JB v. ASARCO, Inc.

225 F.R.D. 258, 60 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 755, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26511
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 2, 2004
DocketNos. 03-CV-498-H(C), 03-CV-565-H to 03-CV-567-H, 03-CV-569-H
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 225 F.R.D. 258 (JB v. ASARCO, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
JB v. ASARCO, Inc., 225 F.R.D. 258, 60 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 755, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26511 (N.D. Okla. 2004).

Opinion

ORDER

CLEARY, United States Magistrate Judge.

This matter came before the undersigned on November 1, 2004, for hearing on the Motion to Compel Production of Documents [Dkt. # 171] filed by Defendants ASARCO Incorporated (“ASARCO”), Blue Tee Corp., Doe Run Resources, Inc., and Gold Fields Mining Corporation (hereafter, referred to jointly as “Defendants”). For the reasons set forth below, the motion is GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART.

Background

These actions originally involved 26 Plaintiffs making identical allegations that they suffered personal injuries caused by exposure to lead resulting from lead and zinc mining operating in the Tar Creek area. Plaintiffs asserted claims for negligence, strict liability and nuisance. Plaintiffs served their medical experts’ reports on or about April 16, 2004.

In February and March 2004, 20 of the 26 original Plaintiffs were examined by neuropsychologists Bonny Forrest and Jeanette Wasserstein. The purpose of this examination was to evaluate the Plaintiffs for purposes of having Forrest and Wasserstein offer expert opinions about their condition. Between April 16 and May 4, 2004, 19 of the original Plaintiffs (collectively, “the dismissed Plaintiffs”1) dismissed their claims without prejudice. Thus, for purposes of this analysis, these 19 individuals are now non-parties to this litigation. This leaves seven of the original 26 Plaintiffs (“the remaining Plaintiffs”) still asserting claims.2 In July, Defendants subpoenaed the records of Wasserstein, Forrest and Dr. Wayne Snodgrass3 [260]*260with respect to all 26 original plaintiffs — the remaining Plaintiffs and the dismissed Plaintiffs. Plaintiffs have offered to produce all documents/information considered by the neuropsyehologists pertaining to the remaining Plaintiffs, but refuse to provide documents relating to the dismissed Plaintiffs.

Plaintiffs contend that these records are not discoverable because: (1) they are irrelevant to the claims or defenses of any party since the dismissed Plaintiffs no longer assert any claim herein; (2) the information is protected by physician-patient privilege; and, (3) the information is protected work product.

Defendants contend the information must be produced pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(a)(2) which requires an expert witness to disclose all information .underlying his or her report. Defendants further assert that the information is relevant, that any physician-patient privilege or work product protection was waived when the dismissed Plaintiffs put their health at issue in this litigation.

A hearing on the Motion to Compel was held on November 1, 2004, before the undersigned. Supplemental briefing was requested and, at the Court’s request, a copy of an expert report pertaining to one of the Plaintiffs was submitted for in camera review.

Discussion

A. Background of the Dispute.

A significant issue today in tort cases such as this is the extent to which discovery of medical information relating to non-parties— particularly parents and siblings of the plaintiff — is discoverable. See, for example, Jennifer Wriggins, Genetics, IQ, Determinism, and Torts: The Example of Discovery in Lead Exposure Litigation, 77 BULR 1025 (1997); Hope Viner Sanborn, Blame It On the Bloodline, Discovery of Nonparties’ Medical and Psychiatric Records is Latest Defense Tactic in Disputing Causation, 85 A.B.A. J. 28 (1999). The argument against allowing discovery relating to non-parties is neatly summarized by Professor Wriggins: Broadening the causation and damages inquiry beyond the plaintiff, by either party, is likely to dramatically broaden the scope of the litigation. Such an expansion is contrary to current trends in litigation, which aim to streamline and limit discovery procedures. For example, if the educational records of a plaintiffs sibling reveal a learning disability, the parties will need to consider the possible causes of that learning disability. If only one of two siblings of the plaintiff has a learning disability, the inquiry becomes more complicated. There is no logical end to the litigation inquiry once individual boundaries are crossed.

Id. at 1060 (citations omitted) (emphasis added).

The issue of non-party discovery has arisen frequently in the context of scope of discovery. Some courts, citing the broad discovery provision contained in Rule 26(b)(1) have permitted discovery of non-party information because they found it relevant or reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence. E.g., Stewart v. Nassau, No. 89-8214 (Civ. Dist. Ct. Orleans Par. Jan. 19, 1996) (court-ordered neuropsychological testing of plaintiffs non-party sister relevant in lead paint exposure ease); Anderson v. Seigel, 255 A.D.2d 409, 680 N.Y.S.2d 587 (1998) (academic records of plaintiffs siblings, IQ testing of plaintiffs mother relevant to cause of Plaintiffs cognitive defects in lead paint exposure case); Salkey v. Mott, 237 A.D.2d 504, 656 N.Y.S.2d 886 (1997) (trial court’s decision ordering Plaintiffs mother to take IQ test within court’s discretion in lead paint exposure case). See generally, Wriggins, supra, at pp. 1073-1079.

Other courts have rejected discovery of non-party siblings and parents as beyond the scope of Rule 26. E.g., Monica W. v. Milevoi, 252 A.D.2d 260, 685 N.Y.S.2d 231, 234 (1st Dep’t 1999) (rejecting requested discovery in lead paint case because mental condition of non-party siblings irrelevant to any [261]*261claim or defense in case); Andon v. 302-304 Mott Street Assoc., 257 A.D.2d 37, 690 N.Y.S.2d 241 (1st Dep’t 1999) (IQ testing of Plaintiffs mother not permitted because such information would not resolve issue of causation in lead paint exposure case); Van Epps v. County of Albany, 184 Misc.2d 159, 706 N.Y.S.2d 855, 864-65 (Sup.Ct. Albany Co.2000) (defendants in lead paint exposure case failed to show relevance of academic and medical records of Plaintiffs mother and sibling).

The cases cited above differ from the instant case in several ways: First, the cited cases all involve lead paint ingestion rather then lead dust inhalation. There is likely to be greater similarity in sibling’s exposure to lead when inhaled involuntarily then when the lead is ingested voluntarily. Second, the cited cases generally involve the scope of discovery under Rule 26(b), not the disclosures required of a testifying expert under Rule 26(a)(2)(B). Finally, the cited cases apparently do not involve individuals who were originally parties to the action and only became non-parties after voluntarily dismissing their claims. Might this not affect the privacy expectations of the individuals at issue?

B. Requirements of Rule 26(a)(2).

Rule 26(a)(2)(B) requires that parties identify any expert witness who will testify at trial and provide a written report prepared and signed by the witness. The report must contain a complete statement of all opinions to be offered as well as “the data or other information considered by the witness in forming the opinions.”

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Bluebook (online)
225 F.R.D. 258, 60 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 755, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26511, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jb-v-asarco-inc-oknd-2004.