GFI Mgmt. Servs., Inc. v. Medina, 733 S.E.2d 329 (Ga. 2012). · Go Syfert
GFI Mgmt. Servs., Inc. v. Medina, 733 S.E.2d 329 (Ga. 2012). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
12 citation events (12 in the last 25 years) across 1 distinct court.
Strongest positive: Six Flags Over Georgia II, Lp v. Joshua L. Martin (gactapp, 2015-11-23)
Top citers, strongest first. 4 distinct citers. How cited ↗
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Six Flags Over Georgia II, Lp v. Joshua L. Martin (2×)
Ga. Ct. App. · 2015 · confidence medium
Servs., Inc. v. Medina, 291 Ga. 741, 741-43 ( 733 SE2d 329 ) (2012); see also Double View Ventures, LLC, 326 Ga. App. at 562 (1) (b) (noting that the apportionment statute does not require precise party identification).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Double View Ventures, LLC v. Polite
Ga. Ct. App. · 2014 · confidence medium
Svcs. v. Medina, 291 Ga. 741, 742-743 ( 733 SE2d 329 ) (2012) (unknown criminal assailants could be on the verdict form for apportionment of fault).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Double View Ventures, LLC v. Nathaniel Polite
Ga. Ct. App. · 2014 · confidence medium
Svcs., Inc. v. Medina, 291 Ga. 741, 742-743 ( 733 SE2d 329 ) (2012) (unknown criminal assailants could be on the verdict form for apportionment of fault).
discussed Cited "see, e.g." Fulton County, Georgia v. Soco Contracting Company, Inc.
Ga. Ct. App. · 2017 · signal: see also · confidence low
See also State Dept. of Corrections v. Developers Surety & Indemity Co., 291 Ga. 741 ( 763 SE2d 868 ) (2016) (affirmed on cert. by State Dept. of Corrections v. Developers Surety & Indemnity Co., 324 Ga. App. 371 ( 750 SE2d 697 ) (2013) (matters deemed admitted by the Georgia Department of Corrections as a matter of law established that 20 it materially breached its contract with a government contractor for re-roofing certain buildings).
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
GFI MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.
v.
MEDINA
S12A1228.
Supreme Court of Georgia.
Oct 15, 2012.
733 S.E.2d 329
Hawkins, Parnell, Thackston & Young, Christian J. Lang, David C. Marshall, for appellant., Deitch & Rogers, Gilbert H. Deitch, Andrew T. Rogers, for appellee., Cook, Noell, Tolley & Bates, Edward D. Tolley, Charles M. Cork III, amici curiae.
Benham.
Cited by 8 opinions  |  Published
Benham, Justice.

On October 9, 2007, appellee Terence Medina was shot in his leg while walking in a DeKalb County apartment complex managed by[*742] appellant GFI Management Services, Inc. (GFI). The identity of the perpetrator remains unknown. In September 2009, appellee brought a premises liability action against appellant and several other defendants, including his unknown assailant.[1] GFI filed a notice of intent to seek apportionment of fault among non-parties as well as parties pursuant to OCGA § 51-12-33 (d). Thereafter, appellee filed a motion in limine to exclude all evidence and argument concerning apportionment under OCGA § 51-12-33. On January 11, 2012, the trial court granted the motion in limine, concluding that OCGA §§ 51-12-33 and 51-12-31 were unconstitutional. Specifically, the trial court noted that the current language in OCGA § 51-12-31 makes it discretionary for the jury to specify the particular damages to be recovered of each defendant where an action is brought jointly against several persons for an injury caused by any of the defendants. Looking at the language in OCGA § 51-12-33, the trial court noted that apportionment of damages according to percentage of fault was mandatory when an action was brought against more than one person, and that only OCGA § 51-12-33 authorized the apportionment of fault to non-parties. In comparing the two statutes, the trial court concluded that the statutes were unconstitutionally vague and deprived Georgia’s citizens of due process. GFI filed the instant appeal.

While GFI’s appeal was pending, this Court decided Couch v. Red Roof Inns, 291 Ga. 359, 361 (729 SE2d 378) (2012). In Couch, we concluded that

OCGA § 51-12-33 does not conflict with OCGA § 51-12-31, a statute which expressly does not apply where OCGA § 51-12-33 applies. Indeed, OCGA § 51-12-31 expressly provides that, “[e]xcept as provided in Code Section 51-12-33, where an action is brought jointly against several persons, the plaintiff may recover damages for an injury caused by any of the defendants against only the defendant or defendants liable for the injury.”

Id. at 367 (citing McReynolds v. Krebs, 290 Ga. 850 (725 SE2d 584) (2012)). In Couch, we further held that jury instructions or special verdict forms which require a jury to apportion damages between a property owner and the criminal assailant pursuant to OCGA § 51-12-33 do not violate a plaintiff’s constitutional right to due process or right to equal protection under the law. Id. at 365-367. Accordingly, in light of our decision in Couch, the trial court’s decision granting[*743] plaintiff’s motion in limine on the grounds that OCGA §§ 51-12-33 and 51-12-31 are unconstitutional must be reversed.[2]

Decided October 15, 2012. Hawkins, Parnell, Thackston & Young, Christian J. Lang, David C. Marshall, for appellant. Deitch & Rogers, Gilbert H. Deitch, Andrew T. Rogers, for appellee. Cook, Noell, Tolley & Bates, Edward D. Tolley, Charles M. Cork III, amici curiae.

Judgment reversed.

All the Justices concur.
1

Currently, GFI is the only named party-defendant remaining in the case.f

2

Since the trial court did not make a ruling as to whether there is sufficient evidence in this case to support a rational apportionment of damages, we decline to make such ruling as urged by appellee in his hriefing on appeal.