Case Name: Cerina WEIDENBACHER, Plaintiff-Relator, v. ST. PAUL FIRE AND MARINE INS. CO. et al., Defendants-Relators
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1977-07-01
Citations: 347 So. 2d 1160
Docket Number: No. 59394
Parties: Cerina WEIDENBACHER, Plaintiff-Relator, v. ST. PAUL FIRE AND MARINE INS. CO. et al., Defendants-Relators.
Judges: MARCUS, J., dissents.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 347
Pages: 1160–1168

Head Matter:
Cerina WEIDENBACHER, Plaintiff-Relator, v. ST. PAUL FIRE AND MARINE INS. CO. et al., Defendants-Relators.
No. 59394.
Supreme Court of Louisiana.
July 1, 1977.
H. Martin Hunley, Jr., John M. Sartin, Jr., Lemle, Kelleher, Kohlmeyer & Matthews, New Orleans, for defendants-rela-tors.
Lawrence J. Smith, Levy & Smith, New Orleans, for plaintiff-relator.

Opinion:
TATE, Justice.
The issue before us concerns the scope of examination of an opponent's retained expert during an oral deposition. The court of appeal summarily reversed a district court order. The district court had required the defendant's expert to respond to the plaintiff's questions, which endeavored to ascertain the witness's expert opinion on matters relevant to the suit.
On the plaintiff's application, we granted certiorari, 342 So.2d 867 (1977), to review the reversal of the trial court order.
(1)
The issue arises in a tort suit for personal injuries allegedly resulting from medical malpractice. The plaintiff was taking a pre-trial discovery deposition of a medical expert retained by the defendant.
Defense counsel objected to certain questions. By these, the plaintiff endeavored to ascertain of the deposed witness his opinions relating chiefly to relevant matters of general medical practice, but also including their application to the present facts.
The defendants contend, by their objections, that an opponent's expert cannot be examined as to his expert opinion upon any matter. They rely upon La.C.Civ.P. art. 1425 (1976).
In overruling the defendants' objections, the trial court correctly rejected this contention. For the reasons to be explained more fully, the trial court correctly held that, on oral examination, a party may depose an expert witness to be called by his opponent on the expert's opinions, as well as upon all other non-privileged matters. La.C.Civ.P. art. 1422 (1976). This is of course subject to the limitation that, thereby, discovery is not sought of any writing obtained in anticipation of litigation or in preparation for trial. La.C.Civ.P. art. 1424 (1976). As to La.C.Civ.P. art. 1425, relied upon by the defendants, it places limitations only upon discovery of facts (not of opinions) acquired by opponent's expert witness in anticipation of litigation or in preparation for trial.
(2)
By Act 574 of 1976, the legislature amended and re-enacted the discovery provisions of our Code of Civil Procedure. In general, the revised articles reflect an intent to broaden and facilitate discovery, although perhaps Article 1425 (relied upon by the defendant) reflects a limitation upon discovery of the knowledge of an opponent's experts acquired in preparation for trial — but a limitation, as will be noted, applicable only to discovery of knowledge of facts thereby gained by the opponent's expert.
The scope of and limitations upon discovery of a witness, including an opponent's expert, is regulated by La.C.Civ.P. arts. 1422-25, as re-enacted by the 1976 statute. For convenience in reference, we are setting forth these provisions in an appendix to this opinion.
Article 1422 states the broad rule usually applicable: "Parties may obtain discovery regarding any matter, not privileged, which is relevant to the subject matter involved in the pending action . It is not ground for objection that the information sought will be inadmissible at the trial if the information sought appears reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence." (Italics ours.)
Under the scheme of the code articles, this broad scope of recovery applies except when modified by Articles 1423, 1424, or 1425 (or unless a limiting protective order is granted for good cause, upon motion, see Article 1426).
The defendants rely upon Article 1425, in contending that the opinions of an opponent's expert are not discoverable. However, by its express terms this article limits discovery only as to "facts known by experts . . . acquired or developed in anticipation of litigation or for trial." The limitations of this article thus do not apply to the discovery of opinions of experts, whether or not developed in preparation for trial.
