Court Opinion

ID: 9854349
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:06:09.770583+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:02.266976
License: Public Domain

Sognier, Judge,
concurring specially.
I concur specially to note that the majority here, as have I in earlier opinions, cites as authority in an appeal from a grant of summary judgment a case that procedurally involves an appeal from the direction of a verdict. While the principles of law for which such a case is cited are often equally applicable in all slip and fall cases regardless of the procedural status of the case, the burden of proof on the parties differs according to that procedural status. Reference to authorities such as Mitchell v. Food Giant, 176 Ga. App. 705 (337 SE2d 353) (1985), cited in this case and in Newman v. Ruby Tuesday, Inc., 184 Ga. App. 827 (363 SE2d 26) (1987), should not be misread as indicating any change in the law of summary judgment as it relates to the burden of proof on the movant. The rule has been, and continues to be, that on motion for summary judgment, regardless of which party would have the burden of proof at trial, if a material fact has been alleged in the complaint, can be reasonably drawn from the pleadings, or has been raised by the evidence placed in the record by any party, the defendant-movant has the burden of proving the nonexistence of that fact and it is not until the movant carries its own burden that the burden then shifts to the plaintiff-respondent. See Showalter v. Villa Prado Assoc., 182 Ga. App. 705 (356 SE2d 895) (1987); Colbert v. Piggly Wiggly Southern, 175 Ga. App. 44, 49 (3) (332 SE2d 304) (1985); Alterman Foods v. Ligon, 246 Ga. 620, 625 (272 SE2d 327) (1980); see generally Jacobsen v. Muller, 181 Ga. App. 382, 384 (352 SE2d 604) (1986); Harris v. White, 148 Ga. App. 862, *573863 (253 SE2d 249) (1979); Evans v. Bibb Co., 178 Ga. App. 139, 140 (1) (342 SE2d 484) (1986).
Decided May 19, 1988
Rehearing denied June 21, 1988
Larry W. Thomason, for appellant.
Robert C. Semler, Johannes S. Kingma, for appellee.