Court Opinion

ID: 9582730
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:30:44.349124+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:38:16.801221
License: Public Domain

Hall, Judge,
concurring specially. I concur with Division 1 of the opinion of the court, for the reason that the petition does not show that the material of which the defendant’s floor was made had the propensity to become excessively slippery when wet, as compared to floors customarily found in business premises.
I concur with the result reached but do not agree with all that is said in Divisions 2 and 3 of the opinion of the court. I agree that the allegations of the petition do not create an issue that the defendant failed to exercise ordinary care in the maintenance of the described floor under the prevailing weather conditions—a business proprietor cannot reasonably be expected to prevent the presence of some water on a normal floor during a period of time when it is continually raining, unless by the presence of the water the proprietor exposes his invitees to an unreasonable risk of harm.
The controlling question in this case is whether the petition alleges facts which if supported by evidence could authorize a finding that the defendant was negligent. Whether the facts alleged show as a matter of law that the plaintiff failed to exercise ordinary care for her own safety is an issue that the court cannot reach unless it has first determined that the petition shows an *181issue of negligence on the part of the defendant. My views of the law pertaining to questions of negligence by invitees are discussed in Kreiss v. Allatoona Landing, Inc., 108 Ga. App. 427, 439 (133 SE2d 602).