The recent losses for Georgia premises owners are piling up. On the heels of the Carmichael et al. decision from Georgia’s Supreme Court comes another disappointing ruling, albeit much smaller in scope.
This time, the Georgia Court of Appeals reversed the trial court’s grant of summary judgment and instead found that an “unsecured and out of position” exterior door mat – meaning it was “not flush with the threshold of the door” – creates a jury question.
Really?
So an unsecured mat (nearly all mats are unsecured – i.e., not tacked or taped down) that is not “flush with the threshold” is enough to create a jury question “about whether the mat was a hazardous condition”? So says the Georgia Court of Appeals in Johnson v. LT Energy, LLC (June 27, 2023)