 , 1 5 6 (4 2 SE 3 95 ) (1 9 0 2 ).

6an d h is co n t i n ued i m p ri s o nm en t o f h er d u ri n g t he as s au l t pro v i di n g th e o p p o rt u n i t y

fo r Sci p i o t o t ak e h er i t em s

. 1 2

In l i g h t o f t h e part i cu l ar al l eg at i o n s i n t h i s cas e, M al l ard was p erm i t ted t o fi l e

a s i n g l e act i o n ag ai n s t Sci p i o , B r ya n t

, an d M A RTA becau s e th e cl ai m s ag ai n s t t h e

m en an d t h e en t i t y al l ari s e fro m t h e “ s am e t ran s act i o n , occu rren ce, o r s eri es o f

t ran s act io n s o r o ccu rren ces ” d u ri n g a 2 0 -m in u t e ti m e p e r i o d at t h e Ken s i n g t o n

M A R T A s t at i on

. 1 3 Al t h o u g h p u rs u an t t o OCGA § 9 -1 1 -4 2 (b ), “ [t ] h e co u rt

, i n

fu rt heran ce o f co n v en i en ce o r t o av o i d p re j u d i c e, m ay o rd er a s ep arat e tri al o f an y

1 2 See Ph i ll i

p s v. Tel l is

, 18 1 Ga. Ap p

. 4 4 9

, 4 4 9 (3 5 2 SE2 d 6 3 0 ) (1 9 8 7 ); Gi l so n

v. Mi t ch el l

, 13 1 G a. Ap p

. 3 21

, 3 3 0 (2 05 SE2 d 4 2 1 ) (1 9 7 3 ) (“ i f t h e s e p a r a t e an d

i n d ep en den t act s o f n eg l i g en ce o f s ev eral p ers o n s co m b i n e n at u ral l y an d d i rect l y to

p r o d u c e a s i n g l e i n

ju ry , t hey m ay b e s ued jo i nt l y ”), su p erced ed b y s t at u t e o n o t h er

g ro u nd s as s t at ed i n Fed

. Dep o s i t In s. Co

. v. Lo u d er mi l k

, 3 0 5 Ga. 5 58

, (8 2 6 SE2 d

1 1 6 ) (2 0 1 9 ). Co m

p are Fer g u s o n v. Ca r ver , 25 7 Ga. A p p

. 8 4 9

, 8 5 1 (1 ) (5 72 SE2 d

7 0 0 ) (2 0 02 ) (rev ers i n g a t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er g ran ti n g a m o ti o n to co n s o l i d at e act i on s fo r cl ai m s ari s i n g fro m t w o s ep arat e car acci d en t s t h at o ccu rred ei g h t een m o n t h s ap art
wi t h t wo s ep arat e d efen d an ts ); Br i n ks

, In c. v. Ro bi n s on , 2 1 5 Ga. Ap p

. 8 6 5

, 8 6 5 -8 6 7 (1 ) (4 52 SE2 d 7 8 8 ) (1 9 9 4 ) (ex p l ai n i n g t h at d efen d an t s rel at ed t o t wo s ep arat e car acci den t s o ccu rri n g fo u r m on th s ap art d o n o t co n s t i t u t e jo i nt to rt feas o rs fo r p u rp o s es

o f v en ue).

1 3 See O CGA § 9 -1 1 -2 0 (a) (“ [A] l l p e r s o n s m a y b e jo i ned in on e act i o n as d efen d an t s i f t here i s as s ert ed ag ai n s t t h em jo i n t ly

, s ev eral l y , o r i n t h e al t ern at i v e an y ri gh t t o rel i ef i n res p ect o f o r ari s i n g o u t o f t h e s am e t ran s act i on , o ccu rren ce, o r s eri es

o f t ran s act i o n s o r o ccu rren ces an d i f an y q ues t i o n of l aw o r fact co m m o n t o a l l o f

t h em wi l l ari s e i n t h e act i o n

. A p la i nt i f f o r d e f e n d a n t n eed n ot b e i nt er es t ed in

o b t a i n i n g o r d ef en d i n g a g a i n s t a l l t h e r el i ef d ema n ded .”) (em

p h as i s s u p p l i ed ).

