Court Opinion

ID: 9540301
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:14:25.60807+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:59:50.197072
License: Public Domain

Felton and Townsend, JJ.,
dissenting. The burden of proving the affirmative defense was on the employer. The only evidence as to the speed of the truck was opinion evidence not based on facts which the triers of fact could evaluate for themselves, except that the skid marks were twenty feet long. Under the record in this case we do not think this court can or should say that as a matter of law the triers of fact erred in not accepting the opinion evidence on the issue involved. It cannot be ascertained from the majority opinion on what theory the decision is based. If it is based on the theory that an appellate court can reverse triers of fact upon their failure to accept pure opinion evidence, we think it is erroneous. Thompson v. Atlanta, 66 Ga. App. 255 (17 S. E. 2d, 761); Atlanta & West Point R. Co. v. Hemmings, 66 Ga. App. 881 (19 S. E. 2d, 787); Musselwhite v. Ricks, 55 Ga. App. 58 (189 S. E. 597); Mills v. State, 71 Ga. App. 353 (30 S. E. 2d, 824); Randall v. State, 73 Ga. App. 354 (36 S. E. 2d, 450); Haverty Furniture Co. v. Calhoun, 15 Ga. App. 620 (84 S. E. 138); Hays v. State, 16 Ga. App. 20 (84 S. E. 497); Hubbard v. Rutherford, 148 Ga. 238 (96 S. E. 327); Lamb v. Sewell, 20 Ga. App. 250 (92 S. E. 1011). If the testimony as to the speed of the truck is regarded as testimony as to a “fact,” we think the conclusion is erroneous. The courts of this and other States treat such testimony as opinion evidence. Fisher Motor Car Co. v. Seymour & Allen, 9 Ga. App. 465 (71 S. E. 764); Atlanta, Knoxville & Northern Ry. Co. v. Strickland, 116 Ga. 439 (42 S. E. 864); Rentz v. Collins, 51 Ga. App. 782 (181 S. E. 678); Passley v. State, 62 Ga. App. 88 (8 S. E. 2d, 131); 5 Am. Jur. p. 860, § 651; 7 Wigmore on Evidence, p. 134, § 1977. We have found no case in Georgia requiring a fact-finding body to accept such opinion evidence as is involved in this case.