Opinion ID: 1897681
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: did the trial court err in allowing george sprouse to testify after read failed to disclose sprouse's name and other requested information during discovery?

Text: Read again points out that the trial court's admission of this testimony was not included in SPEPA's Cross-Assignment of Errors. Moreover, even if we were to reach this issue, we would find SPEPA's argument to be without merit. On Friday before the case was to be tried on Monday, Read's attorney notified SPEPA's counsel that Sprouse would testify. On the morning of trial, SPEPA objected to the expert's testimony because his name had not been provided in response to SPEPA's interrogatory on expert witnesses. The trial court sustained the objection, holding that the expert could not testify. Miss.R.Civ.P. 37; Jones v. Hatchett, 504 So.2d 198 (Miss. 1987). Because the expert's testimony was essential to proving causation, Read moved for a continuance. Over SPEPA's objection, the trial court granted the motion. The error which SPEPA alleges is the trial court's allowing this witness to testify. We are of the opinion, however, that the trial court did not err in allowing the testimony. We reach this conclusion because the trial court did not permit the testimony at a time when it would have been a surprise to SPEPA. When SPEPA first objected, the trial court ruled that the expert could not testify. The case was continued until May 8, 1984, almost three (3) months after Read disclosed information about her expert to SPEPA. Only then was the witness allowed to testify. Obviously, SPEPA was not taken by surprise at trial. Thus, the only ruling of which SPEPA may complain is the granting of Read's motion for a continuance. We discourage trial courts from granting continuances because of discovery violations in civil cases, particularly where the surprised party has gone to some expense and trouble in preparing to try the case on the day it is set. Huff v. Polk, 408 So.2d 1368 (Miss. 1982). Nevertheless, SPEPA cannot show any prejudice. No doubt if Read had been faced with the choice of going to trial without the expert or having her case dismissed with prejudice, she would have chosen the former. Therefore, it is inappropriate for us to reverse and render in favor of SPEPA. To reverse and remand for a new trial because of this error would be a meaningless exercise, since SPEPA on remand would be in precisely the same position as it was when the case was tried; i.e., SPEPA knew about the expert then and would know about him on remand. Because the error, if any, in granting the continuance was harmless, we do not reverse on this point. Fultz v. Doss, 507 So.2d 891 (Miss. 1987); Miss.R.Civ.P. 61.