Graham v. Clark

152 S.E.2d 789, 114 Ga. App. 825, 1966 Ga. App. LEXIS 927
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedNovember 30, 1966
Docket42341
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 152 S.E.2d 789 (Graham v. Clark) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Graham v. Clark, 152 S.E.2d 789, 114 Ga. App. 825, 1966 Ga. App. LEXIS 927 (Ga. Ct. App. 1966).

Opinion

Jordan, Judge.

Ground 1 of the amended motion for new trial assigns error in permitting the attending physician of plaintiff to give his opinion as to the apportionment of injuries suffered by plaintiff in the incident on March 25, 1964, out of which this action arose, in relation to a subsequent substantially similar incident on June 24, 1964. The colloquy which took place on direct examination is as follows: “Q. You, from your records, say you are aware of a second automobile wreck and the reinjuring of Mrs. Clark. Can you estimate what percentage of Mrs. Clark’s disability today was caused by this first injury, what percentage was caused by the second injury? A. That would be a most difficult thing to do. I have avoided that in the past. Q. If I insisted on a question, on an answer to that, or if I had asked you this question before and you had put some thought to it, if I insisted on an answer, what would you give me? Within your medical opinion? A. I’d be willing to accept somewhat say two-thirds for the first accident and one- *827 third for the last accident and that’s purely because the ground work was already there, and the second accident could have been much more negligible, that just compounded that that was already present. That would just be an off-the-cuff opinion. It may not be worth anything.”

The defendant interposed no objection to this testimony at the time.

On cross-examination the following colloquy occurred: “Q. I believe a moment ago you said that you would attribute her condition presently on a basis of two-thirds to this accident here in Statesboro and one-third to the accident in Savannah, is that your testimony? A. I stated first that I probably couldn’t separate them, but if I was forced to give an answer I would, just off the cuff, say two-thirds first accident, one-third second accident, purely on the basis that the stage was already set and in motion when the second accident occurred and it would take a much less severe blow to cause an exacerbation of her symptoms than the initial accident and that’s the only basis on which I could say two-thirds and one-third and it may not be right. Q. Would this be a fair statement with reference to that evaluation, Dr. Deal, this is purely conjecture, is it not? A. Yes, just off the cuff. Q. Or Guess? A. Well, you know after you see some of these cases over the periods of years, you probably, I’d like to use guess, but I’d like to put it somewhat educated guess. Q. Again referring to your deposition, on page 14, the question asked you, ‘Do you feel, sir, after the second accident, that her condition would have been improved or gotten any better or do you feel that it was at all related to the first? A. I’d be unable, you know, I’ve been dodging answering that because that’s a mythical question. I wouldn’t know how to answer that.’ Q. Is that your statement then? A. That’s basically what I’m saying now. Q. Then if you say two-thirds is attributable to this accident here, and one-third attributable to the accident in Savannah, it’s based upon nothing concrete, that is a fair statement is it not, Dr. Deal? A. I think so. Q. And that’s purely a guess, which you aren’t—you aren’t telling this jury that that’s what it is, are you? A. No, I’m telling the jury, I just was stating that *828 she was already hurt, it didn’t take as much to hurt her over again the- second time, so two-third, one-third. I wouldn’t argue. Q. But, for the collision that occurred in Savannah on June 24th, 1964, Mrs. Clark may very well not have any difficulties, isn’t that true? A. You mean had she not had the second accident, she’d be through with this? Q. Yes, sir? A. Oh, I don’t know, I don’t believe that, I don’t believe that.”

After the physician had been excused as a witness and plaintiff had testified, defendant moved, out of the presence of the jury, to strike all of Dr. Deal’s testimony with reference to the apportionment of injuries between the incident in Statesboro and the incident in Savannah on the basis that it was so uncertain and so much a matter of conjecture that it would not be proper evidence to submit to the jury. The trial judge overruled this motion.

Plaintiff, as appellee in this court, asserts that defendant waived any objection to the physician’s testimony by failing to object during examination of the witness. Plaintiff relies upon the general rule, repeated in numerous cases before the appellate courts of this state, that a ground of a motion must show that the movant objected to the evidence at the time it was offered and must set forth the objection urged before the court at that time. See Phillips v. State, 108 Ga. App. 540 (133 SE2d 708); McKee v. Hurst & Co., 21 Ga. App. 571 (2) (94 SE 886), and Cochran v. Bugg, 131 Ga. 588 (2) (62 SE 1048). Rulings of this nature are restricted in their application, however, and should not be applied to those situations involving a timely motion to strike or rule out allegedly inadmissible evidence. While “all objections to testimony . . . must be urged and insisted upon at once” (Code § 24-3362), the Supreme Court has interpreted this rule to mean that all objections to testimony must be urged “at one and the same time” and that by allowing evidence to be introduced without objection, a party does not lose the right to move to have the evidence excluded at any time before the case goes to the jury. Patton v. Bank of Lafayette, 124 Ga. 965, 974 (53 SE 664, 5 LRA (NS) 592, 4 AC 639); Blount v. Beall, 95 Ga. 182 (4) (22 SE 52). “A motion to rule out testimony illegally admitted even without *829 objection is never too late until the cause if finally submitted to the jury. If the testimony is illegal, it should not be considered by the jury, and if it is not to be considered by the jury, it should not be admitted for their consideration.” Blount v. Beall, supra, p. 189. Also, see the discussion and collection of cases in Green, Georgia Law of Evidence, §§ 12, 14. We deem it sufficient in this case for consideration of the alleged error, as set forth in the motion for new trial, that the defendant moved to strike the evidence before the case went to the jury.

We are here dealing with the opinion testimony of an expert whose qualifications were admitted. He testified concerning his treatment of plaintiff long before the first incident, his examination and treatment of plaintiff after the alleged injuries forming the basis for the present action, and his examination and treatment of plaintiff following the second incident. With some degree of reluctance he testified that he would apportion plaintiff’s injuries two-thirds to the first incident, and one-third to the second incident, and he qualified his opinion by stating it was “just off the cuff,” but a “somewhat educated guess.” The qualifying statements go to the weight of the testimony, not to its admissibility. Atlanta Veterans Transportation, Inc. v. Cagle, 106 Ga. App. 551 (2) (127 SE2d 702), and cases cited therein. As a qualified medical expert his opinion as to the extent of injuries suffered in the two incidents, based on his knowledge gained in treating the patient, to which he testified, was clearly admissible. Code § 38-1710.

Hulme v. Mutual Benefit Health &c. Assn., 64 Ga. App.

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Bluebook (online)
152 S.E.2d 789, 114 Ga. App. 825, 1966 Ga. App. LEXIS 927, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/graham-v-clark-gactapp-1966.