Stevenson v. Stanley Bostitch, Inc.

201 F.R.D. 551, 57 Fed. R. Serv. 532, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16961, 2001 WL 812310
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedMarch 21, 2001
DocketNo. 1:98-CV-2824-BBM
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 201 F.R.D. 551 (Stevenson v. Stanley Bostitch, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stevenson v. Stanley Bostitch, Inc., 201 F.R.D. 551, 57 Fed. R. Serv. 532, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16961, 2001 WL 812310 (N.D. Ga. 2001).

Opinion

ORDER

SCOFIELD, United States Magistrate Judge.

This matter is before the Court on Defendant’s motion to compel discovery and for an order requiring the plaintiff to submit to a mental examination pursuant to Rule 35(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure [Doc. No. 49], and Plaintiffs corresponding motion to quash and for protective order [Doc. No. 40]. The contentions in these motions were discussed at the hearing held on September 5, 2000, at which time the Court took the matters under advisement and directed the parties to file additional briefs. See [Doc. No. 60]. The additional briefs have been filed and the matters are ripe for decision.

[553]*553I.

Motion for Rule 35(a) Mental Examination

Rule 35(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides:

When the mental or physical condition ... of a party ... is in controversy, the court in which the action is pending may order the party to submit to a physical or mental examination by a physician ... The order may be made only on a motion for good cause shown ...

Fed.R.Civ.P. 35(a). The key predicates for the application of this rule are whether the plaintiff has put her mental condition “in controversy” and whether defendant has shown “good cause” for the examination. Robinson v. Jacksonville Shipyards, Inc., 118 F.R.D. 525, 527 (M.D.Fla.1988) (citing Schlagenhauf v. Holder, 379 U.S. 104, 118, 85 S.Ct. 234, 13 L.Ed.2d 152 (1964)); see also Schlagenhauf, 379 U.S. at 121; Bridges v. Eastman Kodak Co., 850 F.Supp, 216, 221 (S.D.N.Y.1994). These requirements are not met by “ ‘mere relevance to the case ... but require an affirmative showing by the movant that each condition as to which the examination is sought is really and genuinely in controversy and that good cause exists for ordering each particular examination.’ ” Robinson, 118 F.R.D. at 527 (quoting Schlagenhauf, 379 U.S. at 118, 85 S.Ct. 234).

The majority of courts have held that plaintiffs do not place their mental condition in controversy merely by claiming damages for mental anguish or “garden variety” emotional distress. See Ricks v. Abbott Labs., 198 F.R.D. 647, 648-50 (D.Md.2001) (denying exam and citing with approval recent cases— Fox and Turner — that delineated additional factors that would be necessary before a mental exam would be appropriate); Fox v. The Gates Corp., 179 F.R.D. 303, 307-08 (D.Colo.1998) (denying exam, explaining plaintiff had not asserted a separate tort action for intentional infliction of emotional distress, did not allege a specific mental or psychiatric injury or disorder, and did not claim unusually severe emotional distress); Ford v. Contra Costa County, 179 F.R.D. 579, 579-80 (N.D.Cal.1998) (denying exam and noting that “the bulk of the reported case law demonstrates that a claim for emotional distress damages, by itself, is not sufficient to place plaintiffs mental condition in controversy”); O’Sullivan v. Minnesota, 176 F.R.D. 325, 327-28 (D.Minn.1997) (additional factors listed in Turner were not present; thus exam not warranted); Neal v. Siegel-Robert, Inc., 171 F.R.D. 264, 266-67 (E.D.Mo.1996) (deciding that request for damages does not place mental condition in controversy — exam denied); Lahr v. Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP, 164 F.R.D. 204, 210-11 (N.D.Tex.1996) (noting that exam would not be warranted based solely on Title VII plaintiffs claim of mental anguish associated with being the victim of discrimination); O’Quinn v. N.Y. Univ. Med. Ctr., 163 F.R.D. 226, 227-28 (S.D.N.Y.1995) (denying exam where, although plaintiff was seeking damages for mental anguish and emotional distress, no separate tort claim had been filed); Smith v. J.I. Case Corp., 163 F.R.D. 229, 231 (E.D.Pa.1995) (plaintiff seeking damages for embarrassment has not placed mental condition in controversy); Turner v. Imperial Stores, 161 F.R.D. 89, 95-97 (S.D.Cal.1995) (reviewing several cases and concluding that “ ‘emotional distress’ is not synonymous with the term ‘mental injury’ ” and denying examination); Bridges, 850 F.Supp. at 221-222 (citing several cases and concluding that mental exam not warranted where no separate tort claim filed and where plaintiffs did not claim the mental injury suffered by the abusive working conditions were “ongoing” or caused a “psychiatric disorder”); Sabree v. United Bhd. of Carpenters & Joiners, 126 F.R.D. 422, 426 (D.Mass.1989) (plaintiff in discrimination suit did not place mental condition in issue by “garden-variety claim of emotional distress”' — mental exam not warranted); Robinson, 118 F.R.D. at 531 (plaintiff did not place her mental condition in controversy even though she claimed back pay for days lost due to stress and alleged serious effect on psychological well-being); Cody v. Marriott Corp., 103 F.R.D. 421, 422 (D.Mass.1984) (mental condition not placed in controversy by claiming damages for emotional distress). But see Zabkowicz v. West Bend Co., 585 F.Supp. 635, 636 (E.D.Wis.1984) (allegations of emotional distress from [554]*554sexual harassment appropriate basis for allowing order to compel psychiatric examination).

A similar majority — indeed many of the same courts — also recognize that a mental exam is warranted when one or more of the following factors are present: (1) a tort claim is asserted for intentional or negligent infliction of emotional distress; (2) an allegation of a specific mental or psychiatric injury or disorder is made; (3) a claim of unusually severe emotional distress is made; (4) plaintiff intends to offer expert testimony in support of claim for emotional distress damages; and/or (5) plaintiff concedes that her mental condition is in controversy within the meaning of Rule 35. See Ricks, 198 F.R.D. at 648-49 (citing Fox); Fox, 179 F.R.D. at 307 (citing Turner, 161 F.R.D. at 95, Smith, 163 F.R.D. at 230, and Bridges, 850 F.Supp. at 221-22); Ford, 179 F.R.D. at 580 (citing Turner ); O’Sullivan, 176 F.R.D. at 328; Smith, 163 F.R.D. at 230 (citing Turner); Turner, 161 F.R.D. at 95; Sarko v. Penn-Del Directory Co., 170 F.R.D. 127, 131 (E.D.Pa.1997) (citing Smith and four factors). Even where these five factors have not been expressly recognized, “most cases [allowing] mental examinations ... involve[ ] a separate tort claim for emotional distress or an allegation of ongoing severe mental injury.” O’Quinn, 163 F.R.D. at 228 (bracketed material added) (citations omitted); Bridges, 850 F.Supp. at 221-22; Robinson, 118 F.R.D. at 528-29; see also Bethel v. Dixie Homecrafters, Inc., 192 F.R.D. 320, 322 (N.D.Ga.2000) (where plaintiff conceded her mental condition was,,in controversy as “evidenced by state law tort claim for intention infliction of emotional distress”); Lahr, 164 F.R.D. at 209 (intentional infliction of emotional distress claim placed mental condition in controversy); Jansen v. Packaging Corp. of Am., 158 F.R.D.

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201 F.R.D. 551, 57 Fed. R. Serv. 532, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16961, 2001 WL 812310, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stevenson-v-stanley-bostitch-inc-gand-2001.