McKerley v. ETOWAH-DeKALB MENTAL HEALTH

On October 25, 1993, Michelle McKerley, the administratrix of the estate of her father, Lewis McKerley, and Thelma Satterfield, the administratrix of the estate of her husband, John M. Satterfield, sued Etowah-DeKalb-Cherokee Mental Health Board, Inc. ("EDC"), for damages, alleging that EDC had wrongfully caused the deaths of their decedents. They alleged that EDC had negligently or wantonly failed to install or provide approved smoke detectors in a residence it leased to the Satterfields, and that EDC's negligence or wantonness in that regard had caused the deaths.

The parties tried the case…