Wainwright v. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

903 F. Supp. 133, 163 F.R.D. 391, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15427, 1995 WL 616677
CourtDistrict Court, District of Columbia
DecidedOctober 17, 1995
DocketCiv. A. No. 93-0044 (RCL)
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 903 F. Supp. 133 (Wainwright v. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wainwright v. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, 903 F. Supp. 133, 163 F.R.D. 391, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15427, 1995 WL 616677 (D.D.C. 1995).

Opinion

[394]*394 MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

LAMBERTH, District Judge.

This case comes before the court on several discovery-related motions by plaintiff and defendants. Based upon the various motions, oppositions and replies, and as further discussed herein, it is hereby ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff Wainwright’s motion of May 7, 1993 to compel answers to interrogatories and production of documents from defendants Schindler Elevator Company, Westinghouse Electric Corporation and Westinghouse Elevator Company (collectively “Schindler”) is GRANTED with the exceptions noted below.

2. Wainwright’s motion of June 3,1993 to compel discovery from defendant Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (“WMATA”) is GRANTED with the exceptions noted below.

3. Schindler’s motion of June 1, 1993 to compel physical examination of Wainwright is DENIED. WMATA has made a similar request to which Wainwright has agreed. Schindler is instructed to avail itself of the WMATA examination unless Schindler can show cause why a second examination is necessary.

4. Schindler’s motion of June 1, 1993 to compel deposition of Wainwright’s experts is GRANTED in accordance with Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(b)(4), subject to the schedule established pursuant to this opinion and order, as more fully set forth below.

5. Wainwright’s motion of July 16, 1993 to compel WMATA to produce a qualified and informed Rule 30(b)(6) designee is GRANTED. The transcript of the deposition of WMATA’s existing designee suggests that he is either unwilling to testify or uninformed about relevant matters.

6. WMATA’s motion of July 20, 1993 for a protective order pertaining to requests made of Failure Analysis Associates, Inc., is DENIED for the reasons set forth below.

7. Wainwright’s motion of July 26, 1993 to compel discovery from Schindler is GRANTED, subject to an appropriate protective order as more fully set forth below.

8. Schindler’s motion of August 16, 1993 for a protective order is conditionally GRANTED. Disclosure or use of proprietary information related to Schindler’s shutdown device is prohibited, as more fully set forth below.

9. Wainwright’s motion of July 30, 1993 to extend discovery, and for costs and attorneys’ fees is granted in part and denied in part. The motion is GRANTED nunc pro tunc with respect to the extension of discovery beyond August 1, 1993. The motion is DENIED with respect to costs and fees. Both segments of the motion are discussed further below.

10. Wainwright’s unopposed motion of June 29, 1994 for a status conference is GRANTED.

PLAINTIFF’S MOTION OF MAY 7, 1993 TO COMPEL DISCOVERY FROM SCHINDLER

Wainwright alleges that Schindler has suppressed information regarding other escalator entrapments, notice of defects as to this and similar escalators, information on post-injury remedial acts, basic mechanical drawings, internal memoranda and correspondence. Wainwright further contends that Schindler has been unwilling to disclose its understanding of the facts surrounding Wainwright’s injury, notwithstanding Schindler’s assertion of a contributory negligence defense. Finally, Wainwright seeks a list of documents withheld on privilege grounds, and the basis for Schindler’s claim of privilege.

In response, Schindler argues that Wainwright’s requests must be limited as to time, geographic location, and substantially similar accidents involving step-combplate entrapments. This court concurs in the step-comb-plate restriction. However, Schindler has not advanced a coherent argument for limiting discovery to specific WMATA escalators. Nor has Schindler substantiated that it would be excessively burdensome to fulfill Wainwright’s requests. Wainwright has agreed to confine his requests to entrapments that have occurred since 1985. Absent a further showing by Schindler of hard[395]*395ship, this time frame appears to be reasonable.

Schindler contends that the description of factual circumstances sought by Wainwright is work product prepared in anticipation of litigation. The accident investigation, counters Wainwright, was a routine business report not work product; and discovery is permissible in any event due to Wainwright’s inability to obtain similar information from alternative sources. The court finds that Schindler has not met its burden under Fed. R.Civ.P. 26(b)(5) to “enable other parties to assess the applicability of the privilege or protection [of trial preparation materials].”

Considering these and related matters, the court hereby orders Schindler to produce: (1) Information on step-eombplate incidents on all WMATA escalators from 1985 forward. (2) Schindler’s accident investigation report. (3) A list of documents withheld on privilege grounds, and the basis for the assertion of privilege. (4) Information on post-injury remedial acts that might lead to admissible evidence on the feasibility of precautionary measures pursuant to Fed.R.Evid. 407. (5) An identification of other non-Schindler persons who may have caused or contributed to Wainwright’s injury, together with a statement of factual circumstances in support of Schindler’s allegations of contributory negligence. (6) Design drawings covering a narrowed list, to be produced by Wainwright, of mechanical and electrical components that may have caused or contributed to Wainwright’s injury.

PLAINTIFF’S MOTION OF JUNE 3, 1993 TO COMPEL DISCOVERY FROM WMATA

According to Wainwright, WMATA has suppressed information on other escalator entrapments, training of WMATA employees, notice of defects as to escalators of the same class or model, basic facts surrounding Wainwright’s injury (including pictures taken after the injury), and WMATA’s cross-claim against Schindler'. Wainwright also seeks a list of documents withheld on privilege grounds, and the basis for WMA-TA’s assertion of privilege.

WMATA responds that Wainwright’s requests for discovery are overbroad and vague, that Wainwright has failed to limit his requests by time, location and scope, and that certain requests are subject to attorney-client and work product privileges. WMATA wants to confine requests to step-eombplate accidents on escalator # 1 at Dupont Circle, and provide only summary listings on other incidents back to 1984. While WMATA is willing to furnish photographs and blueprints, it objects to discovery of information underlying its cross-claims against Schindler. WMATA also objects on relevancy grounds to discovery of employee training information, given that the station attendant submitted an affidavit denying he was unable to locate an emergency cutoff switch.

The court agrees with Wainwright that WMATA has not supported its assertion of undue burden in fulfilling Wainwright’s requests. WMATA has not indicated the number of incidents involved, nor the number of documents, nor the number of work hours. Moreover, summary data are no substitute for detailed documentation; communications between WMATA and Schindler regarding safety, design and maintenance are relevant; and factual disputes over an employee’s ability to locate a switch cannot be the basis upon which discovery is foreclosed.

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Bluebook (online)
903 F. Supp. 133, 163 F.R.D. 391, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15427, 1995 WL 616677, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wainwright-v-washington-metropolitan-area-transit-authority-dcd-1995.