FI FTH DI VI SI ON

M C FA DDEN, C. J.

, M CM ILLI A N, P. J.

, and SENI OR A PPELLA TE JUDGE PHI PPS

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be

ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n

da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

October 10, 2019



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 9 A1 02 1

. ORTHO SP ORT & SPINE PHYSICIANS, LLC v

. CITY OF DULUTH.

M C F A D D E N , Ch i ef J u d g e.

Th i s ap p eal ch al len g es a tri al co u rt o rd er d en y i n g a m o ti o n t o q u as h a su b p o en a

fo r p ro du ct i o n o f d ocu m en ts fro m a n o n -p art y

. Be c a u s e t he co u rt d i d no t ab u s e i t s

d i s cret i o n i n d en y i n g t h e m o t i on , we affi rm

.

1

. Fa ct s a n d p r o ced

ur a l p o s t u r e.

Ch ak i b M el l o u k i an d o t her fam i l y m em b ers fi l ed a co m

pl ai n t ag ai n st t h e Ci t y

o f Du l u th

, Geo rg i a, al l eg i ng i n ju ri es ari s i n g fro m a m o t o r v eh icl e co l l i s i o n

n eg li g en t l y cau sed b y a D u lu th p o l i ce o ffi cer. Th e ci t y s erv ed a s u bp o en a t o p ro d uce

m a lpr a c tice i n s u ran ce d o cu m en t s o n n o n -p art y Ort h o Sp o rt & Sp i n e Ph y si cia ns, L L C

,

wh i ch em p l o y s t h e d oct o r wh o t reat ed M el lo u k i fo r h i s al l eg ed i nju ri es

. Ort h o fi l eda m o ti o n t o q u as h t h e s u b p o en a, cl ai m i n g th at i n fo rm at i o n reg ard i n g it s p ro fes s i o n al

m al p ract i ce in s u r a n ce fo r t h e d o ct o r i s n ot rel ev an t t o t h e l aws ui t b efo re t h e co u rt

.

Th e ci t y fi l ed a res p o ns e, as s ert i n g t h at t he d o ct o r w h o t reat ed M el l o u ki h as al s o b een

i d en t i fi ed as a m ed i cal ex p ert fo r t h e p l ai n t i ffs , t h at p art o f t he t reat m en t in cl u d ed a

s u rg i cal pro ced ure p erfo rm ed b y t h e d o ct o r, an d t h at t h e p l ai n t i ffs ’ cl ai m ed d am ag es

i n cl u d e t he am o u nt s ch arg ed b y t h e d o ct o r. T h e ci t y fu rt h er as s ert ed t h at p art o f i t s

d efen s e i s t h at t h e d o ct o r w as no t q u al i fi ed t o p erfo rm t h e s u r g e r y, t h at h e was n ot

au t h o ri zed u nd er st at e law t o p erfo rm t h e su rg ery

, an d t h at t h e am o un t s ch arg ed fo r

h i s treat m en t s w ere n o t reas o n a b l e an d cu s to m ary

. Th e t ri al co urt en t ered an o rd er

d en y i n g t h e m ot i o n t o q uas h, fi n d i ng t h at t he m at eri al s s o u gh t i n t h e s u bp o en a “ are

reas on ab l y cal cu l at ed t o l ead t o t h e d i s co v ery o f ad m is si b l e ev i den ce as t o [t h e

doct o r’ s ] q u al i fi cat i o n s an d wh et h er or [n o t ] h i s fees were reas o na ble a nd c ustom a r

y

. ”

Ort h o ap peal s fro m

t h at o rd er.

2

. Den i a l o f mo t i o n t o q u a s h

.

Ort h o co n t en d s t h at t h e t ri al co u rt erred i n d en y i n g i t s m o t i o n t o q u as h t h e

s u b p oen a fo r p ro d u ct i o n o f do cu m en t s

. “ W e rev i ew a t ri al co urt ’ s ru l i n g on s u ch a

m o ti o n fo r ab u se o f d i s cret i o n

. ” W el l S t a r Ken nes t o n e Ho sp

. v. Ro m an

, 3 4 4 Ga. Ap p.

