[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/why-did-grandma-get-run-over-by-a-reindeer\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/why-did-grandma-get-run-over-by-a-reindeer\/","headline":"Why Did Grandma Get Run Over By A Reindeer?","name":"Why Did Grandma Get Run Over By A Reindeer?","description":"At this very instant, at least one Atlanta-area radio station is probably playing some version of \u201cSleigh Ride.\u201d So, why does a holiday classic like this one get so little play time during this yuletide season? Actually, this trite little ditty has some interesting things to say about negligence law in Georgia, if you can… Continue reading Why Did Grandma Get Run Over By A Reindeer?<\/span><\/a>","datePublished":"2016-12-21","dateModified":"2026-04-17","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/author\/matt-kahn\/#Person","name":"Matt Kahn","url":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/author\/matt-kahn\/","identifier":25,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e04949bdf1f2184cdeab337bb39535a4c17c4beb3ad3cd47e5524b20b38274a9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e04949bdf1f2184cdeab337bb39535a4c17c4beb3ad3cd47e5524b20b38274a9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Butler Kahn","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Butler-Law-Firm-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Butler-Law-Firm-Logo.png","width":210,"height":93}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2019-08-22-Photo-for-homepage-and-internal-pages.jpg","url":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2019-08-22-Photo-for-homepage-and-internal-pages.jpg","width":1910,"height":1118},"url":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/why-did-grandma-get-run-over-by-a-reindeer\/","about":["Car Accident"],"wordCount":390,"articleBody":"At this very instant, at least one Atlanta-area radio station is probably playing some version of \u201cSleigh Ride.\u201d So, why does a holiday classic like this one get so little play time during this yuletide season? Actually, this trite little ditty has some interesting things to say about negligence law in Georgia, if you can get past the whole Elmo \u2018n\u2019 Patsy 1970s thing.FaultThe first order of business in any car crash case is to identify the tortfeasor (negligent driver). In most cases, this task is easy to check off the list. But this is a hit-and-run case, so there is almost no evidence that Santa Claus was behind the wheel, or holding the reins, as it were. The song only refers to \u201cincriminating Claus marks,\u201d whatever those are, and \u201choof prints on her forehead.\u201dFortunately for Grandpa, the standard of proof is very low in negligence cases. Victims must only establish facts by a preponderance of the evidence, which means \u201cmore likely than not.\u201d And, although there is only circumstantial evidence (hoof prints and Christmas Eve), a reasonable juror could conclude that, more likely than not, Santa was the hit-and-run driver.LiabilityThis preliminary ruling is encouraging, but the other facts do not bode as well for Grandpa. Over a third of pedestrians are legally intoxicated, and just before the incident, Grandma had \u201ctoo much eggnog\u201d and \u201cstaggered through the door into the snow.\u201d Additionally, she was off her medication, so the alcohol impairment may have been even worse.However, on the other end, Santa Claus is hardly as pure as the driven snow. He was driving his sleigh on the ground and not \u201cup on the rooftops\u201d where he is authorized to operate, which is the equivalent of a regular motorist driving on the sidewalk, and he ran over an elderly woman without stopping. In other words, even if Macdonald Carey were to come back from the grave to defend him again (does anyone else remember the original\u00a0Miracle On 34th\u00a0Street?), things are looking grim for the jolly old elf. Georgia is a modified comparative fault state with a 50 percent bar, so for Grandpa to recover damages, Santa Claus must be at least 50 percent liable for Grandma\u2019s wrongful death.We wish everyone a happy holiday season, regardless of how you choose to celebrate it!"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why Did Grandma Get Run Over By A Reindeer?","item":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/why-did-grandma-get-run-over-by-a-reindeer\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]