How Georgia’s Ruling on Police Testimony Actually Hurts Accident Victims

The Daubert standard is a legal standard used to determine the admissibility of expert testimony in court by evaluating its reliability and relevance. Previously, Georgia’s “investigating officer rule” allowed police officers to provide opinion testimony about car accidents without subjecting their opinions to any kind of analysis under Daubert or O.C.G.A. § 24-7-702(b).

On August 21, 2023, this rule was eliminated by the Georgia Supreme Court in the case of Miller v. Golden Peanut Company, LLC. While this ruling was favorable for the plaintiff in this specific case, it creates problems for accident victims in the future. Now, instead of relying on police reports and officer testimony to support their claims, plaintiffs will need to look to additional sources of evidence. Guidance from experienced Georgia car accident lawyers can be crucial to crash victims when gathering the information needed to win their lawsuits.

The Case of Miller v. Golden Peanut Company, LLC

The implications of the Georgia Supreme Court’s ruling in Miller v. Golden Peanut Company, LLC are far-reaching. After understanding the background of the case, you may gain a clearer picture of the effect this decision will have on accident victims in the future.

Background of the Case

At around 8:15 p.m. on September 27, 2017, Lloy White was in the process of driving a tractor-trailer full of freshly harvested green peanuts from a farm in Thomas County, GA to a drying facility in Camilla. During this journey, White executed a gradual left turn to proceed northward onto a two-lane road. Tragically, this maneuver led to a collision with a vehicle driven by Kristie Miller, who was traveling in the southbound lane. The aftermath of this crash resulted in the loss of Kristie’s life and inflicted injuries upon her minor son.

In response to this unfortunate accident, legal action was initiated by her husband Ross Miller, acting both individually and as the legal guardian of his minor son and as the administrator of Kristie's estate. The lawsuit was filed against multiple parties, including Lloy White, the driver involved in the collision, Golden Peanut Company, LLC, the owner of the trailer being transported by White, and Archer Daniels Midland Company, the parent company of Golden Peanut.

The Testimony in Question

On the evening of the accident, Sergeant Chad Fallin, a member of the Georgia State Patrol's Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT), conducted an initial on-site assessment. Sergeant Fallin also led a subsequent investigation by the SCRT, during which he conducted a series of examinations that culminated in the issuance of a detailed accident report.

A portion of Fallin’s report stated that “for unknown reasons,” Kristie Miller did not notice the tractor-trailer entering the roadway. Further, the report noted that the investigating officer believed Kristie was distracted by something that prevented her from slowing down in time to avoid her collision.

Ross Miller filed a motion to have this testimony from Fallin’s report excluded from trial. The plaintiff contended that this testimony lacked reliability because it failed to consider a portion of Lloy White's testimony. Moreover, Miller was concerned about Sergeant Fallin's investigative approach, noting that he had failed to conduct nighttime testing, which, in Miller's view, undermined the credibility of Fallin’s conclusions.

Additionally, Miller made efforts to exclude Sergeant Fallin's assertion that White held the right of way when he pulled his truck from the field across the opposing traffic lane. Miller argued that this statement constituted a legal conclusion and, accordingly, should not be considered a suitable subject for testimony from the police sergeant.

The trial court initially rejected Miller's request to exclude the evidence, determining that an investigating officer is generally considered qualified as an expert and is not required to satisfy additional evidentiary criteria outlined in O.C.G.A. § 24-7-702(b) ("Rule 702") and the Daubert standard. However, during an appeal, this holding was reconsidered by the Supreme Court of Georgia.

The Supreme Court of Georgia’s Ruling

The Supreme Court of Georgia questioned to what degree must a law enforcement officer meet the qualifications specified in Rule 702 to provide expert witness testimony in a case arising from a motor vehicle accident. Ultimately, it was decided that the qualifications must be met.

Impact on Accident Victims

Georgia has essentially overturned its “investigating officer rule” and now mandates that expert testimony provided by police officers undergo Rule 702 scrutiny. Consequently, plaintiffs in car accident lawsuits will need to seek supplementary evidence to substantiate their claims, beyond relying solely on police reports and officer testimony. Support from legal representation is now more crucial than ever to victims while collecting information to support their claims.