Court Opinion

ID: 9608154
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 03:07:07.914915+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:50:02.124522
License: Public Domain

Ruffin, Judge,
concurring specially.
1. Unlike the majority, I believe that it was reversible error for the trial court to consolidate the two actions for trial over the objection of UGTC. OCGA § 9-11-42 (a) provides in pertinent part: “When actions involving a common question of law or fact are pending before the court, if the parties consent, the court may order a joint hearing or trial of any or all the matters in issue in the actions. . . .” I disa*263gree with the plaintiffs’ contention that a “simultaneous” trial is not a “joint” trial within the meaning of OCGA § 9-11-42 (a). I also disagree with the plaintiffs’ contention that this error was not harmful because the defendants were not prejudiced by the joint proceeding which also served the purpose of judicial economy mandated by OCGA § 9-11-1. Pretermitting the issue of whether defendants were prejudiced by the joint proceeding, the trial court’s action cannot be condoned. “[I]t is not essential for defendants to prove prejudice for if joinder is not authorized by the plain language of the statute, no amount of judicial economy can justify it.” Howard Motor Co. v. Swint, 214 Ga. App. 682, 683 (448 SE2d 713) (1994) (interpreting OCGA § 9-11-20 (a)). As made clear in Swint, statutory provisions concerning joinder are substantive laws that govern the rights of the parties. To permit their violation renders the statute nothing more than a guideline. Consequently, I would reverse.
2. I respectfully disagree with Division 2 of the majority opinion. Based upon the facts of this case, particularly UGTC’s failure to distinguish between the corporation and the partnership throughout the long course of the litigation up until the very eve of trial, the trial court did not err in adding the corporation and partnership as parties in each other’s case three days prior to trial without service of process.
3. I concur with the majority’s conclusions with respect to Division 3 (a) and respectfully dissent with respect to Division 3 (b) regarding punitive damages. While I agree the award of punitive damages should be reversed in light of the improper charge as outlined in the majority’s opinion, I feel it necessary to address the defendants’ argument that the evidence in this matter did not justify the imposition of punitive damages. While I agree with the defendants that much of the evidence supporting the punitive damage award was inadmissible and may have tainted the jury’s verdict, I am not able to hold that the issue oí1 punitive damages is altogether precluded. Upon retrial, should the plaintiffs provide clear, convincing, and admissible evidence that defendants, motivated by profit, knowingly endangered those who used or came into contact with their tires, then the issue of punitive damages may be presented to the jury. General Motors Corp. v. Moseley, 213 Ga. App. 875, 885 (447 SE2d 302) (1994).
4. I agree with the majority’s opinion with respect to enumerations 9 through 11. In addition to the reasons set forth by the majority, I believe such evidence should not have been admitted absent a showing of substantial similarity between the defects involved and the process used to make each of the recalled tires and the Fords’ tire. There was otherwise no basis for the admission of this highly prejudicial evidence.
5. I concur with the majority in all other respects.
*264I am authorized to state that Judge Johnson joins in this opinion.