Alligator attack at issue in property rights suit
The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday will hear arguments in a closely watched property rights case involving an 83-year-old woman who was partially eaten by an alligator.
Heirs of Gwyneth Williams, who died in 2007, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against The Landings, the exclusive golf and residential resort on Skidaway Island near Savannah.
The Landings argues that a long-held legal doctrine immunizes landowners from liability involving attacks by wild animals that wander onto someone’s land.
A prior ruling by the state Court of Appeals said the case can go to trial.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
