Opinion ID: 599231
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Negligent hiring and retention

Text: 10 To prove negligent hiring, Georgia law requires a plaintiff to show that the employer knew, or in the exercise of ordinary care should have known, that its employee was incompetent. Sparlin Chiropractic Clinic, P.C. v. Tops Personnel Services, Inc., 193 Ga.App. 181, 387 S.E.2d 411, 412 (1989); Harvey Freeman & Sons, Inc. v. Stanley, 189 Ga.App. 256, 375 S.E.2d 261, 264, aff'd in part, rev'd in part, 259 Ga. 233, 378 S.E.2d 857 (1988). Although custom may be some evidence of ordinary care, in the last analysis, what ought to be done is fixed according to the standard of the ordinarily prudent man, whether or not it is custom to comply with that standard. Moody v. Southland Investment Corp., 126 Ga.App. 225, 190 S.E.2d 578, 583 (1972). 11 The district court held that Hutcherson failed to demonstrate actions on the part of TABS that rose to the level of conscious indifference, finding that TABS complied with the industry custom when it checked Hicks' driving record for the previous three years, and this compliance, together with TABS' hiring practices, were sufficiently careful to preclude a jury from finding that TABS either wilfully or with conscious indifference hired an incompetent truck driver. 12 As evidence of TABS' conscious indifference, Hutcherson points to TABS' knowledge of the three year MVR and Hicks' failure to meet TABS' two year experience requirement. Hutcherson points out that the three year MVR indicated a poor driving record, and points in particular to the 1987 incident involving an improper backing citation, a refusal to take an alcohol test, and a resulting license suspension. However, it is undisputed that Hicks explained this 1987 incident during the hiring interview in a manner that lulled TABS into discounting the failure to take an alcohol test. We agree with the district court that there is insufficient evidence for a reasonable juror to conclude that TABS' knowledge at the time of hiring constitutes conscious indifference. 13 Hutcherson also claims that TABS was consciously indifferent in retaining Hicks or failing to take him off the road in the summer of 1988, after TABS learned of the 1983 DUI conviction. TABS first learned of the 1983 DUI conviction in the summer of 1988 when Progressive wrote to TABS expressing concern about Hicks, but also noting that the DUI conviction was five years ago and therefore could probably be overlooked. The concern expressed in the letter seemed to focus on the 1987 refusal to take an alcohol test; however, as noted above, that incident had been explained to TABS in the hiring interview. Under these circumstances, we agree with the district court that the evidence is insufficient for a reasonable juror to conclude that TABS was consciously indifferent in retaining Hicks.