Willis v. Cowabunga, Inc.

Facts

Jeanette Willis sued Cowabunga, Inc. (doing business as Domino’s Pizza) and its delivery driver, Christopher Geanis, for injuries sustained in a motor vehicle collision. The incident occurred when Geanis, while distracted by reaching for cigarettes, rear-ended a motorcycle on which Willis was a passenger. The impact caused Willis to be thrown into the air, resulting in multiple injuries, including fractures to her right foot and ankle.

Willis received treatment for her injuries, including the use of a stabilizing Aircast boot and orthotic devices. She later fell at home, injuring her left ankle, which required surgery. Willis alleged that the fall and subsequent injuries were caused by her ongoing instability and chronic pain from the right ankle injuries sustained in the crash. 

Domino’s and Geanis moved for partial summary judgment, arguing that the left ankle injury was not causally related to the accident. The trial court granted the motion, concluding that Willis’s right ankle had healed by the time of the fall and that the left ankle injury was an unrelated event. Willis appealed.

Issue & Holding

Causation of Left Ankle Injury

Did the trial court err in granting summary judgment by finding no genuine issue of material fact as to whether the left ankle injury was causally related to the motor vehicle accident?

Holding

Yes. The Court of Appeals reversed the trial court’s grant of summary judgment, finding that the evidence presented a jury question on causation.

Reasoning

Causation and Summary Judgment Standards

The appellate court reiterated that summary judgment is appropriate only when no genuine issue of material fact exists, and all evidence must be viewed in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Questions of causation are generally reserved for the jury unless the facts are “plain, palpable, and undisputed.”

Evidence of Ongoing Ankle Issues

Willis provided testimony from her treating physician, Dr. Gary Stewart, who confirmed that while the bones in her right ankle had healed, she continued to experience chronic pain and decreased functionality in the right ankle joint. Dr. Stewart described this as her “new normal” following the injury. Willis testified that the fall resulting in her left ankle injury occurred because she was favoring her weakened right ankle, a plausible consequence of her impaired condition.

The trial court’s conclusion that her right ankle was completely healed overlooked evidence of continued soft tissue and functional limitations. The appellate court found this omission critical, as it supported an inference that the fall and subsequent left ankle injury were foreseeable consequences of the original injury.

Proximate Cause and Foreseeability

The court noted that proximate cause includes all natural and probable consequences of a tortfeasor’s negligence, unless interrupted by an independent cause. Here, favoring the right ankle and falling while navigating stairs were foreseeable consequences of the impaired functionality resulting from the collision. The appellate court held that a jury could reasonably find that the left ankle injury was proximately caused by the accident.

Conclusion

The Court of Appeals reversed the trial court’s grant of partial summary judgment, holding that sufficient evidence existed for a jury to determine whether the left ankle injury was causally related to the motor vehicle accident. This decision underscores the role of juries in resolving questions of causation, particularly when medical evidence and testimony create factual disputes.

For attorneys, the ruling highlights the importance of presenting comprehensive evidence of ongoing impairments and the potential ripple effects of initial injuries. An initial injury can cause subsequent injuries. As in this case, it may be a fall due to an impairment from the original injury. In other cases, it may be because a person has to favor another body party while lifting or walking, resulting in overuse and an aggravation.

When evaluating medical causation issues, particularly when new symptoms appear during ongoing treatment, it is important to ask whether the original injury could have caused a subsequent injury or additional symptoms to develop in another body party that was not originally injured. This requires a thorough understanding of your client’s injuries and how they affected the client, as well as their medical history.

Citation: Willis v. Cowabunga, Inc., No. A24A0783 (Ga. Ct. App. October 23, 2024)