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M ar ch 16, 2016



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 5 A2 01 0

. NEW SOM E v

. LINKAM ERICA EXPRESS, INC. et al

.

M I LLE R , Pres i d i n g J u d g e.

Al b ert News o m e fi l ed s u i t ag ai n s t LinkA m e r ic a E xpr e s s, I nc

. ( “ L inkA m eri ca”)

an d E ri c Ri v ers , 1 as s ert in g cl ai m s fo r n eg li g en ce p er se an d o rd i n ary n eg l ig en ce, aft er

News o m e s t ru ck a b o b t ai l t ract o r (“ t ract o r”) t hat Ri v ers h ad p ark ed o n a res i d en t i al

s t reet

. 2 Ri v ers an d Li n k A m eri ca m o v ed fo r s u m m ary ju d g m en t, wh i ch t h e t ri al co u rt

1 News o m e al s o fi l ed s u it ag ai n s t Li nk Am eri ca Ded i cat ed

, In c. an d In t ers t at e Ex p res s, In c., b u t h e co n ced ed t h at t h es e p art i es were en t it l ed t o s u m m ary ju d g m en t

.

2 Acco rd i n g t o t h e reco rd

, t h e b o b t ai l tract o r is t h e fro nt part o f a t ract o r- t rai l er
t h at rem ai n s aft er t he t rai l er i s rem o ved

.g ran t ed

. News o m e ap peal s , co n t en d i n g th at t h e q u es t i o n o f ord i n ary n eg l i g e n ce

s h o u ld b e d eci d ed b y

a ju ry

. 3 W e ag ree an d , t h erefo re, rev ers e.

Su m m ary ju d g m en t i s ap p ro pri at e wh en t here i s n o g en u i ne i s s ue

o f m at eri al fact an d t h e m o v an t i s en t i t l ed t o j u d g m e n t as a m at ter o f

l aw. W e ap p l y a d e n o v o s t an d ard o f ap p el lat e rev i ew an d v i ew th e

ev i d en ce, an d al l reas o n ab l e co ncl u s i o n s an d i n feren ces d rawn fro m i t

, i n t h e l i g h t m o s t fav o rab l e t o t h e n o n m ov an t

.

(Pu n ct u at i on an d fo o t n o t e o m i t t ed .) Co mmu n i t y M a r ket p l a ce Pr o per t i es v. S

u n Tr u s t

Ba n k , 3 0 3 Ga. Ap p

. 4 0 3 , 4 0 4 (6 9 3 SE2 d 6 0 2 ) (2 0 10 ).

So v i ewed

, t h e ev i d en ce s h o w s t h at

, i n 2 0 11

, Ri v ers l i ved i n a h o m e o n Nap i er

Av en u e i n M aco n an d wo rk ed as a t r u c k d ri v er fo r L i n k Am eri ca. Li nk Am eri ca

req u i red Ri v ers t o b e ab l e t o acces s h i s t ract o r-t rai l er at an y t i m e, an d Ri v ers ro u t i n el y

p ark ed th e t ract o r n ex t t o t h e cu rb o n t h e s treet i n fro n t o f h is h o m e wh en h e was n ot

d ri v i ng i t

.

At ap p ro xi m at el y 8 : 0 0 a.m

. o n Fe b r u a r y 2 7

, 2 01 1

, News o m e was d ri v i n g o n

Nap ier Av en ue w hen s u ns h i n e co m i n g t h ro u g h h i s wi n ds h i el d bri efl y bl i n d ed h i m

.

N e ws o m e i m

m ed i at el y s l o wed d own , b u t he n ev ert hel es s s t ru ck t h e left r e a r o f

3 Th e tri al co u r t g ran t ed s u m m ary ju d g m en t t o t h e d efen dan t s o n b o t h t h e

n eg li g en ce an d neg l i g en ce p er s e cl ai m s

. N ews om e d o es n o t ap p eal t h e t ri al co urt ’ s

ru l i n g as t o n eg l i g en ce p er s e.

2Ri v ers ’ p ark ed t ract o r. News o m e s u s t ai n ed i n ju ri es in t h e acci den t an d was

t ran s po rt ed t o t h e h o s p i t al

. As a res u l t o f t h e acci d en t

, a p o l i c e o f fi cer, wh o was

cal l ed to t h e s cen e, i ss u ed a ci t at i o n t o Ri v ers fo r i l l eg al l y “ p ark in g ou t s i de a

res i den t ial d i s tri ct .” I t was n ot ed i n t h e po l i ce rep ort t h at Ri v ers co u l d h av e p ark ed

h i s tract or off th e ro ad way

. In s t ead

, th e m an n er i n w h i c h Ri v ers p ark ed t h e t ract o r

i m p ed ed t h e free p as s ag e o f t raffi c.

