Pauline Powers brought this action against Foothills Pharmacies, Inc. (“Foothills”) in the Superior Court of Franklin County seeking to recover damages for personal injuries she sustained when her motorized scooter tipped over while she was operating it in her yard. Powers alleges that Foothills is liable to her pursuant to theories of negligent misrepresentation and breach of express warranty because Foothills’ agent represented to her that the three-wheeled scooter was safe for use in her yard. Following a hearing, the trial court denied Foothills’ motion for summary judgment regarding both claims. We granted Foothills’ application for an interlocutory appeal. Foothills appeals contending, inter alia, that Powers failed to adduce any evidence that the scooter was not in fact safe for use in her yard and, therefore, that Powers failed to identify any evidence that Foothills supplied her with false information or breached a warranty. For the reasons explained below, we reverse.
To prevail at summary judgment under OCGA § 9-11-56,
the moving party must demonstrate that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the undisputed facts, viewed in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, warrant judgment as a matter of law. . . . [T]he burden on the moving party may be discharged by pointing out by reference to the affidavits, depositions and other documents in the record that there is an absence of evidence to support the nonmoving party’s case. If the moving party discharges this burden, the nonmoving party cannot rest on its plead*631 ings, but rather must point to specific evidence giving rise to a triable issue. Our review of the grant of summary judgment is de novo, and we construe the evidence and all inferences therefrom in favor of the nonmoving party.
(Citations and punctuation omitted.) Henson v. Ga.-Pacific Corp.,
Viewed in the light most favorable to Powers, the record shows the following. Powers received a prescription from her doctor for a mobility scooter, which she took to Foothills’ pharmacy, accompanied by her daughter. According to Powers, the Foothills’ salesman, David Ray, assured them that the Invacare Lynx L-3B three-wheeled scooter would be safe for her to use in her yard. For approximately the next ten months, Powers used the scooter without incident, primarily in her yard. Then, in April 2008, as she drove the scooter around the corner of a fence, in a flat area, the scooter tipped onto its side. Powers had traveled the same route in the scooter at least five times before. In her deposition, Powers testified that she did not know what caused the scooter to flip, and she offered no expert witness or other evidence on the subject.
In her claim for negligent misrepresentation, Powers alleged that Ray negligently misrepresented to her that the Lynx L-3B scooter was safe to use on gravel and grass surfaces. In her claim for breach of an express warranty, Powers alleged that Ray told her that the Lynx L-3B scooter was safe to use on nonpaved and sloped surfaces.
1. Foothills contends that, because Powers failed to adduce any evidence regarding why her scooter tipped over, there is no evidence that Ray’s statement that the three-wheeled scooter was safe for use in her yard conveyed false information. As a result, Foothills contends, it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law on Powers’ claim for negligent misrepresentation.
Under Georgia law, the essential elements of the tort of negligent misrepresentation are: (1) the defendant’s negligent supply of false information to foreseeable persons, which included the plaintiff; (2) the plaintiffs reasonable reliance upon that false information; and (3) injury proximately resulting from such reliance. Hardaway Co. v. Parsons, Brinckerhoff &c., Inc.,
2. Foothills contends that, because Powers failed to adduce any evidence regarding why her scooter tipped over, there is likewise no evidence that Foothills breached any warranty regarding the scooter’s suitability for her intended use. As a result, Foothills contends, it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law on Powers’ claim for breach of an express warranty.
In pertinent part, OCGA § 11-2-313 (1) (b) provides that “[a]ny description of the goods which is made part of the basis of the bargain creates an express warranty that the goods shall conform to the description.” Powers failed to present any evidence that the scooter was generally unsuitable for use on nonpaved and sloped surfaces, and, therefore, she has not identified any evidence that the Lynx L-3B scooter did not conform to Ray’s description. Cf. Thompson v. Huckabee Auto Co.,
Judgment reversed.
Notes
See Turner v. Masters,
