Court Opinion

ID: 9624479
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 07:04:17.505806+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:05:47.561012
License: Public Domain

ANDREWS, Presiding Judge,
dissenting.
Because I believe this is one of those cases in which the evidence of Little’s equal knowledge of the condition which he contends caused his fall is “plain, palpable, and undisputed[,]” I would affirm the trial court’s grant of summary judgment to Alliance Fire Protection, Inc., European American Realty, Ltd., and St. Vivant Limited Partnership.
The majority has omitted several facts which I believe should be considered in determining this case. First, Little had maintained an office in this building since 1999. He usually parked in the same place behind the building and walked to the rear entrance. Through the windows of his offices, Little had seen water released in a similar fashion on prior occasions. On the day of his fall, Little was aware that it was the coldest day of the year, 18 degrees, and that water freezes at 32 degrees. After exiting his vehicle, Little gathered his belongings, a rolling briefcase, a shoulder strap briefcase, a digital camera bag, and a plastic sack containing his breakfast. Although aware that he could have gone around to the front of the building and entered, thereby avoiding the rushing water, Little nonetheless chose, rolling one briefcase and carrying all of the rest of his belongings, to walk through the water. Although aware of the water and the temperature, Little did not consider whether the water could have frozen and created a slippery condition. As he stated, “[a]t the time I just didn’t think.”
“A plaintiff is held accountable for the failure to exercise due care for personal safety when doing an obviously dangerous act, and that failure is regarded as the sole proximate cause of the injury.” (Citation omitted.) City of Winder v. Girone, 265 Ga. 723, 724 (1) (462 SE2d 704) (1995). See also Bloch v. Herman’s Sporting Goods, 208 Ga. App. 280 (430 SE2d 86) (1993); Bowman v. Richardson, 176 Ga. App. 864 (338 SE2d 297) (1985). Just as Girone knew she was traversing a patio covered with sewage, Little knew he was traversing a flowing stream of water on an 18-degree day while carrying or pulling three cases and his breakfast. See also Sunlink Health Systems v. Pettigrew, 286 Ga. App. 339, 341 (649 SE2d 532) (2007) (former 12-year employee of hospital, visiting sister there on a rainy day, whose fall was caused by accumulated rain water on flat concrete entrance walkway is charged with equal knowledge of this fact); Moss v. Dept. of Public Safety, 247 Ga. App. 426 (1) (543 SE2d 799) (2000); Palermo v. Winn-Dixie Atlanta, 221 Ga. App. 532, 533 (1) (472 SE2d 85) (1996).
*123Decided March 27, 2008
Reconsideration denied April 14, 2008.
Pope & Howard, J. Marcus Edward Howard, for appellant.
Carlock, Copeland, Sender & Stair, Wayne D. McGrew III, Spencer A. Bomar, for appellee.
Therefore, I believe summary judgment to the defendants should be affirmed.
I am authorized to state that Presiding Judge Johnson joins in this dissent.