Wade v. Findley Management Inc.

Evidence of a prior criminal assault at defendant's restaurant raised a factual issue as to whether defendants could have foreseen that plaintiff would be attacked there.

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Derick Wade, plaintiff, sued Findlay Management, Inc. d/b/a McDonald’s Restaurant in Douglas, Georgia, across from the county high school, and Ann Stapleton its manager for failing to protect him from an assault on November 26, 1996. Even though Stapleton had caused some older boys to leave the playground in front of and connected to the restaurant around 7:00 p.m., because they were bothering smaller children and an attack on September 12, 1996, of an adult by two teenage boys had occurred, the defendants moved for summary judgment, alleging that they lacked notice for them to foresee third party criminal conduct on its premises. The trial court granted summary judgment. We reverse, because there exists a jury issue as to whether or not the defendants should have reasonably foreseen the assault and whether they exercised ordinary care to protect plaintiff.

On November 26, 1996, at approximately 7:00 p.m., Stapleton had a complaint from another manager, Smith, that older boys were bothering small children in the fenced in play area connected to the restaurant; Stapleton approached the boys and told them that she was locking-up the playgate, causing them to leave without argument, although she planned to allow others to use the playground. She did not consider that such discriminatory treatment would cause the older boys to become angry with those younger children allowed to use the playground. The plaintiff walked towards the playground and restaurant with the small children, and the older boys yelled at him and attacked him, while Stapleton was closing the gate. Wade was knocked to the ground by a blow to the head, and three of the boys started kicking him on the ground where he hit his head on a planter. Smith opened the door and screamed at the boys, causing the boys to flee.

Wade v. Findley Management Inc.

Evidence of a prior criminal assault at defendant's restaurant raised a factual issue as to whether defendants could have foreseen that plaintiff would be attacked there.

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