# C o u rt o f

A p p ea ls

o f t h e S t a te o f

G eo rg ia

ATLANTA,_

_ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _

Th e Co u rt

o f Ap p ea l s h er eb y p a s s es t h e f

o ll owi n g o r der :

A2 2 A1 04 9

. M.C. TANK TRANSPORT, I NC. et a l

. v

. EVENDA RE N AE

STEPHENS et a l

.

An t h o n y an d El y sea St uck ey , t o g et her wi t h t h ei r t wo ch i ld ren , were k i l l ed

wh en a t ract o r-t an k er t ru ck

, o wn ed b y M

. C. Tan k Tran s p o rt

, In c. an d o p erat ed b y M

. C. T an k em

p l o y ee D e r r i ck T h o m as , rear-en d ed th e St u ck ey s ’ car. Th e p ers o n al

rep res en t at i v e s a nd c our

t- a ppointed ad m i n i st rat o rs o f t h e St u ck ey s ’ es t at es 1 t h en fi l ed

t h e cu rren t laws u i t ag ai n s t a n u m b er o f d efen d an t s , in cl ud i ng M

. C. Tan k an d

Th o m as

. Du ri n g di s co v ery , M

. C

. T an k fi l ed an un t i m el y m o t i o n fo r a p ro t ect i v e

o rd er wi t h res p ect t o d o cu m en t s p rev i ou s l y p ro d u ced p u rs u an t t o a s u b p o en a s erv ed

o n t h e co m

p an y ’ s i n s u ran ce ag en t

. Th e ap pel l ee s f i l ed a m o ti o n s eek i n g a m ed i cal

ex am (i n cl u d i n g an o v ern i g h t s l eep t es t ) o f Th o m as

. In a s in g le o rd er, t h e t ri al co u rt

d en ied t he m o t i o n fo r a p r o t e c t i v e o rd er an d gran t ed th e m o ti o n s eek i n g a m ed i cal

ex am o f Th o m as

. A ft er t h e t ri al co u rt refu s ed t h ei r req u es t fo r a cert i fi cat e o f

i m m ed i at e rev iew, M

. C

. Tan k an d Th o m as fi l ed t h e cu rren t ap p eal fro m t h e t ri al

co u rt ’ s d i s co v ery o rd er. Th e ap p el l ees h av e m o v ed t o d is m i s s t h e ap p eal

, arg u i n g t h at

t h i s Co u rt l ack s ju ri s d i ct i o n . W e ag ree.

As a g en eral ru l e, a ri g h t o f d i rect ap p eal l i es o n l y fro m a f i n a l j u d g m en t

—

t h at i s , wh ere t h e cas e i s n o l o n g er p en d i n g b e l o w

. OCGA 5 -6 -3 4 (a) (1 ). See al s o

S t a t e v. W h i t e , 3 5 4 Ga. Ap p

. 2 1 4

, 2 1 5 (8 4 0 SE2 d 6 9 7 ) (2 0 20 ) (“ [g ] en ereal l y , an o rd er

i s fi n al an d ap p eal ab l e wh en i t l eav es n o i s s u es rem ai n in g to b e res ol v ed

, co n s t i t u t es

t h e co u rt ’ s fi n al ru l i ng o n th e m eri t s o f t h e act i o n , an d l eav es t h e p art i es wi t h n o

1 Co l l ect i v el y , “ th e ap p el l ees .” April 07, 2022fu rt her reco u rs e in t h e t ri al co u rt ”) (ci t at i o n an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ). Here, t h e t ri al

co u rt ’ s ru l i n g o n t he d i s co v ery m o t i o n s d o es n o t co n s t it u t e a fi n al o rd er u n d er OCGA

5 -6 -3 4 (a), as t h e cas e rem ai n s p en d i n g b el ow. See Jo h ns o n & Jo h n s on v. Ka u f ma n , 2 2 6 Ga. Ap p

. 7 7

, 7 8 -8 2 (4 85 SE2 d 5 2 5 ) (1 99 7 ) (h o l d i n g t h at di s co very ord ers are, as

a g en eral ru l e, i nt erl o cu t o ry an d t h erefo re no t d i rect l y ap peal ab l e); Gen er a l Mo t o rs

Co r p . v. Ha mmo ck

, 2 5 5 Ga. Ap p . 1 3 1 , 1 3 1-1 3 2 (5 6 4 SE2 d 5 3 6 ) (2 0 02 ) (s am e).