7cl ai m

. . . .” “ [H] ere, [b ecau s e] t h e cl ai m ed p reju d i ce i s t o an o t her d efen d an t, t h ere h as

b een n o h arm s h o wn b y [M ARTA]

. ” 1 4 Th u s , t h e t r i a l c o u rt ab u s ed i t s d i scret i o n in

o rd eri n g s ev eran ce o f t h e cl ai m s b ecau s e s u c h s ev eran ce nei t h er fu rt h ered

co n ven i en ce n o r av o i ded p reju d i ce t o M ARTA. “ W e d o no t v i e w t h e cl ai m o f

p o s s i b l e co n fu s i o n o r o f p reju d i ce i n t ry i n g th e wh ol e m at t er h ere b efo re a ju ry t o b e

m eri t o ri o u s

. Th e cl a i m s are n o t co m p l i cat ed

, n or are t h e p art i es t o o nu m ero u s to

en ab le t h e ju ry

t o ‘ k eep t h e reco rd s t rai g h t ’ as t h e ev i d en ce i s i n tro d u ced

. ” 1 5 “ Fro m

o u r p ers p ect i v e[,] i t s eem s o b v i o u s t h at t he ju ry n eed ed t o b e p res en t ed wi t h t h e en t i re

p an oram a, i n o rd er to u n ders t an d t he ro o t cau s e of [M al lard ’ s ] cl ai m s

. W h i l e i t m i g ht

b e an ex ag g erat i o n t o d es cri b e t h e ev en ts h ere as on e al l en co m p as s i n g t ran s act i o n,

t h ere ex i s t s a v ery co n n ect ed an d rel at ed seri es o f t ran s act i o n s ”; 1 6 th erefo re, t h e t ri al

1 4 Tr o u t ma n v. B. C. B

. Co

. , 2 0 9 Ga. Ap p. 1 66

, 1 6 7 (1 ) (4 3 3 SE2 d 7 3 ) (1 9 9 3 ).

See al s o La n s ky v. Go l ds t ei n , 1 4 1 Ga. Ap p

. 34 5

, 3 4 5 -3 4 6 (1 ) (2 33 SE2 d 4 3 7 ) (1 9 7 7 ).

1 5 (Pu n ct u at io n o m i t t ed .) La n s ky

, 1 4 1 Ga. Ap p

. at 3 45 -3 4 6 (1 ), q u o t i n g S o u t h er n Co n cr et e Co

. v. Ca r t er Co n s t r

. Co

. , 1 2 1 G a. Ap p

. 57 3

, 5 7 5 (3 ) (1 7 4 SE2 d

4 4 7 ) (1 9 7 0 ).

1 6 Vi tn er v. Fu n k, 1 8 2 Ga. Ap p . 3 9 , 4 1 (1 ) (3 54 SE2 d 6 6 6 ) (1 9 8 7 ).

8co u rt ab u s ed i ts d i s cret i o n b y gran t i n g M ARTA’ s m ot i o n t o s ev er t h e cl ai m s an d by

t ran s ferri n g p art o f t h o s e cl ai m s t o Fu l t o n Co u n ty

. 1 7

Ju d g men t r ever sed . Rees e a n d

Br o wn , JJ., co ncu r

.

1 7 See M A R T A v

. Mo s l ey , 2 8 0 Ga. Ap p

. 4 8 6

, 4 92 -4 9 3 (5 ) (6 34 SE2 d 4 6 6 ) (2 0 0 6) (affi rm i n g t h e d en i al o f a d efen d an t ’ s m o ti o n t o s ev er an d ex p l ai n i n g t h at

, to

t h e ex t en t t h at ev i d en ce ag ai n s t an o t h er d efen d an t m ay b e i n ad m i ss i b l e ag ai n s t t h e

m o van t

, h e h ad “ fai l ed t o s h o w t h at h i s i n t eres t s co u l d n o t be ad eq u at el y p ro t ect ed
b y a l i m i ti n g i n s tru ct i o n t o t he ju ry ”).

9