Judge Elizabeth Gobeil, Georgia Court of Appeals.
The Georgia Court of Appeals held premises liability and nuisance claims can be brought against a lodging facility in the context of sex trafficking allegations on Tuesday. The unanimous opinion, authored by Judge Elizabeth Gobeil, is the first state appellate decision made on the subject and an issue of first impression for Georgia’s courts.
“Cases involving sex trafficking are often litigated in federal court because many of the victims assert a cause of action under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act,” said premises liability and personal injury attorney Michael Walker, partner at Piasta Walker Hagenbush, who isn’t involved with the case. “This case is interesting because it appears the victim brought only state-law tort claims, primarily premises liability, which gave the Court of Appeals of Georgia an opportunity to weigh in on a civil sex-trafficking case.”
Patrick McDonough of Andersen Tate & Carr. Courtesy photo
