Johnson v. Gmeinder

191 F.R.D. 638, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2931, 2000 WL 272347
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedMarch 6, 2000
DocketNos. CIV.A. 98-2556-GTV, 98-2585-GTV
StatusPublished
Cited by73 cases

This text of 191 F.R.D. 638 (Johnson v. Gmeinder) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. Gmeinder, 191 F.R.D. 638, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2931, 2000 WL 272347 (D. Kan. 2000).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

WAXSE, United States Magistrate Judge.

This matter is before the Court on Defendants’ Motion for Protective Order to Quash Subpoena Duces Tecum of the Crawford & Company Records Custodian (doc. 69) and Defendants’ Motion for Protective Order to Quash Notice Duces Tecum of the Dressier Consulting Engineers, Inc. [Records Custodian] (doc. 71).

As a preliminary matter, the Court notes that there is some confusion as to whether Plaintiffs are seeking to quash a subpoena served on the records custodians for Crawford & Company or seeking to prevent the deposition, based on a deposition notice served on Defendants.1 If Defendants are seeking to quash a subpoena served on a third party pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 45, then that rule would apply to their Motion.2 If [640]*640Defendants are seeking to prevent a deposition that is merely noticed, a motion for protective order pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(c) would be more appropriate. Because Defendants indicate in the body of their supporting memorandum that they are seeking relief pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(c) and D.Kan. Rule 26.2, and because they submit to the Court copies of a deposition notice rather than a subpoena, the Court will treat their motion with respect to Crawford & Company as a Rule 26 motion for protective order.

In their motion relating to Dressier Consulting Engineers, Inc., (“Dressier Engineers”), Defendants are more consistent in referring to a deposition notice rather than a subpoena; however, they still indicate that they are seeking “to quash” the notice of deposition. On the other hand, they state they are seeking relief pursuant to Fed. R.Civ.P. 26(c) and D.Kan. Rule 26.2, and they submit a copy of a deposition notice rather than subpoena. The Court will therefore also treat the Dressier Engineers motion as a Rule 26 motion for protective order.

I. FACTUAL/PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT

A. DOCUMENTS REQUESTED IN THE NOTICES

Both deposition notices ask the records custodian to bring the following documents to the deposition:

All files, including photographs, video tapes, correspondence, reports, telephone recordings, recorded statements of any witnesses, communications with any individual or entity involving your investigation of an automobile accident involving John W. Johnson, Jesse M. Clifton, and Lother G. Gmeinder, which occurred on December 13, 1997 on K-32 Highway near Steele Road in Edwardsville, Kansas.

B. CRAWFORD & COMPANY RECORDS CUSTODIAN DEPOSITION

Defendants contend they are entitled to a protective order to prevent the deposition of the Crawford & Company records custodian because the particular documents sought are privileged attorney-client communications and work product. Defendants assert that Crawford & Company conducted an investigation into the accident that is the subject of this lawsuit and that the investigation was directed by Victory Express’ in-house counsel in anticipation of litigation. Thus, they argue that any documents relating to the investigation are protected work product. Defendants further assert that they “have previously identified these [protected] materials in their interrogatory answers,” in which they asserted general objections based on work product immunity and the attorney-client privilege. Defendants note that Plaintiffs filed motions to compel production “of the same materials.” Doc. 70 at 2. The Court has since ruled on those motions to compel. See doc. 78.

The Court granted a significant portion of the relief requested in the Motions to Compel, and ordered Defendant Victory Express to produce documents responsive to Plaintiffs’ Requests for Production Nos. 2, 3, and 4. The Court rejected Defendant Victory Express’ argument that many of the requested documents were work product and privileged attorney-client communications, finding that Victory Express had failed to sufficiently identify the allegedly privileged documents and to provide facts sufficient to permit the Court to assess the applicability of the claimed privileges. The Court denied Defendants’ Motion to Reconsider on the same issues. See doc. 114.

Shortly after the Court denied the Motion to Reconsider, it gave the parties the opportunity to file supplemental briefs regarding the instant motions for protective orders. The Court anticipated that the Parties would file supplemental briefs indicating which specific documents were actually produced and how that production affected the instant motions. No supplemental briefs were filed, however. Thus, it is not clear what documents were produced and whether any of those documents are some of the same documents that are the subject of the instant motions. It appears, however, that at least [641]*641some of the documents that were produced as a result of the Court’s ruling on the Motions to Compel are also the same documents at issue here.

Plaintiffs contend they are entitled to take the deposition of the Crawford & Company records custodian and to obtain the documents requested in the notice because those documents were disclosed to and considered by Defendants’ testifying expert, Ronald Wells. Doc. 102 at 3. Plaintiffs claim that Mr. Wells’ testified in his deposition that “certain photographs, video tapes, and a report all of which may have been prepared by Crawford & Company were considered by him to formulate his opinion of the case.” Doc. 102 at 3.

In support of their argument that the documents allegedly considered by Mr. Wells are discoverable, Plaintiffs rely on a number of cases from other jurisdictions holding that the disclosure of work product to a party’s expert who considers those materials in formulating his or opinion waives any work product protection. See, e.g., B.C.F. Oil Refining, Inc. v. Consolidated Edison Co., 171 F.R.D. 57 (S.D.N.Y.1997) (disclosure and consideration of either fact or attorney/opinion work product to testifying expert results in waiver); Furniture World, Inc. v. D.A.V. Thrift Stores, Inc., 168 F.R.D. 61 (D.N.M. 1996) (“all documents provided to a party’s expert must be produced”); United States v. City of Torrance, 163 F.R.D. 590 (C.D.Cal. 1995) (disclosure and consideration of fact or attorney/opinion work product to testifying expert results in waiver); Intermedics, Inc. v. Ventritex, Inc., 139 F.R.D. 384 (N.D.Cal. 1991) (same). In their reply, Defendants urge the Court to reject the rule set forth in these cases and to adopt the contrary rule handed down by Judge Saffels in All West Pet Supply Co. v. Hill’s Pet Products, 152 F.R.D. 634 (D.Kan.1993). In the alternative, Defendants argue that there is no evidence that any Crawford & Company documents were ever “utilized,” let alone “provided to,” Mr. Wells. (Doc. 99 at 6-7) Thus, even if the Court declines to follow the All West

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
191 F.R.D. 638, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2931, 2000 WL 272347, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-gmeinder-ksd-2000.