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Rapid Group Inc. v. Yellow Cab of Columbus Inc.

The trial court properly held that defendants could not rely on a case that changed existing law and was decided long after the alleged malpractice occurred.

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In general, legal malpractice liability attaches when an attorney fails to apply well-settled legal principles or procedures. In this case, the attorney representing a taxicab company allegedly failed to assert the well-known independent contractor defense to a claim of respondeat superior for a cab driver’s tort. But the malpractice defendants argued that it is also well settled that the independent contractor defense did not apply to the facts of the case. They relied on Yellow Cab of Chatham County v. Karwoski, 226 Ga. App. 63 486 SE2d 39 1997, which was decided three years after the alleged legal malpractice. Thus, one of the questions presented by this appeal is does Karwoski reiterate well-settled law or break new ground.

In 1992, Stephens, a driver for Yellow Cab of Columbus, Inc. had an accident in Columbus that injured Lester and Tina Howard. At the time of the accident, Stephens had a Columbus taxicab driver’s permit but not a Columbus taxicab business license. Stephens had a business relationship with Yellow Cab, described by Yellow Cab as one of dispatch service and independent contractor. The Howards sued Stephens in tort, and Yellow Cab under the doctrine of respondeat superior. Rapid Group, Inc. insured Yellow Cab and it provided a defense using attorney Sidney Moore.

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