City of Atlanta v. Jacobs, No. A26A0949, 2026 WL 2858431, __ S.E.2d __ (Ga. Ct. App. Sept. 23, 2026). The court (Hodges, J.; Barnes and Doyle, P.JJ., concur) affirms denial of directed verdict and judgment notwithstanding the verdict in a sidewalk injury action. The plaintiff tripped over the remaining baseplate of a fallen traffic sign. Evidence showed that the city maintained the sidewalk, received notice of the fallen sign years earlier, and failed to notify the Department of Transportation. Id. at **1–2. The court held that OCGA § 32-4-93(b) permits municipal liability on a state route where the city agreed to perform maintenance. The relevant hazard was the sidewalk obstruction, rather than the sign’s operation. The department’s potential responsibility did not relieve the city of its own duty, and evidence supported the verdict. Id. at **2–4.
