Johnson v. Hatoum

239 So. 2d 22, 45 A.L.R. 3d 1418
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJuly 20, 1970
Docket69-47
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 239 So. 2d 22 (Johnson v. Hatoum) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. Hatoum, 239 So. 2d 22, 45 A.L.R. 3d 1418 (Fla. Ct. App. 1970).

Opinion

239 So.2d 22 (1970)

Lynn Sharon JOHNSON, Appellant,
v.
Arthur N. HATOUM, Appellee.

No. 69-47.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.

July 20, 1970.
Rehearing Denied September 18, 1970.

*23 T.G. LaGrone, of Driscoll, Baugh & LaGrone, Orlando, for appellant.

Monroe E. McDonald, of Sanders, McEwan, Schwarz & Mims, Orlando, for appellee.

WALDEN, Judge.

This is a negligence suit. Summary judgment was entered in favor of the defendant. Plaintiff appeals. We reverse because there are genuine issues of material fact which stand as a bar to such disposition. Florida Rules of Civil Procedure 1.510(c), 31 F.S.A. See Holl v. Talcott, Fla. 1966, 191 So.2d 40, for the controlling summary judgment criteria and the admonition that summary procedure should be applied with special caution in negligence actions.

Plaintiff was a pedestrian patron (and therefore a business invitee) at defendant's drive-in restaurant when she was struck by an automobile which was being operated upon defendant's premises by another customer. Plaintiff was in the process of purchasing food to take out and was standing outside defendant's building at a designated walk-up food counter. Her back was necessarily turned to the street and to vehicular traffic on the level, paved parking area. This was occasioned by the layout of defendant's facilities.

Automobile parking spaces and parking and operating limits were not marked or otherwise indicated upon the parking lot. Except for a buildup in the paved surface *24 running along adjacent to the building, which buildup was 48 inches in width and 1 3/4 inches in height, there was no separation between the place where plaintiff was standing at the food counter and places intended and used by motor vehicles. There was no barrier or guardrail or any protective device between the standing area provided for customers afoot and the area provided for car use and parking. There were no warning or protective signs either for the vehicle operators or the pedestrian patrons. There were no traffic control or limiting signs or devices. In other words, it does not appear that defendant sought by any means to exercise control over the use of his premises by his patrons by the way of signs, restraints or limitations and apparently, and for as much as the record shows, vehicles were permitted to drive onto the premises and park anywhere and at any angle and at such proximity to the buildings and other patrons as the operator wished.

While patrons were not protected from vehicular traffic, pictures of the premises reveal that defendant protected his neon sign which was located near the parking area with a barrier consisting of a series of yellow iron posts implanted vertically in the ground.

Plaintiff, by way of the theory of her case, alleged in her complaint that defendant was negligent in failing to provide plaintiff with a reasonably safe place to transact business with defendant; with a negligent design and maintenance of its business premises; and with a failure to warn or protect the plaintiff from danger when defendant knew or should have known that these circumstances subjected plaintiff to an unreasonable risk of harm, particularly when she was placed with her back to the danger. The defendant did not answer the complaint but filed a motion for summary judgment, a motion to dismiss and a motion to strike the affidavit of plaintiff's expert witness, Professor Wilcox. The court did not rule upon the motion to dismiss. It denied defendant's motion to strike the affidavit and granted defendant's motion for summary judgment. This appeal ensued at plaintiff's behest.

While the testimony of a large number of witnesses was not before the court, the evidence was sufficient to establish the foregoing facts without question. From them we are able to say that they, together with their proper inferences, are more than adequate to forestall summary judgment and present a case for jury determination. But, going further, the plaintiff's case was buttressed in every particular by the affidavit of a qualified safety expert, Professor Wilcox. He had the record, including detailed photographs of the premises, before him and from it opined that pedestrian patrons were subjected to an unreasonable risk of danger and that the defendant should have reasonably foreseen the danger of motor vehicles striking persons standing at the take-out counter. It was his opinion that the design of the premises did not meet the customary standard of care authorized in this type of business. He finally said that a barrier should have been erected to protect customers on foot from vehicular traffic at this location.

While we are satisfied that the record requires a reversal of the judgment, with or without resort to Professor Wilcox's expert opinion we believe that the trial court correctly denied defendant's motion to strike Professor Wilcox's affidavit and that his opinion was properly considered by the trial court. See Millar v. Tropical Gables Court, Fla.App. 1958, 99 So.2d 589, and Gifford v. Galaxie Homes of Tampa, Inc., Fla.App. 1969, 223 So.2d 108.

There is a well recognized general rule that obtains in cases where business invitees are injured upon a defendant's premises by other persons. It is stated in 65 C.J.S. Negligence § 63(118), p. 883, as follows:

"Generally a proprietor of a place of business or public resort must use ordinary care to protect customers, patrons, *25 or other invitees against the dangers which may be caused by the negligence or wrongful acts of his employees, customers, or other persons, where he has reasonable cause to anticipate the wrongful or negligent acts and the probability of injury therefrom."

and 65 C.J.S. Negligence § 63(47), p. 747, where it is said:

"The owner, occupant, or person in charge of premises must use ordinary care to protect his invitees from the wrongful or negligent acts of third persons which he has reasonable cause to anticipate."

See also 40 Am.Jur.2d., Hotels, Motels, etc., § 111:

"Although a proprietor of an inn, hotel, motel or similar establishment is not an insuror of the safety of his guests or patrons against tortious or improper acts or conduct of other guests, patrons, or third persons, he is bound to exercise reasonable care in this respect for their safety and may be held liable on the ground of negligence."

The Florida Supreme Court also announced the rule in the case of McNulty v. Hurley, Fla. 1957, 97 So.2d 185, where a plaintiff was injured upon defendant's premises by the actions of others. It was there outlined:

"A greater duty is owed to an invitee than to either of the other class of persons above mentioned. (Referring to licensees and trespassers.) The owner or occupant owes an invitee the duty of keeping the premises in a reasonably safe condition, and, as plaintiff contends, also to guard against subjecting such person to dangers of which the owner or occupant is cognizant or might reasonably have foreseen. First Federal Sav. & Loan Ass'n. of Miami v. Wylie, Fla. 1950, 46 So.2d 396, and Messner v. Webb's City, Inc., Fla. 1952, 62 So.2d 66."

The plaintiff in McNulty was denied recovery because the court determined that she was only a licensee and that the defendant had not breached the standard of care owed to her.

To catalog and capsule a few cases which support the plaintiff's position and reflect light upon the defendant's responsibility, we note the following:

A. In Jackson v. Atlanta Braves, Inc., Fla.App.

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Bluebook (online)
239 So. 2d 22, 45 A.L.R. 3d 1418, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-hatoum-fladistctapp-1970.