3 7 5 , 3 7 7 (8 1 0 SE2 d 60 0 ) (2 0 1 8 ). W e fi n d n o ab u s e o f d i s cret io n i n t h i s cas e.

2OCGA § 9 -1 1 -4 5 (a) (1 ) (B) p ro v i d es t hat a “ s u b p o en a m ay co m m an d t h e

p ers o n t o wh o m i t i s d i rect ed t o p ro d u c e an d perm i t in s p ect i o n an d co py i n g o f

d es i g n at ed b o o k s, pap ers

, d o cu m en ts

, o r t an g ib l e t h i n g s wh ich co n s t i t u t e o r co n t ai n

m at t ers wi t h i n t h e s co p e o f t h e ex am i n at i o n p erm i t t ed b y s u b s e c t i o n (b ) o f Co d e

Sect i o n 9 -1 1 -2 6 [.] ”

Un d er O CGA § 9 -1 1 -2 6 (b ) (1 ), p art i es m ay o b t ai n d is co v ery reg ard i n g

a n y m at t er, n ot pri vi leg ed

, wh i ch i s rel ev an t t o t h e s u b ject m at t er

i n v o l v ed in t h e p en d in g act i o n

, wh et h er i t rel at es t o t h e cl ai m o r defen s e

o f t h e p art y seek i ng di s co v ery or t o t h e cl ai m o r d e fen s e o f an y o t h er

p art y

. Pu r s u a n t t o OCGA § 9 -1 1 -3 4 (a) (1 ), a p art y m ay req u es t t hat

an o t her p art y p ro d u ce d o cu m en t s co n t ai n i n g m at t er d i s co v erab l e wi t h i n

t h e s co p e o f OCGA § 9 -1 1 -2 6 (b )

, an d OCGA § 9 -1 1 -3 4 (c) (1 )

es t ab l i sh es t h at th e d i s co v ery o f n o n p ri v i leg ed d o cu m en ts al s o ap pl i es

t o n o n p art i es . Th u s , as wi t h d i s co very req u es t ed fro m p art ies , t h e o n l y

req u irem en ts pl aced b y th e Geo rg i a l eg i s l at u re o n d i s co very req u es ted

fro m n o n pa r t i e s is t h at t h e d o cu m en t s m u s t b e rel ev an t an d

n o n p ri vi l eg ed

.

S p eed y Ca r e Tr a n s

p o r t v. Geo r

g e

, 3 4 8 Ga. Ap p

. 3 2 5

, 3 2 9 (2 ) (8 2 2 SE2 d 6 8 7) (2 0 1 8 )

(ci t at i o n s an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ).

Ort h o h as m ad e n o sh o wi n g t h at t h e req u es t ed d i s co v ery i s p ri v i l eg ed ; rat h er,

i t cl ai m s t h at t h e req u es t ed d i s co v ery i s n o t rel ev an t . Ho w ev er,

[i ] n t h e co n t ex t o f d i s co v e r y

, co u rt s s h o u ld an d o rd i n ari l y do i n t erp ret

“ rel ev an t ” v ery b ro ad l y t o m ean m at t er t h at is rel ev an t to an y t h i ng t hat

i s o r m ay b eco m e an i s s u e i n t h e l i t i g a t i o n

. E v en i f t he i n fo rm at i o n

s o u g h t wo u l d b e i n ad m i ss i b l e at t ri al

, i t i s n o t a gro u n d fo r ob ject i o n i f

3t h e in fo rm at i o n so u g h t ap p ears rea s o n a b ly cal cu l at ed t o l ead t o th e

d i s co v ery o f ad m i s s i b l e ev i d en ce.

S p eed y Ca r e Tr a n s

po r t , s u p ra at 3 2 9 -3 30 (2 ) (ci tat i o n s an d p u nct u at i o n o m i t t ed ).

