Dominguez v. Syntex Laboratories, Inc.

149 F.R.D. 158, 27 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 242, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7082, 1993 WL 179252
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Indiana
DecidedFebruary 12, 1993
DocketNo. IP 90-152-C
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 149 F.R.D. 158 (Dominguez v. Syntex Laboratories, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dominguez v. Syntex Laboratories, Inc., 149 F.R.D. 158, 27 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 242, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7082, 1993 WL 179252 (S.D. Ind. 1993).

Opinion

ENTRY ON DISCOVERY

ENDSLEY, United States Magistrate Judge.

Several matters outstanding before the Court are now ripe for review: plaintiffs “Motion to Compel Production of Documents”, and defendant’s “Motion to Compel Discovery”, “Motion for Determination of Reasonable Expert Witness Fees”, and “Motion to Compel Production of Expert Witness Documents, Or in the Alternative, Motion in Limine.” The Court having reviewed each motion, the briefs and exhibits in support and opposition, and the record, shall address each motion on its individual merits.

PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO COMPEL PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS

This motion has been rendered MOOT by the December 11, 1992, jointly-filed “Report To Court” and the stipulation respecting discovery approved by this Court on January 15, 1993.

[160]*160DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO COMPEL DISCOVERY

The motion as it concerns defendant’s supplemental interrogatories to plaintiff is now MOOT. See plaintiffs Exhibit H.

Regarding defendant’s request for production of documents, the parties have designated two categories of documents at issue: (1) Records from the University of Cincinnati concerning an examination and evaluation of plaintiff done by non-testifying experts (Request Three); (2) Documents in the file of or shown to Dr. Weisberger, an expert expected to testify for plaintiff (Requests Two and Four).

CINCINNATI RECORDS

Rule 26(b)(1): In Anticipation of Litigation

First, defendant claims Rule 26(b)(4) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (hereinafter “Rule”) does not apply to the Cincinnati records because they were not acquired or developed in anticipation of litigation. If so, they would be discoverable as any other document under Rule 26(b)(1). Rule 26(b)(4)’s introduction limits its application to facts and opinions, acquired or developed in anticipation of litigation, which can only be discovered by following the procedure set out in the rule. Defendant claims plaintiff went to the Cincinnati doctors for medical treatment rather than in preparation for litigation. Defendant reasons that plaintiffs insurance paid in part for the visit and that the insurance company would not have paid if the visit was solely a litigation-related expense; therefore, the visit was not solely litigation-related. However, defendant has no evidence the insurance company does not pay for litigation-related expenses. Furthermore, even if the insurance company does not pay for what it considers “litigation-related”, the private insurance contract definition of “litigation-related” may or may not approximate the legal definition of “in anticipation of litigation.” As arranged by his attorney at the time, plaintiff visited the Cincinnati doctors after filing this action, in part, to quantify plaintiffs loss. (Plaintiffs Ex. B). Therefore, the Cincinnati visit occurred in anticipation of litigation and comes within the ambit of Rule 26(b)(4).

Rule 26(b)(1)(A)(ii): Additional Discovery

Plaintiff originally objected to the Cincinnati records request on the basis of both Rule 26(b)(3) and Rule 26(b)(4). As defendant correctly points out, however, expert information is not within the work-product doctrine of Rule 26(b)(3). Fed.R.Civ.P. 26, notes of advisory committee on rules, 1970 amendment. Subsequently, both parties have focused solely on Rule 26(b)(4)1 regarding the Cincinnati records.

Defendant asserts paragraph (B) of Rule 26(b)(4) does not apply to the Cincinnati records because Dr. Hirsch, an expected ex[161]*161pert witness for plaintiff, received and considered the records. Therefore, pursuant to Rule 26(b)(4)(A)(ii) defendant requests discovery of the records. Paragraph (A)(i) applies only to interrogatory discovery of the facts and opinions of the testifying expert.2 Plaintiff need only give a “summary of the grounds for each opinion” of the testifying expert. Nothing in the explicit language of the rule requires plaintiff to present defendant all evidence supporting or contrary to the expert’s testimony. Such a reading would be counter to the intentionally limited nature of the rule to protect plaintiff from a defendant feeding off plaintiffs expert, rather than doing its own work. Fed.R.Civ.P. 26, notes of advisory committee on rules, 1970 amendment. However, part (ii) allows the Court in its discretion to order discovery beyond and by other means than allowed in part (i). The Court must look to case law for guidance as to when additional discovery is appropriate.

“It is unclear what standard of need must be established to obtain further discovery.” 2 Shepard’s, Discovery Proceedings in Federal Court § 16.22 (2d Ed.1991); Hoover v. United States Dept. of Interior, 611 F.2d 1132 (5th Cir.1980). This Court agrees with In re IBM Peripheral EDP Devices Antitrust Litigation, 77 F.R.D. 39, 41 (N.D.Cal. 1977), in that the Court’s task in ruling on a motion for further discovery under Rule 26(b)(4)(A)(ii) is merely to satisfy itself that the procedure is not being abused. Abuse of the procedure involves discovery of matters outside the scope of Rule 26(b)(4)(A)® which are not essential to the effective cross-examination of an expert witness. The question in this case then becomes whether the Cincinnati records are essential to the cross-examination of Dr. Hirsch.

The leading case in this Circuit, Eliasen ¶. Hamilton, 111 F.R.D. 396, 399 (N.D.I11.1986), which analyzes other similar cases on this matter, is cited by defendant for the proposition that all materials provided to a testifying expert are necessary for effective cross-examination and discoverable regardless of whether the testifying expert actually relies on it and regardless of whether the material originates from a Rule 26(b)(4)(B) protected expert. Cases must always be read in the context of the factual situation existing in each individual instance.

Eliasen and the cases it cites are factually similar but not on point with the facts here. In Eliasen, the testifying expert received the non-testifying expert’s report, considered same and rejected same. Id. at 400. The Court found the report concerning the fair market value .of stock was part of the testifying expert’s “input” when making his report. Id. at 399. In Heitmann v. Concrete Pipe Machinery, 98 F.R.D. 740 (E.D.Mo.1983), the testifying expert received and relied on the non-testifying expert’s report. Id. at 743. The court was convinced by the testifying expert’s deposition statements that he relied on the report in forming his own opinion and it thereby became a part of the basis for his opinion. Id. at 742. Only then, did it fall out of the coverage of Rule 26(b)(4)(B). In Delcastor, Inc. v. Vail Associates, Inc., 108 F.R.D. 405 (D.Colo.1985), the testifying expert, who observed a landslide site almost two months later, read and relied on another expert’s report. Id. at 408.

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149 F.R.D. 158, 27 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 242, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7082, 1993 WL 179252, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dominguez-v-syntex-laboratories-inc-insd-1993.