Court Opinion

ID: 9540347
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:14:56.097094+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:58:38.482352
License: Public Domain

EBERSPACHER, J., dissenting. Respectfully dissenting, I would reverse this case and remand for a new trial. In my opinion, the combination of the erroneous instruction and an abuse of discretion on the part of the trial court in imposing the sanction, were sufficiently prejudicial, to require a new trial. An examination of the opinion in Buckler v. Sinclair Refining Co., 68 Ill App2d 283, 216 NE2d 14, discloses that there the court held that the failure to invoke sanctions against plaintiff for not listing a witness in response to a proper interrogatory was not abuse of discretion, under the circumstances of that case; the circumstances were entirely different in that case, where no sanction was invoked, from the present case where the most severe sanction was invoked. In Wright v. Royse, 43 Ill App2d 267, 193 NE2d 340, from which the majority opinion quotes, the interrogatories were answered at the time the names were known to appellant, and appellant failed to list the name of the proposed witness. Here the name of the witness who was denied the right to testify was not known within the time to answer the interrogatory. In the present case, whether or not Judy Hargrove would be needed as a witness depended upon the evidence presented by the plaintiff. Under such circumstances plaintiff could not have been prejudiced by the failure to furnish the name of the witness, Hargrove. In Quatrano v. Marrocco, 61 Ill App2d 1, 208 NE2d 632, a dramshop action, a witness was allowed to testify for plaintiffs even though her name had not been listed in the answer to defendant’s interrogatories. The court held that where opportunity to question the witness was given to opposing party prior to trial and where there could be no surprise, it was proper to allow the witness to testify, and held that in deciding whether or not exclusion of witness is proper, the court should consider the suprise to the adverse party. In Grant v. Paluch, et al., 61 Ill App2d 247, 210 NE2d 35, likewise a dramshop action, plaintiff failed to list in his answer to interrogatories the name of a witness tendered on rebuttal. The court in remanding the case said: “The other interrogatories asked for the names and addresses of persons who were present or who witnessed the occurrence or who witnessed the gift or sale of intoxicating liquors to the plaintiff in Lefty’s Lounge. Under the interrogatories there could be no objection sustained as to the testimony of Stevens even as a witness-in-chief except if he attempted to testify to the sale of intoxicating beverages to the plaintiff. In the instant case there was sworn testimony of the plaintiff and Bonk as to their presence and that of Stevens in Lefty’s Lounge on the night of the occurrence. This was categorically denied by the bartender. Under those circumstances, even though the interrogatories were controlling (which in this case they are not), Stevens should have been permitted to testify as to the presence of the plaintiff and Bonk at the tavern and that he picked them up that evening and took them to the train. If the jury had then believed Stevens it could have disregarded the testimony of the bartender in whole or in part. In refusing to admit Stevens as a rebuttal witness the trial court abused its discretion.” Here, the interrogatory referred to required the names and addresses of witnesses purporting to have knowledge of facts pertaining to the allegation in the complaint. Plaintiff’s complaint did not allege that she wore a neck collar for six months constantly after the accident and that she did not drive a car until May 1963; the effect of the excluded testimony was that this part of plaintiff’s testimony was not true. The excluded witness had no knowledge of the occurrence itself. Her testimony could not have decided the issue of who was responsible for the accident. Therefore, her testimony was not such as to place plaintiff in an unfair and unjust position. Plaintiff was offered the opportunity to question the witness before she testified but declined to do so. One of the essential elements of this case was the injury sustained by plaintiff. The medical evidence was essentially based on subjective complaints made by the plaintiff. The trial court by its action, denied the defendant the opportunity of impeachment on an essential issue which very likely could effect the amount of damages awarded to plaintiff. The trier of facts should hear all of the evidence relevant to the cause of action unless it is clearly obvious that the opposing party would be placed in an unfair and unjust position.