Anderson v. Family Dollar Stores of Georgia LLC

Filing 10

ORDER granting #6 Motion for Default Judgment. The Court Orders the Clerk of Court to enter a final default judgment in favor of Plaintiff. The judgment shall provide that Plaintiff recovers $1.2 million in compensatory damages and $200,000.00 in punitive damages. Ordered by US DISTRICT JUDGE HUGH LAWSON on 4/19/2017. (aks)

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF GEORGIA
VALDOSTA DIVISION

WINFRED L. ANDERSON,
Plaintiff,
v.

Civil Action No. 7:17-CV-9 (HL)

FAMILY DOLLAR STORES OF
GEORGIA, LLC f/d/b/a FAMILY
DOLLAR STORES OF GEORGIA,
INC.,
Defendant.
ORDER
Before the Court is Plaintiff Winfred L. Anderson’s Motion for Default
Judgment. (Doc. 6). For the reasons that follow, Plaintiff’s motion is GRANTED.
I.

BACKGROUND
Plaintiff filed a Complaint (Doc. 1) against Defendant Family Dollar Stores

of Georgia, LLC, on January 12, 2017. In his Complaint, Plaintiff alleges that on
January 16, 2014, at approximately 1:30 p.m., he visited Defendant’s property
located in Moultrie, Georgia for the purpose of conducting business with
Defendant. (Doc. 1, ¶ 5). While walking in the parking lot toward Defendant’s
store, Plaintiff fell into a large hole where the pavement had collapsed. (Doc. 1, ¶
5). This hole had existed for “a significant period of time,” and Defendant “had
extensive and long-standing knowledge” of its existence. (Doc. 1, ¶ 14). Despite
its knowledge, Defendant “made the conscious and willful decision to do nothing

to fix the defect nor to provide any form of warning whatsoever to its patrons.”
(Doc. 1, ¶ 14). As a result of his fall, Defendant sustained injuries to his neck,
back, right shoulder, right hip, and both knees. (Doc. 1, ¶ 12). Plaintiff seeks
compensatory damages for his medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
(Doc. 1, ¶ 14).

Plaintiff further seeks punitive damages, as a result of

Defendant’s “willful disregard for the safety of others.” (Doc. 1, ¶ 14).
A summons was issued as to Defendant on January 12, 2017. (Doc. 2).
The Proof of Service reflects that the summons was served on Amelia Garner,
Operations Specialist for CT Corp., an individual designated by law to accept
service of process on behalf of Family Dollar Stores of Georgia, on January 13,
2017 at 12:40 p.m. (Doc. 4). After Defendant failed to file an answer to the
Complaint or a motion under Rule 12 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,
Plaintiff filed an Application to Clerk for Entry of Default (Doc. 5), which was
entered by the clerk on February 14, 2017. On February 15, 2017, Plaintiff filed
the pending Motion for Default Judgment. (Doc. 6). A damages hearing was
held before this Court on April 6, 2017. Having fully considered Plaintiff’s motion
and the evidence before the Court, the Court GRANTS Plaintiff’s motion.
Accordingly, default judgment should be entered in favor of Plaintiff and against
Defendant, and appropriate relief is due to be awarded as discussed herein. See
Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(b).

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II.

DEFAULT JUDGMENT STANDARD
Rule 55 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides that, “[w]hen a

party against whom a judgment for affirmative relief is sought has failed to plead
or otherwise defend, and that failure is shown by affidavit or otherwise, the clerk
must enter the party’s default.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(a). If the plaintiff’s claim is not
for a sum certain, the plaintiff must apply to the court for a default judgment
against the defaulting party. Fed. R. Civ. P. 55(b)(2).
In reviewing a motion for default judgment, the Court must ensure that the
well-pleaded allegations of the complaint actually state a cause of action and that
there is a substantive, sufficient basis in the pleadings for the particular relief
sought. Tyco Fire & Security, LLC v. Alcocer, 218 Fed. Appx. 860, 863 (11th Cir.
2007). “[A] default is not treated as an absolute confession by the defendant of
his liability and of the plaintiff’s right to recover.” Nishimatsu Constr. Co., Ltd. v.
Houston Nat’l Bank, 515 F.2d 1200, 1206 (5th Cir. 1975).

“[A] defaulted

defendant is deemed to ‘admit the plaintiff’s well-pleaded allegations of fact.’”
United States. v. Ruetz, 334 Fed. Appx. 294, 295 (11th Cir. 2009) (quoting
Nishimatsu, 515 F.2d at 1206). Thus, the Defendant “is not held to admit facts
that are not well-pleaded or to admit to conclusions of law.” Nishimatsu, 515
F.2d at 1206.
III.

DISCUSSION
Jurisdiction arises under 28 U.S.C. § 1332, based on the diversity of

citizenship of the parties and an amount in controversy in excess of $75,000.00.
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Under Georgia law, a party asserting a claim for personal injury has the burden
of pleading and proving that the defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff,
this duty was breached, and the breach was the proximate cause of the plaintiff’s
damages. Butts v. Williams, 543 S.E.2d 779, 781 (Ga. Ct. App. 2000). The
Court finds that the well-pleaded allegations of Plaintiff’s Complaint set forth the
basis of Defendant’s liability for breaching a duty of care owed to Plaintiff, which
breach proximately caused damage to the Plaintiff. Thus, Plaintiff is entitled to
entry of default judgment.
Having concluded that Plaintiff is entitled to entry of default judgment, the
Court now turns to the relief requested. The evidence reveals that Plaintiff was
approximately 52 years old at the time that he was injured, that Plaintiff has been
unable to work since he was injured, and that he will be unable to work in the
future. Up until Plaintiff was injured, he earned between $35,000 and $40,000
yearly from 2002 until 2014 through Nijjer Enterprises. Assuming that Plaintiff
had worked until he was 65 years old earning an average of $37,500 yearly,
Plaintiff’s injury has resulted in lost wages in the amount of $487,500.00. The
evidence further reveals that Plaintiff suffered severe and permanent injuries,
and that Plaintiff has incurred at least $198,986.97 in medical bills, based on the
Court’s calculation. These injuries do now and will in the future cause Plaintiff to
experience physical and mental pain and suffering. Thus, the Court finds an
award of compensatory damages in the amount of $1,200,000.00 appropriate.

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Plaintiff has also established by clear and convincing evidence that
Defendant’s conduct in not fixing the defect in the pavement showed entire want
of care, sufficient to raise the presumption of conscious indifference to the
consequences and warranting the imposition of punitive damages. See O.C.G.A.
§ 51-12-5.1(b) (“Punitive damages may be awarded only in such tort actions in
which it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant’s actions
showed willful misconduct, malice, fraud, wantonness, oppression, or that entire
want of care which would raise the presumption of conscious indifference to
consequences.”). The Court finds an award of punitive damages in the amount
of $200,000.00 appropriate.
IV.

CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the Court HEREBY ORDERS the Clerk of

Court to enter final default judgment in favor of Plaintiff. The judgment shall
provide that Plaintiff recovers $1,200,000.00 in compensatory damages and
$200,000.00 in punitive damages.
SO ORDERED, this the 19th day of April, 2017.
/s/ Hugh Lawson_________________
HUGH LAWSON, SENIOR JUDGE

les

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