Th e ev i d en ce al s o s ho wed t h at

, i n O ct o b er 2 0 1 0

, Ri v ers h ad p rev i o u s l y p ark ed

h i s t ract o r i n t h e ex act s am e l o cat i o n , an d a s im il ar acci d en t o ccu rred wh en a d ri v er

o n Nap i er Av en u e was b li n d ed b y t h e s u n an d s t ru ck th e t ract or. No n et hel es s , Ri v ers

co n ti n u ed t o p ark h i s t ract o r i n t h at l ocat io n , as s ert i n g t h at h e co u l d n o t p ark i t i n h i s

d ri v eway d u e t o wi res th at were s u s p en d ed to o l o w acro s s t h e d ri v eway fo r t h e t ract o r

t o p as s

.

On ap p eal , News o m e co n t en d s t h at th e tri al co u rt erred i n g ran t i n g s u m m ary

ju d g m en t t o th e d efen d an t s b ecau s e t h ere is a g en ui n e i s s u e o f m at eri al fact as to

wh et h er Ri v ers was n eg li g en t i n p ark i n g t h e tract o r o n t h e s t reet i n fro n t o f hi s h o m e,

p art i cu l arl y

g i v en t he 2 0 1 0 acci d en t . W e ag ree.

To s t at e a cau s e o f act i o n fo r n eg l i g en ce i n G eo rg i a, t h e fo l l owi n g

el em en t s are e s s e n t i a l : (1 ) A l eg al d u ty t o co n fo rm t o a s t an d ard o f

3co n d u ct rai s ed b y t h e l aw fo r t h e p ro t ect i o n o f o t h e r s a g ai n s t

u n reas o n ab l e ri s k o f h arm ; (2 ) a b reach o f t h i s st an d ard ; (3 ) a l eg al l y

at t ri bu tab l e cau sal co n n e c t io n b et w een t h e co n d u ct an d t h e res u l t i n g

i n ju ry ; an d

, (4 ) s o m e l o s s o r d am ag e fl o wi ng t o t h e p lai n t i ff’ s l eg al l y

p ro t ect ed i n t eres t as a res u l t o f t he al leg ed b reach o f t h e l eg al d u ty

.

(Ci t at i o n o m it t ed .) Ph i l l i

p s v. S o u t h W es t M e c hanic al C

o nt r a ct o rs
, In c. , 2 5 4 Ga. Ap p.

1 4 4 , 1 4 5 (1 ) (5 6 1 SE2 d 4 71 ) (2 0 0 2 ).

Here, t h e ev i d en ce s h o w s t h at

, d es p i t e a s im i l a r acci den t i n O ct o b er 2 0 1 0,

Ri v ers co n t i n u ed t o p ark h i s t ract or i n t h e ex act s am e p lace, n ex t t o t h e cu rb o n t h e

s t reet i n fro n t o f h is h o m e. Al t h o u g h Ri v ers co n t en ds t h at h i s tract o r was n o t b l o ck i n g

t h e l an es o f t raffi c o n t h e d ay o f News o m e’ s acci d en t , t h e p ol i ce rep o rt s peci fi cal l y

s t at ed t h at t h e t ract o r i m p ed e d ot h er v eh i cl es fro m p as s i n g

. M o reo v er, t h e

p h o t o g rap h i c ev i d en ce d ep i ct s Ri v ers ’ s t ract o r s i t t i n g en t i rel y i n t h e l an e.

Th u s , th e ev i d en ce, wh en v i ewed i n fav o r o f News o m e, p res en t s a g en u i n e

i s su e o f m at eri al fact as t o wh et h er Ri v ers fai l ed t o ex erci s e o rd i n ary care i n p ark i n g

t h e t r a c t o r o n t h e s t reet i n fro nt o f h i s h om e o n Feb ru ary 2 7

, 2 0 11

, an d

, as a res u l t

,

was n eg l i g en t

. See Reed v. Ca r o l i n a Ca s. In s

. Co

. , 3 27 Ga. A p p

. 1 3 0 (7 6 2 SE2 d 9 0 )

(2 0 1 4) (Th e q u es t i o n o f neg l i g en ce i s a m at t er fo r t h e ju ry , an d t h e tri al co u rt s h o u ld

n o t d eci d e t h e i ss u e ex cep t in p l ai n an d u n d is pu t ab le cas es ). An d

, g i v en t h e

4co n fl i ct i n g ev i d en ce i n t h i s cas e, we co n cl u d e t h at t h i s is no t o ne o f t ho s e “ p l ai n an d

u n d i s p u t ab l e cas es ” t h at wo u l d warran t s u m m ary ju d g m en t . Id

.

