Court Opinion

ID: 9561675
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 18:13:57.513297+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:14:10.357092
License: Public Domain

COMPTON, J.,
dissenting in part.
The length of the extraction procedure was a crucial issue relating to the standard of care. The plaintiff was allowed full latitude in presenting evidence regarding the time consumed by the procedure. Nevertheless, the trial court precluded the defendant from rebutting this evidence when it refused to allow the defendant to *571testify that he had treated other patients during the time period in question. In my opinion, this was error.
Unfortunately, the majority decides this evidentiary question wholly on the basis that there was no “abuse of discretion” in excluding the testimony. The proffered evidence was competent, material, relevant and probative, prohibited by no specific rule; it should have been admitted under elementary principles of evidence. In effect, the majority argues that the testimony was entitled to little weight. I would leave that consideration to the jury where it properly belongs.
In my view, exclusion of the evidence amounted to reversible error. Thus, I would reverse the judgment below and remand the case for a new trial.
CARRICO, C.J., joins in dissent.