Court Opinion

ID: 9562967
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 18:35:27.420919+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:17:38.280993
License: Public Domain

Deen, Judge,
concurring specially.
I concur with the majority view and for additional reasons cite further authority. Mason v. Frankel, 49 Ga. App. 145, 146 (174 SE 546). “Her opportunity to observe the obstruction was interfered with to such an extent that she did not, and could not by the exercise of ordinary care, have seen the obstruction so as to avoid the same.” “One is not bound to the same degree of care in discovering or apprehending danger in moments of stress or excitement or when the attention has been necessarily diverted as at other times.” Glover v. City Council of Augusta, 83 Ga. App. 314, 316 (63 SE2d 422). See also Miller v. Bart, 90 Ga. App. 755, 758 (84 SE2d 127). In Butts v. Academy of Beauty, Inc., 117 Ga. App. 222, 223 (4) (160 SE2d 222). “. . . the beauty operator called to her [the customer] with a request for another appointment and as she turned her head toward the speaker she fell . . .”, holds that momentary conversation or a remark which distracts the customer combined with other circumstances states a cause of action.
“A combination of two or more circumstances, although no one may be sufficient of itself to constitute actionable negligence, may, if it results in harm to the plaintiff, in its totality be *72sufficient to state a cause of action in tort.” Pilgreen v. Hanson, 89 Ga. App. 703 (81 SE2d 18); Butts v. Academy of Beauty, Inc., supra. In the case sub judice the customer’s attention being momentarily distracted by the remark of the employee, “Merry Christmas,” combined with other circumstances such as the “kiddie-kar” being in an area not usually or customarily placed is in its totality sufficient to authorize a recovery for injuries.