Taylor v. N. I. L., Inc., 470 S.E.2d 491 (Ga. Ct. App. 1996). · Go Syfert
Taylor v. N. I. L., Inc., 470 S.E.2d 491 (Ga. Ct. App. 1996). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
35 citation events (22 in the last 25 years) across 2 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: Lustre-Diaz v. Etheridge (gactapp, 2011-03-17)
Treatment trajectory · 1997 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
1997 2011 2026
Top citers, strongest first. 9 distinct citers. How cited ↗
discussed Cited as authority (quoted) Lustre-Diaz v. Etheridge (2×) also: Cited as authority (rule)
Ga. Ct. App. · 2011 · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence low
guesses or speculation which raise merely a conjecture or possibility are not sufficient to create even an inference of fact. . . .
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Andria Kendrick, as Surviving Spouse of K. Chad Kendrick v. Rjm Trading, Inc.
Ga. Ct. App. · 2025 · confidence medium
Appellant thus “cannot use the unresolved issue of spoliation to assert that genuine issues of material fact nonetheless exist.”27 Even without a spoliation presumption, Appellant contends that a jury, “after observing Arnsdorff wearing the keys for five hours at Fish Tales, could reasonably assume that Arnsdorff continued to wear her keys and wallet on her wrist while at Game Time[.]” “Guesses or speculation which raise merely a conjecture or possibility 25 Becks v. Pierce, 282 Ga. App. 229, 234 (1) ( 638 SE2d 390 ) (2006) (reversing denial of summary judgment because there was no e…
examined Cited as authority (rule) Forrester v. Georgia Department of Human Services (3×) also: Cited "see"
Ga. Ct. App. · 2011 · confidence medium
Taylor, 221 Ga. App. at 100 (citations and punctuation omitted).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Wright v. Pine Hills Country Club, Inc.
Ga. Ct. App. · 2003 · confidence medium
L., Inc., 221 Ga. App. 99, 101 ( 470 SE2d 491 ) (1996) (regarding whether the defendant had knowledge that the person would soon be driving). *751 Case No. A03A0179 Wright contends that Thomson Newspapers and its successor in interest, Newspaper Holdings, Inc., are liable for the injuries caused by their servant Yawn. ‘When a servant causes an injury to another, the test to determine if the master is liable is whether or not the servant was at the time of the injury acting within the scope of his employment and on the business of the master. [Cits.]” Allen Kane’s Major Dodge v. Barnes, 2…
cited Cited as authority (rule) Watkins & Watkins, P.C. v. Colbert
Ga. Ct. App. · 1999 · confidence medium
L., Inc., 221 Ga. App. 99, 100 ( 470 SE2d 491 ) (1996); see also Greene v. Jenkins, 224 Ga. App. 640, 644 (2) ( 481 SE2d 617 ) (1997); Brown v. Amerson, 220 Ga. App. 318, 320 ( 469 SE2d 723 ) (1996).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Epps v. Gwinnett County
Ga. Ct. App. · 1998 · confidence medium
L., Inc., 221 Ga. App. 99, 100 ( 470 SE2d 491 ) (1996). 8.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Penn v. State
Ga. Ct. App. · 1997 · confidence medium
L., Inc., 221 Ga. App. 99, 100 ( 470 SE2d 491 ) (1996).
examined Cited "see" Bunn v. Landers (3×)
Ga. Ct. App. · 1998 · signal: see · confidence high
See Taylor v. N.I.L., Inc., 221 Ga. App. 99, 100 ( 470 SE2d 491 ) (1996); Brumbelow v. City of Rome, 215 Ga. App. 321, 322 ( 450 SE2d 345 ) (1994).
examined Cited "see, e.g." Tuggle v. Helms (4×)
Ga. Ct. App. · 1998 · signal: see, e.g. · confidence low
See, e.g., Taylor v. N.I.L., Inc., 221 Ga.App. 99, 100 , 470 S.E.2d 491 (1996) (negligence on another occasion not evidence of negligence on particular occasion).
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
TAYLOR Et Al.
v.
N. I. L., INC.
A96A0120.
Court of Appeals of Georgia.
Apr 3, 1996.
470 S.E.2d 491
1996 Ga. App. LEXIS 366
Phears & Moldovan, H. Wayne Phears, Albert L. Norton, Jr., Richard E. Harris, for appellants., Butler & MacDougald, Daniel MacDougald III, for appellee.
Andrews, Pope, Smith.
Cited by 15 opinions  |  Published
1 passage pin-cited by 1 case
Pinpoint authority: bottom 72%
Citer courts: Court of Appeals of Georgia (1)
Andrews, Judge.

After Ronald Steed was killed in an automobile accident, Taylor, the administratrix of Steed’s estate, and Steed’s parents sued N. I. L., Inc. (NIL), which did business as the Pic-Pac Package Store, claiming NIL is liable for Steed’s death under the provisions of OCGA § 51-1-40. The plaintiffs alleged that Steed was a passenger in a car driven by David Telenko, age 20 at the time of the accident, and that the fatal accident occurred because Telenko was driving while intoxicated from consuming alcoholic beverages sold or furnished to Telenko by the NIL package store knowing that he was not of lawful drinking age and that he would soon be driving a motor vehicle. The plaintiffs appeal from the trial court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of NIL.

