Court Opinion

ID: 9589129
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:41:33.275734+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:51:12.450631
License: Public Domain

Beasley, Judge,
concurring specially.
I concur in the judgment only, with respect to Divisions 1 and 4. As to the other divisions, I agree with all that is said.
As to Division 1, there was a question as to whether the 80% or 100% provision of the policy would apply. This could not be resolved merely by reading the contract but required evidence as to whether the insured had paid the first $5,000 in expenses so that he would be entitled to 100% rather than just 80% reimbursement on the claim for nursing care. Since the jury awarded 100%, it would have had to find that insured had already incurred $5,000 in expenses before incurring the claimed expenses. Although there was no direct evidence that he did, there was sufficient circumstantial evidence upon which to base a reasonable inference that the $5,000 amount had been reached.
As to Division 4, appellant objected to the plaintiff’s testimony about his understanding on two grounds. Not only did he assert that it violated the best evidence rule, he also asserted that plaintiffs understanding of what the policy covered, that is, that the nursing care was “medically necessary” and therefore was covered, was irrelevant. Since the terms of the policy were not at issue and were not ambiguous, parol evidence of the understanding of the insured, insofar as it might relate to intention of the parties to the contract, should not have been permitted. It was irrelevant. OCGA § 24-2-1. Parris & Son v. Campbell, 128 Ga. App. 165, 174 (14) (196 SE2d 334) (1973); Blalock v. Empire &c. Ins. Co., 13 Ga. App. 486, 487 (1) (79 SE 374) (1913). However, in the context of this case, the evidence was harmless. The very fact that insured filed the claim, insisted on it, and pursued it by lawsuit, all of which the jury knew, shouted loudly that he understood the policy covered this nursing care and that it was *97medically necessary; his testimony in this regard added nothing new.
Decided June 27, 1986
Rehearing denied July 31, 1986.
Jerry A. Buchannan, Clay D. Land, for appellants.
Seth Harp, Jr., J. Roxanne Mincey, for appellee.
Appellee has asked for 10% damages for frivolous appeal, pursuant to OCGA § 5-6-6. This should be presented by motion rather than in the brief on the issues in the case. Rule 15 of the rules of this Court govern the content of briefs. Nevertheless, I have considered the request and conclude that an award is not warranted. Prattes v. Southeast Ceramics, 132 Ga. App. 584, 586 (3) (208 SE2d 600) (1974); Macon-Bibb County Hosp. Auth. v. Ross, 176 Ga. App. 221, 225 (4) (335 SE2d 633) (1985); Gowdey v. REM Assoc., 176 Ga. App. 83, 85 (5) (335 SE2d 309) (1985).