Corrigan v. Methodist Hospital

158 F.R.D. 54, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14402, 1994 WL 559205
District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania·Decided October 5, 1994·No. Civ. A. No. 94-1478·Published·Cited by 20 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

JOYNER, District Judge.

Plaintiff, Judy Corrigan, has moved this Court to compel discovery of Sanford H. Davne, M.D. Plaintiff alleges that Davne has not responded to certain of her discovery requests and has offered improper objections to other discovery requests. As will be discussed more completely below, the Motion is Granted in part and Denied in part.

This suit stems from the alleged misdiagnosis and treatment of a meningiomal tumor located in Plaintiffs thoracic spine by Davne and his co-defendant, Dr. Myers. The suit further alleges that all of the defendants failed to advise Plaintiff that they planned to utilize the AcroMed VSP plate and pedicle screw system in the surgery, that the defendant doctors had a financial interest in the company that manufactured that screw system and that the use of the said plate and screw system in such surgeries was still considered to be investigational by the FDA. Plaintiffs complaint also includes a count alleging that Methodist Hospital was negligent in its extension of operating privileges to Drs. Davne and Myers in that it knew or should have known that the doctors were reputed to be “overly aggressive and indiscriminate surgeons who were the subject of numerous lawsuits and whose medical judg[56]*56ment was in question, and despite the fact that Methodist’s Physician Review Board unanimously rejected the extension of privileges to Defendants, Myers and Davne.”

This Motion seeks to compel seven separate sets of discovery. This Memorandum will utilize the structure that both parties used in their responsive briefs.

1. Plaintiffs Interrogatories nos. 5-8; Plaintiffs First Request for Documents no. 6.

Plaintiffs Motion seeks to compel discovery of the above discovery requests. Plaintiff, however, does not discuss the requests in her Memorandum of Law in Support of Plaintiffs Motion to Compel Full and Complete Discovery Responses from Defendant, Sanford H. Davne, M.D. (Plaintiffs Brief).

Davne argues, without support, that the failure to discuss the requests is equivalent to a waiver of the motion. This is incorrect. Local Rule of Civil Procedure 24(g) provides that a “routine motion to compel answers to interrogatories or to compel compliance with a request for production ... wherein it is averred that no response or objection has been timely served, need have no accompanying brief---- The court may summarily grant or deny such motion without waiting for a response.” Local Rule 24(g).

Accordingly, Davne is instructed to answer Plaintiffs Interrogatory numbers 5-8 and Plaintiffs First Request for Production of Documents number 6 within one week of the date of the attached Order.

2. Plaintiffs First Request for Production of Documents nos. 7, 12, 25, 27, 28.

Plaintiff asserts in her Brief that Davne has not objected to these requests, yet has not responded to them either. In his response, Davne avers that he has responded to the above requests and supplied all the information requested, with the exception of Document Request numbers 7 and 27. Dav-ne explains that he has produced all the information he has regarding Plaintiffs medical records, except for her prescription records. However, to produce the prescription records, he must review Plaintiffs pharmacy records. According to Davne, he has ordered Plaintiffs pharmacy records and as soon as he receives them, he will be able to produce Plaintiffs prescription records.

It appearing to the Court that Document Requests numbers 25, 27 and 28 have been answered, the Motion to Compel responses to them are DENIED as MOOT. However, we GRANT Plaintiffs Motion to Compel Documents numbers 7 and 27 and ORDER that they be answered within one week of Davne’s receipt of the pharmacy records he has ordered.

8. Plaintiffs First Request for Production of Documents nos. 2k and 8k; Plaintiffs Second Request for Production of Documents no. 1; and Plaintiffs Request for Production of Documents (Set III) nos. 1-k.

Plaintiff seeks in these documents requests (some of which are identical to others) information relating to Davne’s financial or other involvement with AcroMed Corporation. AcroMed is the business that manufactured the VSP Plates and screws that were implanted into Plaintiffs spine. Plaintiff alleges that Davne was offered a position on the Medical Advisory Board of AcroMed, as well as financial opportunities, such as stock options. Plaintiff alleges that these contacts “adversely affected his ability to objectively render appropriate medical care to Plaintiff.” Plaintiffs Brief at 4. She further alleges that in his initial response to her document request and in his deposition, Davne has admitted the existence of documents relevant to the requests.

First, Davne denies that he has any records responsive to this request. He alleges that his initial response admitting the existence of relevant documents was a typographical error, but does not discuss the documents he admitted possessing in his deposition. Second, Davne asserts that even if he did have responsive documents, they would not be relevant to this action and so would be undiscoverable.

Relevance for discovery purposes is defined broadly. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure permit discovery “regarding any [57]*57matter, not privileged, which is relevant to the subject matter involved in the pending action.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(b)(1). “It is not ground for objection that the information sought will be inadmissable at trial if the information sought appears reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.” Id.

The party opposing discovery has the burden to raise an objection, then the party seeking discovery must demonstrate the relevancy of the requested information. Amcast Indus. Corp. v. Detrex Corp., 138 F.R.D. 115, 118 (N.D.Ind.1991). Once this showing is made, the burden switches again to the party opposing discovery to show why discovery should not be permitted. Id.

Relevancy is broadly construed, and determined in relation to the facts and circumstances of each case. Stabilus v. Haynsworth, Baldwin, Johnson & Greaves, P.A., 144 F.R.D. 258, 265-66 (E.D.Pa.1992) (citing Continental Access Control Sys. v. Racal-Vikonics, 101 F.R.D. 418 (E.D.Pa. 1983); McClain v. Mack Trucks, Inc., 85 F.R.D. 53, 61 (E.D.Pa.1979)). When there is doubt about relevance, a court should tend toward permitting discovery. Id. at 265 (citing Heat & Control, Inc. v. Hester Indus., Inc., 785 F.2d 1017, 1024 (Fed.Cir.1986)).

We find that Davne’s financial or other involvement in AcroMed is relevant to Plaintiffs assertion of a conflict of interest. Contrary to Davne’s argument, this information is not relevant solely on the issue of conspiracy, a claim that has been dismissed, or on Plaintiffs punitive damages claim.

Davne has responded to request number 24 that he has no responsive documents, but has not responded to request number 34. We DENY as MOOT Plaintiffs Motion to Compel answer to Document Request number 24, but remind Davne of

Corrigan v. Methodist Hospital, 158 F.R.D. 54, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14402, 1994 WL 559205 (E.D. Pa. 1994).

158 F.R.D. 54 (Corrigan v. Methodist Hospital) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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