Court Opinion

ID: 9569196
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 20:11:22.087636+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:16:35.857499
License: Public Domain

Cooper, Judge,
concurring in part, dissenting in part.
I agree with the result reached in this case. However, I cannot concur in the majority’s conclusion that Hayes v. Gary Burnett Trucking, 203 Ga. App. 693 (417 SE2d 676) (1992) must be overruled. In this case, the collateral source evidence was admitted under the recognized rule allowing cross-examination of a plaintiff on the availability of insurance benefits to impeach a plaintiff’s contentions regarding financial inability to seek medical treatment. Hayes affirmed the longstanding rule allowing a limited cross-examination to test the plaintiff’s contention that he or she was unable to afford necessary medical treatment. However, in Hayes the evidence was not admitted during cross-examination but pursuant to OCGA § 51-12-1 (b), later ruled unconstitutional. The majority would overrule Hayes because in some respects Hayes is factually indistinguishable from this case. Regardless of the factual similarities or differences within these two cases, what is important is that the cases embrace different legal principles. Because I conclude that both cases are correct, I must respectfully dissent from the majority’s decision to overrule Hayes.