Gruenbaum v. Werner Enterprises, Inc.

270 F.R.D. 298, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 107274, 2010 WL 3942818
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedOctober 7, 2010
DocketCivil Action No. 2:09-CV-1041
StatusPublished
Cited by144 cases

This text of 270 F.R.D. 298 (Gruenbaum v. Werner Enterprises, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gruenbaum v. Werner Enterprises, Inc., 270 F.R.D. 298, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 107274, 2010 WL 3942818 (S.D. Ohio 2010).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

NORAH McCANN KING, United States Magistrate Judge.

This matter is before the Court on Plaintiff Heather Gruenbaum’s Motion to Compel, Doe. No. 26 (“Motion to Compel”) and Defendants’ Motion to Strike Deposition Testimony, Doc. No. 65 {“Motion to Strike”). For the reasons that follow, plaintiffs Motion to Compel is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part and the Motion to Strike is DENIED as moot.

I. BACKGROUND

On February 11, 2009, plaintiffs decedent (“decedent”) was driving an automobile northbound U.S. Route 42 in Canaan, Madison County, Ohio. Complaint, Doc. No. 2, ¶ 12 (“Compl. ”). On that same date, defendant Jeremy Harpst was operating a commercial tractor trailer on southbound U.S. Route 42 in Canaan, Madison County, Ohio. Id. at ¶ 13. Plaintiff alleges that defendant Harpst, while in the course and scope of his agency or employment by defendant Werner Enterprises, Inc. (“defendant Werner”), negligently operated his truck “in adverse, dangerous and severe weather conditions,” which caused his truck and decedent’s vehicle to [302]*302collide (“the collision”). Id. at ¶ 14. Plaintiffs decedent died as a result of the collision. Id. at ¶ 17.

On November 17, 2009, plaintiff filed this wrongful death action, alleging that defendants’ negligence caused decedent’s death. Compl. Plaintiff further alleges, inter alia, that defendant Werner negligently permitted and/or instructed defendant Harpst to operate his truck in adverse weather conditions. Id. at ¶ 15.

During the preliminary pretrial conference, the Court ordered that discovery relating to liability be completed by September 15, 2010 and that discovery relating to damages be completed by November 30, 2010. Preliminary Pretrial Order, Doc. No. 11. After discovery commenced, plaintiff served her initial requests for production of documents. Exhibit 1, attached to Motion to Compel. Defendants responded, objecting to certain requests on the basis of, inter alia, the work product doctrine. Exhibit Z, attached to Motion to Compel. Although the parties discussed these responses, they were unable to resolve their discovery dispute. Exhibits 3 and 4, attached to Motion to Compel. Thereafter, plaintiff filed her Motion to Compel, which defendants oppose. Defendants’ Opposition to Plaintiffs Motion to Compel, Doc. No. 35 (“Defendants’ Opp.”). With the filing of Plaintiff Heather Gruenbaum’s Reply Memorandum in Support of Her Motion to Compel, Doc. No. 60 (“Reply”), the Motion to Compel is now ripe for resolution.

II. STANDARD FOR MOTION TO COMPEL

Determining the proper scope of discovery falls within the broad discretion of the trial court. Lewis v. ACB Business Servs., Inc., 135 F.3d 389, 402 (6th Cir.1998). Rule 26(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides that “[p]arties may obtain discovery regarding any nonprivileged matter that is relevant to any party’s claim or defense[.]” Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(b)(1). The information sought need not be admissible at trial so long as it appears reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence. Id. These discovery provisions are to be liberally construed. Schlagenhauf v. Holder, 379 U.S. 104, 114, 85 S.Ct. 234, 13 L.Ed.2d 152 (1964).

Rule 37 authorizes a motion to compel discovery when a party fails to provide proper response to interrogatories under Rule 33 or requests for production of documents under Rule 34. Fed.R.Civ.P. 37(a)(3)(B). “The proponent of a motion to compel discovery bears the initial burden of proving that the information sought is relevant.” Martin v. Select Portfolio Serving Holding Corp., No. l:05-CV-273, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 68779, *2 (S.D.Ohio Sept. 25, 2006) (citing Alexander v. Fed. Bureau of Investigation, 186 F.R.D. 154, 159 (D.D.C.1999)).

In addition, the party moving to compel discovery must certify that it “has in good faith conferred or attempted to confer with the person or party failing to make disclosure or discovery in an effort to obtain it without court action.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 37(a)(1). See also S.D. Ohio Civ. R. 37.2. It appears that plaintiff has met this prerequisite in the case sub judice. Cf. Motion to Compel, p. 2; Exhibits 3 and k, attached thereto.1

III. ANALYSIS

The parties’ discovery dispute involves four different discovery matters. Motion to Compel, p. 5 (representing that these four matters span several document requests, including request numbers 11,12, 28, 38, 40-43 and 57) (citing Exhibit 1, attached thereto). The Court will address each issue in turn.

A. The Investigative File Relating to the Collision

Plaintiff seeks an order compelling production of defendant Werner’s investigative file [303]*303relating to the collision. Motion to Compel, pp. 7-13. Plaintiff contends that this information is relevant to three issues: (1) defendant Werner’s knowledge that adverse weather conditions, such as high winds, can cause fatal crashes such as the collision; (2) defendant Werner’s “development of countermeasures that its drivers were expected to follow when encountering” severe winds; and (3) defendant Harpst’s failure to follow these countermeasures. Id. at 7.

Defendants object to the production of this information, contending that (1) they have already provided all known documentation related to the collision investigation except “a few pages of handwritten notes created by an attorney”; (2) this information is protected by the work product doctrine because it was prepared in anticipation of litigation; and (3) plaintiff has not established a substantial need for those portions of the file that have not already been produced. Defendants’ Opp., pp. 2, 5-6. Plaintiff, however, argues that this information is not protected by the work product doctrine because, inter alia, defendant Werner prepared the file information as part of its routine business practice. Reply, pp. 3-5.

“[T]he work product doctrine ‘is distinct from and broader than the attorney-client privilege.’ ” Reg’l Airport Auth. v. LFG, LLC, 460 F.3d 697, 713 (6th Cir.2006) (quoting In re Antitrust Grand Jury, 805 F.2d 155, 163 (6th Cir.1986)). The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has explained the purpose of this doctrine, which

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270 F.R.D. 298, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 107274, 2010 WL 3942818, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gruenbaum-v-werner-enterprises-inc-ohsd-2010.