Court Opinion

ID: 9591515
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 00:04:45.45422+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:26:30.067487
License: Public Domain

Carley, Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent to Division 2 of the majority opinion wherein it is held that the trial court did not commit reversible error in refusing to allow Southern to present an expert witness who would give his opinion that it was physically impossible for the train to be proceeding as fast as some witnesses testified. The trial court refused *412to allow the expert to testify because the name of the expert had not been furnished to the opposite party in answers to interrogatories. Also the trial court placed great emphasis upon the fact that “speed” had been an issue for over a year as a result of discovery and that, therefore, “defendant had over a year to prepare its case.” However, the mere fact that “speed” was in issue does not give the trial court or this court the unbridled right to dictate how a litigant’s attorney will attempt to convince the jury of the correctness of his position. Especially is this relevant in this case since one of the witnesses who testified that the train was exceeding 50 miles per hour had previously told the defendant that he did not know anything about the accident. Another witness who estimated speed at between 50 and 60 miles per hour was standing outside a restaurant only 100 yards from the crossing.
It is to be noted that after the first day’s testimony, wherein the 50 to 60 miles per hour speed estimates were given, defendant’s attorney informed the court and counsel for the other side that he intended to introduce, during his part of the case, the opinion of the expert, Mr. Wolfe. Defendant’s counsel stated: “I want to make this known to [plaintiffs counsel] before he closes his evidence. I’m perfectly willing to bring him in, let him depose him, interview him or whatever. I did not consult this [expert] until yesterday, as a result of the testimony I heard yesterday.” Mr. Wolfe, the expert, was present at the courthouse throughout the day and available for interview or deposition.
“The testimony of [this witness] was relevant and admissible . . . . [T]he proper procedure when [he was] called to testify was not to object to [his testifying] or to the admission of [his testimony], but to move for a postponement of the trial for a sufficient length of time to enable the [plaintiff] to interview [him], check the facts to which [he] would testify, and, if indicated, arrange to secure rebuttal evidence or to impeach [him]. It would be an abuse of discretion, requiring the grant of a new trial, to refuse the postponement. If this should not come up until the trial was already under way and the court determined that a postponement was impracticable, a mistrial should be declared. [Cits.] Another remedy for failure to answer, refusal to answer or the concealment of information, is a citation for contempt.” Nathan v. Duncan, 113 Ga. App. 630, 641 (149 SE2d 383) (1966). Nathan makes it clear that the failure of the party to timely answer interrogatories or to furnish other information may be dealt with in various ways, but one of the methods available is not exclusion of relevant pertinent testimony. See also Glover v. Southern Bell Tel. &c. Co., 132 Ga. App. 74, 77 (207 SE2d 584) (1974); Redwing Carriers v. Knight, 143 Ga. App. 668, 673 (239 SE2d 686) (1977); Intl. Assn. of Bridge &c. Local 387 v. Moore, 149 Ga. App. 431, 436 (254 SE2d 438) *413(1979).
The majority rationalizes the error of the trial court by stating that “[a]t best the expert could only have given opinion evidence as to the approximate speed.” How can the trial court or this court say that such expert opinion evidence would not have been enough to sway the jury to the other side of the issue? It is recognized that one of the purposes of the Civil Practice Act was to do away with “trial by ambush” as mentioned by the trial court and the majority. However, “[t]he object of all legal investigation is the discovery of truth.” OCGA § 24-1-2. That objective cannot be realized if, as will be the effect of the majority opinion, courts look upon a trial as a preplanned script which is chiseled in stone and which precludes the utilization of on-the-scene tactical decisions by lawyers designed to produce to the trior of fact testimony or other evidence which will assist in the performance of their task as advocates in our adversary system. Especially is that true here where defendant’s counsel sought to give the jury an opinion of an expert that it was physically impossible for the train to be going as fast as two lay witnesses had testified. I believe that the trial court abused its discretion and that a new trial should be granted.