Court Opinion

ID: 9702547
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 23:16:04.380664+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:21:38.650417
License: Public Domain

Souris, J.
(concurring in affirmance). I concur in affirmance. Judge Baum did not err in ruling that evidence of liability was irrelevant to the pleaded issues to be tried. Plaintiff’s theory, which was met squarely by defendants’ general denial, was that both parties to the challenged release made a mistake of material fact. The material fact referred to was the nature and extent of the plaintiff’s in*60juries, not the certainty or uncertainty of defendants’ liability therefor.
Had the defendants pleaded, and sought to prove, that they settled with plaintiff simply to avoid further controversy and not as a compromise of the plaintiff’s injuries, in which event any mistake as to the nature and extent of the plaintiff’s injuries would be immaterial, then, certainly, evidence of liability would be admissible. See cases cited in section 15 of the annotation relied upon by Mr. Justice Black, “Avoidance of release of personal injury claims on ground of fraud or mistake as to the extent or nature of injuries”, 71 ALR2d 82. But that is not this case. Here, defendants at no time, not even at trial when they unsuccessfully attempted to introduce evidence of negligence, claimed that they entered into the release agreement (whereby they paid $1,400) just to avoid further controversy or to settle a nuisance claim and that the nature and extent of plaintiff’s injuries were of no importance to them in making the settlement. Instead, defendants pleaded and proceeded to trial on the theory that there was no mistake with reference to plaintiff’s injuries such as to justify the chancellor in granting the rescission or reformation relief plaintiff prayed. Under the circumstances of this case, evidence of liability would have been irrelevant and for that reason was properly excluded.
I would affirm Judge Baum and award costs to plaintiff.
Smith, J., concurred with Souris, J.
Adams, J., took no part in the decision of this case.