M o reo v er, an d d es p it e t h e arg u m en t s o f M

. C

. Tan k an d Th o m as t o t h e

co n trary , t h e o rd er at i s s u e i s n o t s u b ject t o d i rect ap p eal as a co ll at eral o rd er. “ Th e

co l l at eral o rd er d o ct ri n e p erm i ts ap p eal s fro m a s m al l cat eg o ry o f d eci s io n s t h at are (i ) co n cl u s i v e, (i i ) t hat res o lv e im p o rt an t q u es t i on s s ep arat e fro m t h e m eri t s , an d (i i i )

t h at are effect i v el y un rev i ewab l e o n ap p eal fro m t h e fi n al ju d g m en t i n t h e un d erl y i n g

act i on .” Ei d

s o n v. Cr ou t ch

, 33 7 Ga. Ap p. 5 4 2

, 5 4 4 (7 8 8 SE2 d 1 2 9) (2 0 1 6 ) ( ) (ci t at i o n

an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ). Th u s, b ecau se d i s co v ery ru l in g s are n o t s ep arat e fro m t h e

m eri t s o f t h e cas e an d are rev i ewab l e o n ap p eal fro m a fi n al ju d g m en t th ey do n o t

, as

a g en eral ru l e, co n s t i tu t e co l l at eral o rd ers

. See Dr a i n v. Lee

, 3 5 0 Ga. Ap p

. 3 2 7

, 3 2 7

(8 2 5 SE2 d 9 2 7 ) (2 0 1 9 ). To th e ex t en t t h at t h e ru l i n g req u i ri ng Th o m as t o u n d erg o

a m ed i cal ex am rep res en ts o n e o f t h o s e “ rare cas e[s ] [wh er e a n ] a p peal aft er fi n al

ju d g m en t wi l l n o t cu re an erro n eo u s di s co v ery o rd er,” we no t e t h at “ a part y m ay d efy

t h e o r d e r , p erm i t a co nt em p t ci t at i o n t o be en t ered ag ai n st h i m , an d ch al l en g e t h e

o rd er o n d i rect ap p eal of th e co n t em p t ru l i n g .’ ” Jo h n s o n & Jo h n s o n , 2 2 6 Ga. Ap p.

at 8 2

, q u o t i n g Fi r es to ne Ti r e & Ru b b er Co

. v. Ri s j o r d

, 4 4 9 U. S. 3 6 8

, 3 7 7 (II) (1 0 1

SCt 6 69 , 6 6 LE2 d 5 7 1 ) (1 9 81 ). 2

2 In arg u i n g t h at t h e d i s co v ery o rd er is s u b ject t o d i rect ap p eal

, M

. C. Tan k an d

Th o m as rel y o n Hi ckey v. RREF BB S BL A cq u i s it i o n s , LLC, 3 3 6 Ga. A p p

. 4 1 1

, 4 1 3 (1 ) (7 8 5 SE2 d 72 ) (2 0 1 6 ). T h i s rel i an ce i s m i s p l aced

. Hi ckey i n v ol v ed p o s t -ju d g m en t
d i s co v ery s erv ed o n a t h i rd -p art y . Th e t ri al co u rt d en i ed t h e t h i rd -p art y ’ s m o t i o n to

q u as h th e s ub p o en a s erv ed on h er, an d t h i s Co u rt h el d t h at s uch an o rd er was d i rect l y

ap p eal ab l e as a fi n al o rd er, reas o n i n g t h at “ a th i rd p art y pres u m ab l y l ack s a su ffi ci en t

s t ak e i n t h e pro ceed i ng t o ri s k co n t em p t b y refu s i n g co m

p l i an c e .” 3 3 6 G a. Ap p

. at

4 1 3 (1 ). Th u s , H

i ckey d o es n o t ap p l y w h e r e, as h ere, o ne p art y s eek s a p ro t ect i v e

o rd er ag ai n s t an ot h er p art y — i .e, wh ere t h e d i s co v ery o rd er i n q ues t i o n i s d i rect edGi v en t hat t h e o rd er i n qu es t i o n i s n o t d i rect l y ap p eal ab l e, M. C. T an k an d

T hom as were req u i red t o fo l lo w t h e i n t erl o cu t o ry ap p eal p ro ced u re s et fo rt h i n O C G A

5 -6 -3 4 (b ). Th ei r fai l u re t o d o s o d ep ri v es t h i s Co urt o f ju ri sd i ct i o n . See Is l a mkh a n

v. Kh an , 2 9 9 Ga. 54 8

, 55 1 (2 ) (7 8 7 SE2 d 7 31 ) (2 0 1 6); Ei d s o n , 33 7 Ga. Ap p

. at 5 4 3.

Acco rd in g ly

, t h e ap p el l ees ’ m ot i o n t o d i sm i s s is h ereb y GRANTED an d t h i s ap p eal

i s h ereb y DISM ISSED.

C o u r t o f A p p e a l s o f t h e S t a t e o

f G e o r g ia

C le r k ’ s O f f i c e

, A t la n t a

,

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I c e r ti fy t h a t t h e a b o v e i s a t r u e e x t r a c t f r o m

t h e m i n u t e s o

f t h e C o u r t o

f A p p e a l s o f G e o r g i a

.

W i t n e s s m y s i g n a t u r e a n d th e s e a l o

f s a i d c o u r t

h e r e t o a f f i x e d t h e d a y a n d y e a r l a s t a b o v e w r i t t e n

.

, C l e r k

.

at o n e o r m o re p art i es t o t h e act i o n

. 04/07/2022