The evidence, construed in favor of the plaintiffs as respondents to the motion for summary judgment, showed the following: It is undisputed that Telenko was 20 years old and therefore not of lawful drinking age on the date of the automobile accident. Telenko deposed that, a few hours prior to the accident, he drove to a friend’s house where Steed and others were present. Earlier in the day, Steed and a[*100] friend, neither of whom was of lawful drinking age, had driven to the NIL package store and purchased a case and a half of beer without showing any identification to verify their age. When Telenko arrived, Steed and others at the house were drinking the beer purchased from NIL. There was evidence that Telenko drank some of the beer purchased from NIL by Steed and his friend, drank three beers he purchased from another convenience store not a party to this appeal, and also drank some rum from a bottle.

Later that evening Steed and Telenko left the house in Telenko’s car with Telenko driving. The accident occurred a short time later when the car went out of control and crashed into a utility pole while traveling at a high rate of speed. Steed was killed, and Telenko. was seriously injured. There was evidence, including blood alcohol tests, showing that Telenko was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. Although there is a dispute as to whether Telenko or Steed was driving at the time of the accident, there was evidence supporting the plaintiffs’ claim that Telenko was the driver, so we assume for present purposes, without deciding, that Telenko was the driver.

The plaintiffs claim that NIL is liable for Steed’s death because, at the time of the fatal accident, Telenko was driving under the influence of alcohol sold or furnished to him by NIL in violation of OCGA § 51-1-40. They make this claim under two theories. First, they claim the rum Telenko was seen drinking was illegally purchased by Telenko from the NIL package store shortly before the accident. Second, they claim that Telenko drank beer that Steed and his friend had illegally purchased from the NIL package store earlier that day. We conclude the trial court properly granted summary judgment in favor of NIL under both of these theories.

We agree with the trial court that there was no evidence to support the contention that Telenko bought the rum he drank from the NIL package store. There was absolutely no evidence showing who bought the rum or where it was bought. Telenko testified he had no idea where it came from. Evidence that Telenko and others not of legal drinking age bought alcoholic beverages from the NIL package store on other occasions and that Telenko had not been to any other store which sold rum the day of the accident amounted to no more than pure speculation that Telenko may have purchased the rum from NIL. “Guesses or speculation which raise merely a conjecture or possibility are not sufficient to create even an inference of fact for consideration on summary judgment. Brumbelow v. City of Rome, 215 Ga. App. 321, 322 (450 SE2d 345) (1994); Jiffy Store v. Bishop, 190 Ga. App. 716, 717 (379 SE2d 602) (1989).” Brown v. Amerson, 220 Ga. App. 318 (469 SE2d 723) (1996).

The trial court also correctly held that evidence that Telenko[*101] drank beer purchased earlier in the day by Steed and another under-aged friend from the NIL package store was insufficient, as a matter of law, to establish NIL’s liability under OCGA § 51-1-40. Under OCGA § 51-1-40 (b), “a person who willfully, knowingly, and unlawfully sells, furnishes, or serves alcoholic beverages to a person who is not of lawful drinking age, knowing that such person will soon be driving a motor vehicle . . . may become liable for injury or damage caused by or resulting from the intoxication of such minor . . . when the sale, furnishing, or serving is the proximate cause of such injury or damage.” Actual knowledge is not required under the statute. “If one in the exercise of reasonable care should have known that the recipient of the alcohol was a minor and would be driving soon, he or she will be deemed to have knowledge of that fact.” Riley v. H & H Operations, 263 Ga. 652, 655 (436 SE2d 659) (1993).

The plaintiffs contend that NIL is liable under the statute because it knew or should have known that the purchasers, Steed and his friend, were not of legal drinking age, and it was foreseeable they would later share the alcoholic beverages with others not of legal drinking age, like Telenko, who would soon drive a motor vehicle. It is undisputed that Telenko was not with Steed and his friend when they purchased the beer from the NIL package store, and there is no evidence otherwise connecting Telenko, directly or indirectly, to the actual purchase of the alcoholic beverages from NIL by Steed and his friend. Accordingly, there is no evidence that, when NIL sold the beer to Steed and his friend, it sold or furnished beer to Telenko knowing he was a person not of legal drinking age and knowing he would soon be driving a motor vehicle. Although there may be circumstances by which a person, by indirect means, knowingly sells, furnishes or serves alcoholic beverages to an underaged person knowing such person will soon be driving a motor vehicle in violation of OCGA § 51-1-40, this is not such a case. The statute requires that the seller have knowledge of the underaged person to whom the alcoholic beverages are sold, furnished or served and knowledge that such person will soon be driving a motor vehicle. Even if NIL sold the beer to Steed and his friend knowing they were not of lawful drinking age, there is no evidence that Telenko was connected to the sale in a manner such that NIL knew or should have known it was selling or furnishing beer to Telenko and knew he was not of lawful drinking age and would soon be driving a motor vehicle. Evidence showing only that Telenko later drank beer unlawfully sold by NIL to the other under-aged purchasers earlier in the day and then drove a motor vehicle in the fatal accident while under the influence of the beer is not suffh cient to establish NIL’s liability under OCGA § 51-1-40.

Judgment affirmed.

Pope, P. J., and Smith, J., concur. [*102] Decided April 3, 1996. Phears & Moldovan, H. Wayne Phears, Albert L. Norton, Jr., Richard E. Harris, for appellants. Butler & MacDougald, Daniel MacDougald III, for appellee.