Monthly Archives: July 2011
$25 million total settlement in Bluffton bus crash cases
On March 2, 2007, at 5:38 AM, a charter bus from Ohio carrying the Bluffton University baseball team to a tournament in Florida went off a confusingly marked HOV exit from I-75 at Northside Drive in Atlanta. Yesterday, in Columbus, Ohio, I participated in the mediation that produced the final settlement of all claims arising … Continue Reading
Innkeeper in Georgia has no legal duty to check on health of guest
Today the Supreme Court of Georgia held, in a 4-3 decision, that notwithstanding a moral obligation to do so, a motel manager has no legal duty to investigate the health of a guest on the request of a family member.
In the case of RASNICK v. KRISHNA HOSPITALITY, INC., a 77 year old man from Texas … Continue Reading
When drunk bought 12 pack, then killed 6, convenience store accountable under Georgia dram shop law
The Georgia Supreme Court issued a landmark decision today, in FLORES et al. v. EXPREZIT! STORES, holding that a convenience store that sold a 12 pack of beer to a visibly intoxicated customer could be accountable for the injuries and deaths that resulted.
The Georgia dram shop statute, OCGA § 51-1-40, provides:
(a) The General Assembly finds … Continue Reading
New Georgia bicycle safety law in effect, but bicycle rider killed in Sandy Springs
It was a bittersweet holiday weekend for bicycle riders in Georgia.
On Friday, July 1, a new state law went into effect, requiring car and truck drivers to keep at least 3 feet of distance from bicycles when passing them on the road. Biking clubs across the state are holding group rides over the Fourth of … Continue Reading
Truck driver fueling rig suffers severe burn injuries
A truck driver was pumping fuel into his tractor trailer rig yesterday at Benton, NY, when the passenger side caught fire. He suffered severe burns to his head, face, neck, chest and arms. The news story caught my eye for these reasons:
He was flown to Strong Memorial Hospital at Rochester, NY. While I am in … Continue Reading
Pit bull attack nets $700K judgment in Douglas County, GA
Douglas County, Georgia, where I graduated from high school and returned for a few years as a young lawyer, is known as a very conservative venue. However, Douglas Countians do not lack the ability to do the right thing when the facts call for it.
Today’s news includes a report that the State Court of Douglas … Continue Reading
