Category: Legal Advice

Under the classic assumption of risk doctrine, a defendant is not liable for harm caused if the plaintiff voluntarily and knowingly assumed the risk. Georgia courts have long accepted the doctrine of assumption of risk. Assumption of risk is an affirmative defense to liability, although Georgia courts will sometimes integrate assumption of risk into a comparative fault analysis.

The Court of Appeals of Georgia has held that a defendant may successfully assert assumption of risk as a defense when defendant shows that the plaintiff:

1. Had actual knowledge of the danger in question;
2. Understood and appreciated the risks associated with such danger; and
3. Voluntarily exposed himself or herself to those risks.

Examples of Assumption of Risk Being Applied in Georgia Courts

Georgia courts have accepted assumption of risk defenses in many types of personal injury cases, including premises liability and product liability cases. The cases highlighted below show how Georgia courts apply doctrine in different types of cases.

Teems v. Bates, 684 S.E.2d 662 (2009)

In this case, teenager Janna Teems was injured after falling off of the top of a car driven by her friend, Matthew Bates. Teems wanted to ride on top of the car for fun as Bates drove around in a parking lot, but Bates drove faster than Teems expected (10-15 mph) and fell from the car. She was seriously injured and required weeks of hospitalization.

Teems sued Bates for negligence, but the trial court found that Teems assumed the risk of harm and ruled in favor of Bates. The appeals court affirmed this decision, finding that:

“When a person knowingly and voluntarily takes a risk of physical injury the danger of which is so obvious that the act of taking such risk in and of itself amounts to a failure to exercise ordinary care for one’s own safety, that person cannot hold another liable for injuries proximately caused by such action even though the injuries may be in part attributable to the negligence of the other person.”

This case shows that when a plaintiff assumes a major risk, the assumption of risk doctrine will apply even when the defendant’s conduct was clearly negligent.

Landings Association, Inc. v. Williams, 728 S.E.2d 577 (2012)

This case shows how assumption of risk is applied in premises liability cases. In this case, 83-year-old Gwyneth Williams was killed by an alligator as she walked on a pathway along a man-made lagoon. Her family brought suit against the property owners. However, it was well-known in that area that alligators lived in the waters of the property. Moreover, the property owners warned residents in the area about the presence of the alligators. The Georgia Supreme Court found that although the property owners had a duty to keep the premise reasonably safe, that in this case Williams assumed the risk that an alligator could harm her.

Wilson v. Bicycle South, 915 F.2d 1503 (1990)

This product liability case was decided in the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, which is located in Atlanta. Although the case was decided in a federal court, Georgia state law was applied. The court determined that if a plaintiff voluntarily decides to use a product, despite knowing about a product’s defect and being aware of the danger the defect presents, they cannot recover in a product liability claim if the product harms them because they assumed the risk.

For More Information, Contact Williams Elleby Howard & Easter, Today

The attorneys at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter, are dedicated to helping personal injury victims with all types of personal injury claims, including auto accidents, “slip and fall,” premises liability, and product liability claims. If you would like more information or would like to discuss your case, call Williams Elleby Howard & Easter, today to schedule a free consultation at 833-LEGALGA.

We all have a duty to act with reasonable care towards others. This is the basic principle underlying all of Georgia tort law. A secondary principle is that generally speaking, none of us have a duty to go out of our way to help each other. We have a duty not to cause harm, but there is no legal requirement that we give aid to others.

Putting these two legal principles together creates a problem when people need emergency medical care. If someone decides to help, they put themselves at risk of legal liability if they make a mistake and cause further harm. But if they decide to do nothing, they have no legal liability for what happens. The recent tragic case of Lorraine Bayless highlights this problem.

Lorraine Bayless was living at Glenwood Gardens, an elderly care facility, when she stopped breathing. Someone at Glenwood Gardens called 911, and the emergency dispatcher on the phone urged them to start CPR. But there was a strict policy at Glenwood Gardens for employees not to provide medical care, and the employee stated that she couldn’t help because her boss told her not to do anything.

The 9-11 dispatcher asked if, even though the employees were instructed not to perform CPR, if any one could help Bayless stay alive. The employee, instructed by her boss not to do anything that could incur liability for the facility, stated the only thing she could: “Not at this time.” By the time the EMS crew arrived, Lorraine Bayless was dead.

To encourage people to help those in need, Georgia has a law protecting people from legal liability when they give medical aid to someone in an emergency. This is called the Georgia Good Samaritan Law. Under this law, if you try to help someone by giving CPR or any other emergency medical care, you cannot be held liable for any mistake you make under the Georgia Good Samaritan Law.

Georgia’s Good Samaritan Law

Georgia’s “Good Samaritan law” is found Title 51 Chapter 1 Section 29 of the Official Code of Georgia. It states:
Any person, including any person licensed to practice medicine and surgery, and including any person licensed to render services ancillary thereto, who in good faith renders emergency care at the scene of an accident or emergency to the victim or victims thereof without making any charge therefor shall not be liable for any civil damages as a result of any act or omission by such person in rendering emergency care or as a result of any act or failure to act to provide or arrange for further medical treatment or care for the injured person.

Under this law, a person giving aid cannot be found liable for negligence and a doctor or health professional giving emergency aid without charge is immune from a medical malpractice suit.

Contact the Kennesaw, GA Personal Injury Attorneys at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter, to Discuss Your Case

The Kennesaw, GA personal injury attorneys at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter, fully understand Georgia personal injury law. If you have any questions about this issue or would like to discuss your case, contact Williams Elleby Howard & Easter, at 833-LEGALGA today.