Court Opinion

ID: 9580586
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:06:32.154086+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:36:23.159529
License: Public Domain

Littlejohn, Justice
(dissenting) :
This action was brought by plaintiff Jackson, seeking actual and punitive damages as a result of personal injuries sustained in a three-vehicle collision which occurred on November 10, 1970. The jury wrote a verdict in favor of the plaintiff for $175,000.00- actual damages and $25,000.00 punitive damages against H & S Oil Company, Inc. No verdict was returned against the defendant Port City Steel *413Erectors and, accordingly, that defendant was exonerated. Defendant H & S Oil Company, Inc. has appealed.
The complaint alleges that Jackson was “seriously, painfully and permanently injured in his person” and that as a result of the severe injuries “upon information and belief will be partially-pevmanentlj disabled.” (Emphasis added.)
The evidence reflects that Jackson was proceeding south in a convertible along Highway 41 near Huger, South Carolina, at a speed of some 50 to 55 miles an hour. He was meeting a low-boy truck, with a backhoe loaded thereon, operated for Port City Steel Erectors. An oil tanker, operated on behalf of H & S Oil Company, Inc., was overtaking the low-boy and meeting Jackson. It is inferable that the driver of the tanker pulled out of his lane of traffic to pass the low-boy, precipitating a collision course which caused Jackson’s injuries.
In this appeal appellant H & S Oil Company, Inc. submits that judgment should be entered in favor of the defendant, or in the alternative a new trial should be granted. Error is alleged (1) in permitting Dr. Robert Solomon, a medical doctor, to testify, (2) in permitting Dr. Oliver G. Wood, an economist, to testify, (3) in refusing to direct a verdict or grant judgment notwithstanding the verdict as to actual damages, (4) in refusing to direct a verdict or grant judgment notwithstanding the verdict as to punitive damages, (5) in refusing to hold that the damages were excessive such as to require a new trial, and (6) in refusing to charge § 46-545.1 of the Code after the jury made an inquiry relative to warning lights.
We are of the opinion that the evidence warrants the inference that the driver of appellant’s tanker pulled out of his lane of traffic at a time when he was overtaking the low-boy and meeting the plaintiff in his Ford convertible, and that such conduct made a jury issue as to negligence and recklessness and, accordingly, there *414was no error in submitting the case to the jury on both the actual and punitive damage issue. We agree with the lower court that a charge on § 46-545.1 was not required. Whether the actual damages in the amount of $175,000.00 were excessive depends largely on whether the testimony of Dr. Solomon should have been permitted. In oral argument before the court it was conceded that the testimony of Dr. Wood was proper if the testimony of Dr. Solomon was properly admitted.
We are of the opinion that a new trial should be granted because of the failure of the trial judge to exclude the testimony of Dr. Solomon, and we reverse on that ground alone.
As indicated hereinabove, the collision occurred on November 10, 1970. This action was started by service of a complaint on May 3, 1972.
As a part of the pretrial discovery, in keeping with Circuit Court Rule 90, the defendants served interrogatories upon plaintiff’s counsel, which were answered in due course. Counsel for plaintiff was required to give the names and addresses of persons known to the parties or counsel to be witnesses concerning the facts of the case, and to indicate whether or not written or recorded statements had been taken from the witnesses. Plaintiff’s counsel supplied the names and addresses of 18 witnesses; the names of seven medical doctors were given, but the name of Dr. Robert Solomon was not included. In preparation for trial defendants deposed all of the seven medical doctors whose names were listed. In addition, twenty-nine other prospective witnesses were deposed. The seven doctors had attended the plaintiff at some time.
Dr. Robert Solomon had never seen the plaintiff until just prior to the trial of the case. Trial commenced on Monday, September 24, 1973, in Moncks Corner. Dr. Solomon examined the plaintiff two days previously, on Satur*415day, in preparation of his testifying in court. His examination was not completed until Monday morning, at which time he was supplied with x-rays made on Saturday.
It was at a pretrial conference, incident to the opening of court on Monday morning, that counsel for plaintiff first advised the attorneys for appellant that they would call Dr. Solomon.
In determining whether there was error in allowing Dr. Solomon to testify, it is important to view the background and setting of the trial. The collision and resulting injuries had occurred 34 months previously. The complaint had been served about 16 months before trial. Counsel for the defendants had deposed 36 witnesses, including 7 medical doctors, in preparation for the trial.
The trial was to consume a week; 17 witnesses were to be called, and counsel, most of whom were from out of town, had assembled at Moncks Corner. On Monday morning, September 24, just prior to drawing the jury, the judge held a pretrial conference and plaintiff’s attorneys announced for the first time that they would call Dr. Solomon. Dr. Solomon had never seen the plaintiff until two days before trial, at which time he examined him for the sole purpose of testifying. It was not until the morning of trial that Dr. Solomon received the x-rays and completed the examination.
A jury was drawn and the court recessed at 11:30, with the jury to return and commence the taking of testimony immediately after lunch.
By waiting until two days before trial to have the plaintiff examined, counsel for plaintiff took a calculated risk that the trial judge would permit Dr. Solomon to testify. Counsel for plaintiff states that “the plaintiff did not see a need or desire to employ Dr. Solomon until that weekend prior to the trial.”
In failing to move for a continuance, counsel for the defendant took a calculated risk that the judge would re*416fuse to let Dr. Solomon testify because of failure to comply with Rule 90. Counsel for Port City Steel Erectors states that he objected at the pretrial conference to the use of Dr. Solomon. The record does not show that counsel for appellant objected. Apparently such objections as were made were between counsel out of the presence of the judge.
When Dr. Solomon was called as a witness on Tuesday afternoon, the second day of the trial, counsel did object to the use of his testimony and the judge gave him an opportunity to talk to the doctor at that time. The offer to confer with the witness was declined and Dr. Solomon proceeded to testify. If the actual damages verdict is justifiable it is solely because of the testimony of Dr. Solomon. Apparently none of the other seven doctors would testify that this plaintiff was totally and permanently disabled. Certainly none of the three other doctors who were called would testify to that effect.
Clearly, the plaintiff received some injuries in the collision. It cannot be seriously questioned but that appellant is liable. The key to this entire case is the amount of damages which should be paid, and for this reason the testimony of Dr. Solomon was extremely important. There was no opportunity for appellant to pursue the discovery which the letter and spirit of Circuit Court Rule 90 intended it to have. Argument of counsel for plaintiff that “his deposition could have been taken even before the trial commenced, during lunch breaks, during evenings, and during mornings prior to the trial of this case” has little appeal.
Actually, counsel may have been better off if there had been no discovery proceedings because plaintiff, referring them to seven doctors who had treated the plaintiff, reinforced their belief that there was no permanent disability and led them to believe that these were the doctors who would supply the testimony at trial.
We held in Laney v. Hefley, 262 S. C. 54, 202 S. E. (2d) 12 (1974), that whether or not a surprise witness *417would be allowed to testify was largely in the discretion of the trial judge. We need not reverse any holding in that case to arrive at the conclusion that Dr. Solomon should not have been allowed to testify. His testimony, coming as it did under the circumstances, simply denied the defendant a fair trial on the only critical issue in the whole case.