Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_16-cv-02645/USCOURTS-cand-3_16-cv-02645-13/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 362
Nature of Suit: Medical Malpractice
Cause of Action: 28:1391 Personal Injury

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CYNTHIA GUTIERREZ, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

SANTA ROSA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, et 

al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 16-cv-02645-SI 

ORDER RE: DISCOVERY

Re: Dkt. Nos. 104, 108, 109

The parties have filed supplemental letter briefs regarding a dispute over whether 

plaintiffs’ Electronic Healthcare Records (“EHR”) expert should be permitted to inspect Santa 

Rosa Memorial Hospital’s EHR for plaintiff Cynthia Gutierrez. Plaintiffs’ supplemental letter 

brief clarifies that plaintiffs are not seeking to create a “mirror image” of those records, and 

instead that plaintiffs’ expert is seeking electronic and on-site access for no more than 8 hours. 

Plaintiffs’ expert states that he wishes to “verify whether duplicated records contain conflicting 

contemporaneous information about the treatment of plaintiff Gutierrez before, during and after 

her adverse drug reaction (‘code’), and whether conflicts exist with respect to prior statements by 

Defendant, or between multiple, duplicated copies of Plaintiff’s information in the E.H.R.” Dkt. 

No. 109-1 at 2.

Defendant objects to the inspection as unnecessary, and defendant states that it has 

provided explanations to plaintiffs’ counsel regarding the alleged irregularities. Defendant does 

not identify any particular burden associated with plaintiffs’ expert performing the requested 

inspection.

On this record, the Court concludes that plaintiffs have shown that the requested discovery 

is appropriate and that the likely benefits outweigh any burden to defendant. The Court directs the 

Case 3:16-cv-02645-SI Document 111 Filed 08/06/18 Page 1 of 2
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

parties to meet and confer to schedule the inspection.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 6, 2018 ______________________________________

SUSAN ILLSTON

United States District Judge

Case 3:16-cv-02645-SI Document 111 Filed 08/06/18 Page 2 of 2