Puerto Rico Medical Emergency Group, Inc. v. Iglesia Episcopal Puertorriqueña, Inc.

318 F.R.D. 224, 2016 WL 4004576
CourtDistrict Court, D. Puerto Rico
DecidedJuly 26, 2016
DocketCivil No. 14-1616 (FAB)
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 318 F.R.D. 224 (Puerto Rico Medical Emergency Group, Inc. v. Iglesia Episcopal Puertorriqueña, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Puerto Rico Medical Emergency Group, Inc. v. Iglesia Episcopal Puertorriqueña, Inc., 318 F.R.D. 224, 2016 WL 4004576 (prd 2016).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER1

BESOSA, District Judge.

Before the Court is a renewed motion to compel discovery filed by plaintiff Puerto Rico Medical Emergency Group, Inc. (“PRMEG”). (Docket No. 109.) Defendants Hospital Episcopal San Lucas, Inc. (“HESL”), Servicios Generales Episcopates, Inc. (“SGE”), and Servicios de Salud Episco-pates (“SSE”) opposed the motion, (Docket No. Ill), and PRMEG replied, (Docket No. 114).

Also before the Court is a related motion for a protective order filed by defendants Iglesia Episcopal Puertorriqueña, Inc. (“IEP”), HESL, SGE, and SSE. (Docket No. 94.) PRMEG opposed. (Docket No. 105.)

For the reasons that follow, the Court GRANTS IN PART and DENIES IN PART PRMEG’s renewed motion to compel discovery, (Docket No. 109), and DENIES defendants’ motion for a protective order, (Docket No. 94).

I. BACKGROUND

On September 30, 2015, PRMEG sent its first discovery request to defendants IEP, HESL, SGE, and SSE. (Docket No. 92-1.) In response, defendants requested a conference to “provide the documentation that [they] possess[ed]” and to “coordinate the additional time required for the few remaining documents.” (Docket No. 92-3.) The parties met on December 23, 2015, and agreed that defendants would answer PRMEG’s first discovery request on or before January 11, 2016. (Docket No. 92-4 at p. 1.) On January 12, 2016, HESL, SGE, and SSE sent answers to PRMEG’s first discovery request. (Docket No. 92-6.) PRMEG responded, explaining why the answers were inadequate and incomplete. (Docket No. 92-7.) The parties met again to address the discovery issues, and defendants agreed to provide further disclosures by February 8, 2016. (Docket No. 92-8 at p. 1.) Because defendants failed to make further disclosures by the agreed upon date, PRMEG filed a motion to compel discovery on February 9, 2016.2 (Docket No. 92.) De[228]*228fendants HESL, SGE, and SSE opposed, (Docket No. 93), and PRMEG replied, (Docket No. 99).

On January 26, 2016, PRMEG sent notice to take depositions of all defendants. (Docket No. 94-2.) The notice scheduled four separate depositions, one for each defendant. Id. On February 1, 2016, PRMEG sent notice to depose a non-party corporation, Saint Luke’s Memorial Hospital, Inc. (“SLMH”). (Docket No. 109-1.)

On February 18, 2016, defendants moved the Court for a protective order limiting and quashing certain topics in PRMEG’s deposition notice. (Docket No. 94.) PRMEG opposed. (Docket No. 106.)

The parties consolidated the four depositions of defendants and the deposition of SLMH into a single deposition, and defendants and SLMH designated the same two individuals to speak to all topics listed in the deposition notices. See Docket Nos. 109 at p. 3 n.3; 109-2; 114 at pp. 2-3. The consolidated deposition of the two individuals representing defendants and SLMH took place in April 2016. See Docket No. 109 at p. 3.

On April 26, 2016, after the discovery deadline passed, the Court asked the parties whether the outstanding discovery motions were moot. (Docket No. 108.) PRMEG responded that the motion to compel discovery was not moot and renewed its request to order HESL, SGE, and SSE to produce the outstanding discovery subject to sanctions for noncompliance. (Docket No. 109.) In that motion, PRMEG reiterated the inadequacy of the response by defendants HESL, SGE, and SSE to PRMEG’s first discovery request, id. at pp. 2-9, and described the inadequacy of defendants’ deponents, id. at pp. 9-11. Defendants HESL, SGE, and SSE opposed the renewed motion to compel discovery, (Docket No. Ill), and PRMEG replied, (Docket No. 114).

II. DISCUSSION

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26 (“Rule 26”) states that “[pjarties may obtain discovery regarding any nonprivileged matter that is relevant to any party’s claim or defense and proportional to the needs of the case” and that information “need not be admissible in evidence to be discoverable.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(1). Within the scope of Rule 26, a party may conduct discovery by serving another party with a request for documents pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 (“Rule 34”) and by conducting oral depositions pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 30 (“Rule 30”). If “a party fails to produce documents ... as requested under Rule 34” or “a deponent fails to answer a question asked under Rule 30,” the affected party may move for an order compelling discovery. Fed. R. Civ. P. 37(a)(3)(B)(i), (iv).

In its renewed motion to compel discovery, PRMEG claims that HESL, SGE, and SSE are deficient in their obligations to produce documents and to name and prepare representatives for deposition. (Docket No. 109.)

A. Production of Documents

Rule 34 allows a party to serve on any other party a request to produce documents or electronically stored information within the “responding party’s possession, custody, or control.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 34(a)(1). “The party to whom the request is directed must respond in writing within 30 days after being served,” although “[a] shorter or longer time may be stipulated to under [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure] 29 or be ordered by the court.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 34(b)(2)(A). “For each item or category, the response must either state that inspection and related activities will be permitted as requested or state with specificity the grounds for objecting to the request, including the reasons.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 34(b)(2)(B). “An objection must state whether any responsive materials are being withheld on the basis of that objection.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 34(b)(2)(C).

PRMEG moves to compel HESL, SGE, and SSE to produce (1) documents related to defendants’ interactions with insurance companies and (2) documents related to monetary transactions between defendants. (Docket No. 109.)

[229]*2291. Documents Related to Defendants’ Interactions with Insurance Companies

PRMEG claims that HESL, SGE, and SSE failed to provide (1) HESL’s billing records in an adequate format, (2) documentation regarding settlement agreements between defendants and insurance companies, and (3) documents, including communications and negotiations, relating to contracts between defendants and insurance companies to bill for emergency room services. See Docket No. 109 at pp. 3-7.

a. Billing Records

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Bluebook (online)
318 F.R.D. 224, 2016 WL 4004576, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/puerto-rico-medical-emergency-group-inc-v-iglesia-episcopal-prd-2016.