Th e d i s s en t arg u es th at t h e b o b t ai l t ract o r w as l eg al l y p a r k ed

, n o t i n g t h at

News o m e di d n o t ch al l en g e t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s ru l i n g o n h i s n eg l i g en ce per s e cl ai m

. Th e

t ri al co u rt reject ed t h e n eg l i g en ce p er s e cl ai m b ecau s e i t fo u n d OCGA § 4 0 -6 -2 0 2,

ad d res s i n g p ark in g o u ts i d e a res i d en t i al d i s t ri ct

, i n ap p l icab l e. No t h i n g i n t hi s ru l i n g

i m p l i cat es wh e t h er Ri v ers ’ s t ract o r i m ped ed t h e fl o w of t raffi c o n t h e d ay o f t h e

acci den t

.

M o reo v er, News o m e ch al l en g es t he t ri al co urt ’ s co n cl u s i o n t h at Ri v ers d i d n ot

b reach h i s d ut y o f care. Th e t ri al co u rt fo u n d t hat th e t ract o r l eft en ou g h ro o m fo r

t r a f fi c t o p as s

. Th e p o l i ce o ffi cer’ s rep ort

, t h e t raffi c ci t at i o n , an d t h e ph o to g rap h s

s h o wi n g wh ere th e t rac t o r was p ark ed pl ai n l y s ho w o t herwi s e, an d t h is ev i d en ce

creat es a g en u i n e i s s u e o f fact o n t h i s i s s u e.

Th e d i ss en t al so arg u es t h at s u m m ary ju d gm en t wo ul d h av e b een p ro p er, n ot

o n l y on t he ev i d en ce s u b m i t t ed

, b u t al so u n d er t h e t heo ry of co n t ri b u to ry n eg l i g en ce.

See An d rews , P.J

. d i s s en t i n g, i n fra. W e s t r o n g l y d i sag ree. Al t h o u g h co n tri b u t o ry

n eg li g en ce can be a b ar t o reco v ery , s ee OCGA § 5 1 -1 1-7

, t h i s i s an i s s u e fo r t h e ju ry ,

Reed

, s u p ra, 3 2 7 Ga. Ap p

. a t 1 3 5

. Ag ai n , t h e co n fl ict i n g ev i d en ce in t h e reco rd

5creat es g en u i n e i s s u es of m at eri al fact to b e res o l v ed b y t h e ju ry

. Co n s eq u en t l y , t h e

t ri al co u rt erred i n g ran ti n g s u m m ary ju d g m en t t o Ri v ers an d Li n kAm eri ca.

Ju d g men t r ever

s ed

. Ba r n es
, P

. J., El li n g t o n, P. J., M c F adde n and R ic kma n
, JJ.,

co n cu r . Di ll a r d

, J., co n cu r

s i n j u d g men t o n l y. An d r ews , P. J., d i s s en t

s

.

6A1 5 A2 01 0

. NEW SOM E v

. LINKAM ERICA E X PRESS, INC. et al

.

A N D R E W S , Pres i d in g J u d g e, d i s s en t i n g

.

In th i s cas e, t h e d efen d an t ap p el l ee l eg al l y p ark ed h i s b o bt ai l t ract or al o n g t h e

ri gh t -h an d cu rb o f t h e r o ad w ay i n fro n t o f h is res i d en ce, l eav i ng en o u g h s pace

b et ween t h e v eh icl e an d t h e ro ad way cen t er l i ne fo r ot h er v eh i cl es to p as s s afel y , o n l y

t o h av e a m o t o ri s t carel es s l y cras h in t o t h e p ark ed t ract o r an d b l am e h i m fo r t h e

co l l i s i o n

. Th e m o t ori s t ad m i t t ed t h e p ark ed t ract or was v i s ib l e at leas t a few h u n d red

feet away an d th ere was s u ffi ci en t s p ace i n th e l an e t o p as s i t s afel y ; b u t he cl ai m ed

h e h ad n o t s een i t b ecau s e t h e s u n l i g h t h ad b l i n ded h i m

. In o th er wo rd s , t h e m o t o ri s t

d ro v e a few h u n d red feet wh il e co m p l et el y b l i n d ed b y su n li g h t an d t h en cras h ed i n tot h e l eg al l y p ark ed tract o r. Fo rt u n at el y , h e s t ru ck t he bo b t ai l t ract o r, an d n ot

s o m et h in g m o re v u l n erab l e.

