Date: July 29, 2011By: Atlanta Wrongful Death Lawyers

The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that a Jessup motel was not responsible for the death of one of their guests in a case where motel staff reportedly refused numerous phone requests from the guest’s wife, who was said to have pleaded with the establishment to check on the health of her husband.  

The following day, the 77-year-old motel guest was found unresponsive on the floor of his room by a housekeeper. The man was taken to a hospital but died of heart problems shortly after being admitted.  Even though a cardiologist testified that his life could have been saved if he had received medical attention the previous evening, the Supreme Court of Georgia maintained that the establishment did not have a legal obligation to check on the health of their guests.

If the illness was caused by or directly related to the man’s stay at the motel, the facility may have been legally required to investigate.  Since the only evidence of the man’s illness at the time was his wife’s panicked phone calls, the court ruled that motel had no obligation to investigate a potential illness.  While the circumstances of the case may raise questions of morality and humanity, the court said “a moral or humane obligation does not compel the existence of a legal duty.”

Only certain individuals can pursue a wrongful death lawsuit in Atlanta if the death of a loved one was the result of another person’s negligence, carelessness, or recklessness.  Wrongful death law in Atlanta states that individuals have the right to seek recovery for the “full value of the life of the decedent.”  If you believe that the death of your loved one was the result of negligence, contact our Atlanta wrongful death attorneys to find out if you have a claim.

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Keywords: wrongful death lawsuit, Georgia wrongful death case