Opinion ID: 1846461
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: refusing to allow evidence of workers' compensation and social security benefits.

Text: ¶ 52. At trial, Coho and Cockrell requested that the trial judge allow them to counter opposing counsel's assertion that [P]laintiffs were going home with nothing by putting on evidence of their recovery of workers' compensation and social security benefits. Coho and Cockrell claim that they also needed to put on evidence of these other benefits to counter opposing counsel's assertion that the plaintiffs were poor and that the trial court's denial of this request was reversible error. ¶ 53. The trial court considered the plaintiffs' motion to exclude this information in limine, at which time Coho and Cockrell assured the court they would not attempt to violate the collateral source rule by offering evidence of such payments. McCarthy and the Stroos argue that their statement about going home with nothing did not intimate they were poor, and was instead intended to show the potential bias of a witness. As we stated in Central Bank of Mississippi v. Butler, 517 So.2d 507 (Miss.1987): Mississippi has adopted and follows the collateral source rule. Under this rule, a defendant tortfeasor is not entitled to have damages for which he is liable reduced by reason of the fact that the plaintiff has received compensation for his injury by and through a totally independent source, separate and apart from the defendant tortfeasor. Id. at 511-12. Further, in McCary v. Caperton, 601 So.2d 866, 868-69 (Miss.1992), the defendant argued that the evidence was not offered to the jury for the purpose of reducing the amount of the award that the jury would return, if any, but was instead offered for the express purpose of showing that McCary was engaged in a scam; that she was trying to collect for injuries she never suffered. We held, [W]e have never recognized such an exception to the collateral source rule, and we refrain from doing so here. McCary, 601 So.2d at 869. ¶ 54. Coho and Cockrell are essentially arguing for an exception to the collateral source rule, to rebut an averment of poverty by the plaintiff, yet they cite no authority for this exception. We have never recognized such an exception and decline to do so here. ¶ 55. On the other hand, it could be argued that McCarthy and Stroo opened the door by their statement that the plaintiffs would leave with nothing and that fairness requires the court to allow Coho and Cockrell to put on evidence to counter that assertion. Under that scenario, it was error for the trial court not to allow the evidence of the other benefits that they had already received. However, this error does not rise to the level of reversible error, and the trial court did not abuse its discretion by not allowing Coho and Cockrell to put forth such evidence.