Th e m ajo ri t y o p in io n em p h as i zes a p o l i ce o f

f i cer i ss u ed a ci t at i o n t o t h e

d efen d an t ap pel l ee fo r i l l eg al l y p ark i n g o u t si d e a r e s i d e n t ial d i s t ri ct

. Ho wev er, in

d e t e r m i n i n g t h e n eg li g en ce per s e cl ai m , t h e t ri al co u rt t h o ro u gh l y h as h ed o u t t h e

l eg al it y o f wh ere t h e t ract o r was p ark ed

, an d co n cl u d ed t h e t ract o r was l eg al l y p ark ed

.

Th e ap p el l an t d i d no t ap peal t h at d et erm i n at i o n, an d t h e m ajo ri t y o p i n i o n

i n ap p ro p ri at el y

res urrect s t h at d ead i s s u e.

Si m i l arl y , t h e m ajo ri t y o p i n i o n em p h as i zes a p ri o r i n ci d en t w h e n an o t h er

m o to ri s t s t ru ck t h e d efen d an t ap p el l ee’ s t ract o r, i m p ly i ng t h at earl ier i nci d en t s h o u ld

h av e i n f o r m e d t h e d efen d an t ap p el l ee i t m i g h t n o t be s afe t o co n t i n u e p ark i n g t h e

t ract o r wh ere h e n o rm al l y d i d

. Ho w ev er, a s n o t e d b y t h e t ri al co u rt

, t h e s can t

ev i d en ce o f reco rd co n cern i n g t h at i n ci d en t in c l ud ed th e defen d an t ap p el l ee’ s

t es t i m o ny t h at he was t o l d t he t ract o r was leg al l y p ark ed at t he ti m e, an d an i n ci d en t

rep o rt t h at s u p p ort s h i s tes t i m o n y

. So

, i f an y t h i n g , t h at p ri o r i n ci d en t ju s t i fi ed t h e

d efen d an t ap p el l ee’ s co nt in u ed p ark i n g i n fro nt o f h i s res i d en ce.

In s u m m ary , al t h o u gh q u es t i o n s o f n eg l i g en ce are g en eral l y res erv ed fo r t h e

ju ry , i n p l ai n , p al p ab l e an d i n di s p u t ab l e c a s e s t h e co u rt m ay d et erm i n e t hat i s s ue.

2Mo n i t r o n i c s I n t er na t i o n a l, In c. v. Vea s l ey , 32 3 Ga. Ap p

. 1 2 6

, 1 3 2 (7 4 6 SE2 d 7 9 3 )

(2 0 1 3). I t h i n k t h e t ri al co urt co rrect l y ap p li ed t h at p r i n c i p l e i n co n cl u d i n g t h e

m o to ri s t fai l ed t o p ro v e an y n eg l i g en ce o n t h e ap p el l e e’ s p art an d in g ran t i n g

s u m m ary ju d g m en t fo r t h e ap p el l ee.

Th e t ri al co u rt fo u n d i t u n n eces s ary t o ad d res s wh et h er as a m at t er o f l aw t h e

ev i d en ce d em an d ed fi n d i n g t h e m o t o ri s t ’ s o wn n eg l i g en ce co ns t i t u ted t h e s o l e

p ro x im at e cau s e o f t h e co l l is i o n

. Bu t wh ere a m o t o ri s t d r i v e s h un d red s o f feet

co m p l et el y b l i n d ed b y su n l i gh t

, I t h i n k t h e o nl y s afe co ncl u s io n i s t h e m o t o ri s t u t terl y

fai l ed to ex erci s e o rd i n ary care fo r h i s o wn safet y , m u ch l es s th e s afet y o f o t h ers

.

Un d er OCGA § 51 -1 1 -7

, h e wo u l d n o t b e en t i tl ed to reco v er ev en if t h e ap p el l ee h ad

b een n eg l i g en t in p ark i n g t he t ract o r wh ere h e d i d

, an d t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s g ran t o f

s u m m ary ju d g m en t fo r t h e defen d an t ap p el l ee co u l d al s o b e affi rm ed un d er t h e ri g ht

fo r an y reas o n ru l e. Cf. Reed v. Ca r o l i n a Ca su a lt y In s

. Co

. , 3 27 Ga, Ap p. 1 3 0 (7 5 5

SE2 d 3 5 6) (2 0 1 4).

Becau s e t h e m ajo ri t y o p i n i o n i s wro ng fo r as m an y reas o n s as th e t ri al co urt ’ s

d eci s i o n i s ri g ht

, I res p ect fu l ly d i s s en t fro m th e rev ers al o f t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s g ran t o f

s u m m ary ju d g m en t fo r t h e ap p el l ee.

3