State Ex Rel. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Keet

601 S.W.2d 669, 1980 Mo. App. LEXIS 3398
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 1, 1980
Docket11505
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 601 S.W.2d 669 (State Ex Rel. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Keet) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Ex Rel. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Keet, 601 S.W.2d 669, 1980 Mo. App. LEXIS 3398 (Mo. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

PREWITT, Judge.

This is an original proceeding in prohibition. On January 31, 1979, vehicles operated by Timothy A. Conus and Sam Perkins collided on a public street in Springfield, Missouri. Conus then brought an action against relator seeking damages for personal injuries as a result of the collision, under the uninsured motorist provision of an insurance policy. His attorneys served a notice to take the deposition of a representative of relator, to be designated by it, who could testify as to the investigation relator made regarding the collision. After the notice, a subpoena duces tecum was served on an employee of relator, requiring him to produce at the deposition:

“(a) All photographs taken of each vehicle, and the negatives of all photographs;
(b) All diagrams, plats, or photographs taken of the scene of the accident which occurred on January 31, 1979, as described below;
(c) All statements, written or recorded, taken from any individual who claims to have knowledge of the said accident; and any written summary or documentation of any statements which were neither written or recorded;
(d) All statements, written or recorded, taken from any plaintiff with regard to the accident;
(e) The State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company investigation file concerning or pertaining to the said accident;
(f) A true copy of insurance policy 186-9715-814-25, and all endorsements and attachments thereto;
(g) All memoranda, statements and other documentary material relating to the issue of liability insurance coverage by any insurer on the vehicle driven by Sam Perkins at the time of the accident.”

Relator filed a motion for a protective order seeking to prevent the production of the material requested except for items (d) and (f). Respondent announced that he would overrule the motion and after application to this court, we issued a preliminary writ.

The notice to take deposition states that it is “for purposes of discovery” and Conus’ counsel do not contend it was to be taken for any other purpose. His counsel do not dispute that at least some of the items listed in the subpoena would be trial preparation materials and that no showing of need for the material as provided by Rule 56.01(b)(3) 1 was attempted. The attorneys contend that they seek only knowledge of *671 the “existence, description, nature, custody, condition and location of any books, documents or tangible things and the identity and location of persons having knowledge of any discoverable matter” as provided in Rule 56.01(b)(1), and that discovery of this “preliminary information is essential to the drafting of a request for production supported by the requisite establishment of ‘substantial need’ and ‘undue hardship’.” They state that they do not seek privileged communications between relator and its attorney nor seek to examine or copy any of this material. They wish these documents present at the deposition because they might not receive full answers “as to discoverable details without having available to the witness, for refreshment of his memory, the investigative files of the relator”. The attorneys state that having these files at the deposition “will enable the witness, by reference to the file, to make full and accurate answer to questions within the proper scope of discovery.” The brief filed in behalf of respondent says “that no effort will be made to inspect or review any item, documentary or otherwise, as to which the objection of privilege, trial preparation material, or work product is made — inquiry will only relate to the nature of the item, by whom it was prepared, when it was prepared, and in whose custody it is vested.” The brief asks us “to consider the distinction between discovery of facts relating to the existence and custody of matters claimed to be trial preparation materials, and the actual viewing, copying or inspecting of those matters”.

It appears that the specific items requested and objected to, if in existence, would have to be trial preparation material and that the general requests would at least include such material. See 8 Wright & Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure: Civil § 2024 (1970). We must then determine if a party can compel trial preparation material of an opposing party to be available at a deposition of a representative of that party when no showing of substantial need or inability to obtain the substantial equivalent has been made as provided in Rule 56.01(b)(3). No question is raised by relator regarding the propriety of a party attempting to require the production of material at a deposition by use of a subpoena duces tecum rather than proceeding as provided in Rule 57.03(b)(3), so we do not decide that question. See 8 Wright & Miller, supra, Civil § 2108, discussing like Federal Civil Rules.

Prohibition is a proper remedy when the trial court has ordered compliance with an improper subpoena duces tecum. State ex rel. Collins v. Donelson, 557 S.W.2d 707, 709 (Mo.App.1977). We do not believe that a suit based on uninsured motorist coverage entitles a party to any greater discovery than in any other type of suit. The relationship created by uninsured motorist coverage creates no special relationship; the insured and insurer are “adversaries who deal with wariness, not principal and agent who deal with trust”. Craig v. Iowa Kemper Mutual Insurance Company, 565 S.W.2d 716, 724 (Mo.App.1978). Relator likely would have investigated the collision with possible claims under both the liability and the uninsured motorist provisions of its policy in mind. Paragraph (g) of the subpoena seeks information as to liability coverage of the Perkins vehicle which would not be an “issue” in a liability claim against relator but would be in an uninsured motorist claim.

Counsels’ assurances that they do not seek to inspect or copy the documents does not require their production if it could not otherwise be compelled under the civil rules. In construing and applying the rules, we do so having the normal rights of parties in mind as the rules were likely drafted with those rights being considered. Rule 57.03(g)(1) provides that documents and “things produced for inspection during the examination of the witness” at a deposition “may be inspected and copied by any party”. It is also held that when a witness uses a document while testifying to refresh his memory, counsel is entitled to inspect it. State v. Smith, 431 S.W.2d 74, 81-82 (Mo. 1968); State v. Miller, 368 S.W.2d 353, 357 (Mo.1963). We think the rules have to be *672 applied in a manner which assumes that counsel might exercise such rights of inspection as may be available.

Rule 56.01 provides the “General Provisions Governing Discovery”, and appears to define what may be obtained under all methods of discovery.

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Bluebook (online)
601 S.W.2d 669, 1980 Mo. App. LEXIS 3398, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-state-farm-mutual-automobile-insurance-co-v-keet-moctapp-1980.