As reco u nt ed ab o v e, ev en i f t h e m al p ract i ce i n s uran ce i nfo rm at i o n s o u g ht

wo u l d n o t be ad m i s s i b l e, th e t ri al co u rt ex p res s l y fo u n d t hat it i s reas o n a b l y

cal cu l at e d t o l ead t o t h e d i s co v ery o f ad m i s s i b l e ev i d en ce reg ard i n g t h e d o ct o r’ s

q u a l i f i c a t i o n s an d fees

. See al s o OCGA § 9 -1 1-2 6 (b ) (2 ) (p ro v i d i n g i n p art t h at a

“ p art y m ay o b t ai n d is co v ery o f t h e ex i s t en ce an d co n t en t s o f an y i n s u ran ce ag reem en t

u n d er wh i ch an y pers o n c a r r y i n g o n an i n su ran ce b us i n es s m ay b e l i ab le t o s at i s fy

p art o r al l o f a ju d g m en t wh i ch m ay b e e n t ered i n t h e act i o n [,] ” b u t “ [i ] n fo rm at i o n

co n cern in g th e in s uran ce a g r e e m e n t i s no t b y reas o n o f d i s cl o s u re ad m i s s i b l e in

ev i d en ce at t ri al ”). Un d er t h es e ci rcu m s t an ces

, “ [w] e fi n d n o a b u s e o f d i s cret i o n,

p art i cu l arl y i n l i g h t o f t h e wi d e l at i t u d e g i v en t o m ak e co m p l et e di s co v ery p o s s i b l e,

t h e b u rd en o n [Ort h o ] t o s ho w m o re t h an t hat t h e m at eri al s wo u l d no t t h em s el v es b e

ad m i s s i b l e at t ri al

, an d t h e fact t h at [Ort h o ] d o es no t arg u e t h a t t h e m at eri al i s

p ri v i leg ed [.] ” W

el l S t ar , s u p ra at 3 7 8 (ci t at io n s an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ).

3

. Pr o t ect i ve o r der

.

4In a s ep arat e en u m erat i o n o f erro r, Ort h o co nt en d s th at in l ieu o f qu as h i n g t h e

s u b p o en a, t h e t ri al co u rt s h o u l d h av e en t ered a p ro tect i v e o rd er “ l i m i t i n g u s e a n d

d i s cl os u re o f t h e i nfo rm at io n s o l el y t o th e u n d erl y i n g act io n

, an d p res erv i n g t h e

co n fi d en t i al i t y o f su ch i n fo rm at i o n .” Bu t n o su ch req ues t w as m ad e i n t h e t ri al co u rt

.

In i t s m o t i o n t o q uas h, Ort h o req u es t ed t h at t he t r i al co u rt q u as h th e s u b p o en a an d

g ran t “ a p ro t ect i v e o r d er t o p rev en t [Ort h o ] fro m hav i n g t o p ro v i d e an y o f t h e

req u es t ed i nfo rm at i o n .” Bu t Ort h o di d n o t al so req u es t an al t ern at i v e p ro t ect iv e o rd er

al l o wi n g t h e d i s co v ery b u t l im i t i n g t h e u s e o f t h e i n fo rm at i o n t o t h e u n derl y i n g act i o n

an d pres erv i n g an y pu rp o rt ed co n fi d en t i al it y

. Becau s e t h e i s s u e o f s u ch an al t ern at i v e

p ro t ect i v e ord er was no t rai s ed an d ru led o n in t he t ri al c o u r t

, i t w a s w ai v ed an d

can n ot be rai s ed fo r t he fi rs t ti m e o n ap p eal

. See BTL COM Lt d

., Co

. v. Va ch o n

, 2 7 8

Ga. Ap p

. 2 5 6

, 2 5 8 n .2 (6 2 8 SE2 d 69 0 ) (2 0 0 6 ) (i s s ue wai ved o n ap p eal b ecau s e i t was

n o t rai sed i n t h e t ri al co urt ).

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed

. McMi l l i a n, P. J., a n d S en i o r Ap pel l a t e Ju d

g e Her b er t

E.

Ph i p ps , co ncu r

.

5