Opinion ID: 1768479
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: whether the trial court erred in allowing st. john to introduce facts and circumstances related to busick's health insurance coverage at the time of the accident.

Text: ¶ 9. The verdict of the jury is to be given great weight. No trial is free of error; however, to require reversal the error must be of such magnitude as to leave no doubt that the appellant was unduly prejudiced. Davis v. Singing River Elec. Power Ass'n, 501 So.2d 1128, 1131 (Miss. 1987); Parmes v. Illinois Cent. Gulf R.R., 440 So.2d 261, 268 (Miss.1983). Where error involves the admission or exclusion of evidence, we will not reverse unless the error adversely affects a substantial right of a party. In re Estate of Mask, 703 So.2d 852, 859 (Miss.1997); Terrain Enters., Inc. v. Mockbee, 654 So.2d 1122, 1131 (Miss.1995). This Court has held that [t]he standard of review regarding admission [or exclusion] of evidence is abuse of discretion. Thompson Mach. Commerce Corp. v. Wallace, 687 So.2d at 152. ¶ 10. Busick argues that the trial court erred when, over objection, it admitted evidence related to facts and coverage of her health insurance at the time of the accident. St. John argues that this evidence was not offered for the purpose of reducing damages but to impeach Busick's testimony as to the reasons she ceased physical therapy. ¶ 11. The records at issue pertain to Busick's treatment at the Capital Orthopedic Clinic. Those records contain a sentence in which Busick stated that although her health insurance company asked her to settle, she was afraid to do so because of her symptoms. Busick's attorney indicated fear that the jury would interpret this as evidence of her liability insurance. The record indicates that the court required the statement to be redacted. ¶ 12. Busick testified that she was not able to continue physical therapy for injuries caused by the accident because she could not afford it. St. John introduced evidence that Busick had paid only $45 as her part of those medical expenses. Busick contends that it was error to allow St. John to impeach her by eliciting testimony in which she was forced to make reference to payments made by her health insurance provider. However, St. John argues that Busick made no objection to the testimony at the time. Busick's attorney stated that at the time of the statement, he was doing something else and did not hear it until afterwards when his assistant called it to his attention. Busick's attorney requested, in lieu of a motion for a mistrial, that the jury be instructed to disregard the statement. This was done by the trial court. Additionally, the trial court gave a limiting instruction that the testimony could only be used for impeachment and not for the purpose of reduction in damages. Jury Instruction number 16 was given to the jury and stated: The Court instructs the jury that the fact that the Plaintiff has or had medical and hospitalization insurance cannot be considered by you in awarding damages. ¶ 13. The trial court found that M.R.E. 411, only makes inadmissible proof of a party's liability insurance so that negligence cannot be imputed to that party simply because of the insurance. The judge cited to the second sentence which says that exclusion of evidence of liability insurance is not required when offered for another purpose such as bias or prejudice of a witness. He distinguished the statement because the evidence here concerned medical insurance and because Busick stated earlier that she discontinued therapy because she could not afford it. ¶ 14. The collateral source rule in Mississippi provides that [compensation or indemnity for the loss received by plaintiff from a collateral source, wholly independent of the wrongdoer, as from insurance, cannot be set up by the [defendant] in mitigation or reduction of damages.... Coker v. Five-Two Taxi Serv., 211 Miss. 820, 826, 52 So.2d 356, 357 (1951) (quoting 25 C.J.S. Damages, § 99). Accord, Baugh v. Alexander, 767 So.2d 269, 272 (Miss.Ct. App.2000). ¶ 15. In McCary v. Caperton, 601 So.2d 866 (Miss.1992), we held that the trial court committed reversible error in allowing the defendant to introduce evidence of McCary's insurance coverage or benefits of sick leave. Id. at 869. We were asked to rule on the issue of whether an impeachment exception should be recognized under the collateral source doctrine. Id. Our decisions have not recognized an exception to the collateral source rule. E.g., McCollum v. Franklin, 608 So.2d 692, 695 (Miss.1992) (holding collateral source doctrine precludes defendant in automobile accident from cross-examining plaintiff as to whether plaintiff has received insurances proceeds, including plaintiffs health insurance); Eaton v. Gilliland, 537 So.2d 405, 408 (Miss.1989) (holding that defendant's attempted elicitation of evidence of insurance proceeds paid with respect to the accident by a collateral source could have been prejudicial and confusing, further the jury could have been left with the impression that the plaintiff was attempting to improperly and illegally double dip or receive a wind fall to which he was not entitled); Central Bank of Miss. v. Butler, 517 So.2d 507, 511 (Miss.1987) (holding that collateral source doctrine properly applied to prevent elicitation of evidence that plaintiffs received compensation from surety bond maintained completely independent of any efforts made by defendant); Star Chevrolet Co. v. Green by Green, 473 So.2d 157, 162 (Miss.1985) (holding that insurance in behalf of the plaintiff cannot be set up by the adverse party in mitigation of the loss); Preferred Risk Mut. Ins. Co. v. Courtney, 393 So.2d 1328, 1332-33 (Miss.1981) (holding that under the collateral source rule, a tortfeasor is not entitled to have the damages for which he is liable reduced by proving that an injured party has received compensation from a collateral source wholly independent of the tortfeasor). However, an impeachment exception has been recognized in several states. E.g., Evans v. Wilson, 279 Ark. 224, 650 S.W.2d 569, 570 (1983) (holding collateral source may be admissible to impeach plaintiffs testimony); Warren v. Ballard, 266 Ga. 408, 467 S.E.2d 891, 893 (1996) (holding impeachment by evidence of collateral source allowed if false testimony is related to material issue in the case); Corsetti v. Stone Co., 396 Mass. 1, 483 N.E.2d 793, 801 (1985) (holding that evidence of collateral source income may be admissible, in the discretion of the trial judge, as probative of a relevant proposition or credibility of a particular witness); Hack v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 37 Wis.2d 1, 154 N.W.2d 320, 325 (1967) (holding collateral source payments admissible for purposes of impeachment). ¶ 16. We find that this assignment of error has no merit as Busick's attorney failed to make both a timely objection and a timely motion for a mistrial. The evidence related to Busick's health insurance was admitted to impeach her testimony that she suffered permanent injuries as a result of the accident. Busick testified that she ceased physical therapy because she could no longer afford it. The fact that she spent only $45 on that therapy discredited her testimony. Further, the specific testimony was not solicited until after a long line of questioning during which Busick's attorney failed to object. Her attorney admitted that he was doing something else. Her counsel moved for a limiting instruction which was granted by the trial court. There was no motion for a mistrial until after the close of evidence with Busick's counsel refusing to argue the point further and indicating only that he was satisfied that that's (the limiting instruction) the way its going to be handled. The testimony was not solicited for the purposes of mitigating her loss or reducing damages owed to Busick. We find that there was no reversible error by the trial court in allowing this testimony with an appropriate limiting instruction.