We cannot, in the guise of interpretation, alter this plain and unambiguous meaning of Articles 1422 and 1425, by substituting for it (as defendants urge us to) any conception of what the legislature may or should have intended by certain legislative amendments to the bill, as originally proposed, during the course of the legislation's enactment.
Thus, as finally adopted, by the omission of any reference to a limitation in Article 1425 upon discovery of opinions of an opponent's experts, these witnesses are subject to interrogation upon oral deposition as to their opinions "regarding any matter, not privileged, which is relevant to the subject matter involved in the pending action." Article 1422.
(3)
The defendants further contended, at least initially before the trial court, that even if the expert opinions of their witness are discoverable as to matters within his general expertise, such opinions are not discoverable insofar as acquired or developed in preparation for litigation.
In the code articles, we find no such limitation upon discovery of an expert's opinions.
Article 1424, it is true, limits discovery "of any writing obtained or prepared by the adverse party, his expert, or agent in anticipation of litigation or in preparation for trial
In the present case, however, no question was asked concerning "any writing'' prepared by the expert in anticipation of litigation, nor as to any opinion or factual finding insofar as reflected by such writing. Consequently, Article 1424 is not applicable to the questions asked by the plaintiff of the defendants' expert.
It is true that in our recent decision in Hanks v. Drs. Ranson, Swan and Burch, Ltd., 340 So.2d 152 (La.1976), we did incidentally refer, 340 So.2d 155, to some dictum to the contrary in State through Department of Highways v. Spruell, 243 La. 202, 142 So.2d 396 (1962), in distinguishing the latter decision and denying its claimed applicability to the issue then before the court.
The effect of the reference was to seem to indicate approval of a rule limiting discovery of an opponent's expert, insofar as concerning his opinion prepared in anticipation of litigation. Any such indicated approval was inadvertent, however, as the issue there before us did not (as we expressly held) involve any potential application of any limitation of discovery upon the opinions of an opponent's experts who had prepared writings in anticipation of or preparation for litigation.
The limitation provided by Article 1424 relates only to "any writing'' prepared by an expert in preparation of limitation, including "any part of the writing that reflects the mental impressions, conclusions, opinions, or theories of an attorney or an expert." There is a significant distinction between the discovery of a writing prepared by an expert in anticipation of litigation or in preparation for trial (protected by Article 1424) and the discovery by oral deposition of an opinion of an expert expected to be used at trial. In the case of a writing, the writing must be produced "as is", with no protection of counsel being present, as in the case of an oral deposition, to protect against inquiry into strategy, settlement recommendations, privileged matters, etc.
For the reasons earlier stated, we find no limitation as to discovery of the opinions of an opponent's experts deposed on oral examination.
Decree
Accordingly, for the reasons assigned, we set aside the court of appeal reversal of the district court order, and we reinstate such order. All costs of supervisory review are assessed against the defendants-respondents; other costs to await final determination of this litigation.
TRIAL COURT DISCOVERY ORDER REINSTATED.
MARCUS, J., dissents.
SUMMERS, J., dissents and assigns reasons.
SANDERS, C. J., dissents for the reasons assigned by SUMMERS, J.
APPENDIX
Articles 1422, 1423, 1424, and 1425 of the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure, as re-enacted by Act 574 of 1976, provide:
Art. 1422. Scope of discovery; In general
Unless otherwise limited by order of the court in accordance with this Chapter, the scope of discovery is as set forth in this Article and in Articles 1423 through 1425.
Parties may obtain discovery regarding any matter, not privileged, which is relevant to the subject matter involved in the pending action, whether it relates to the claim or defense of the party seeking discovery or to the claim or defense of any other party, including the existence, description, nature, custody, condition, and location of any books, documents, or other tangible things and the identity and location of persons having knowledge of any discoverable matter. It is not ground for objection that the information sought will be inadmissible at the trial if the information sought appears reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.
Art. 1423. Scope of discovery; Insurance agreements
A party may obtain discovery of the existence and contents of any insurance agreement under which any person carrying on an insurance business may be liable to satisfy part or all of a judgment which may be entered in the action or to indemnify or reimburse for payments made to satisfy the judgment.
Art. 1424. Scope of discovery; trial preparation; materials
The court shall not order the production or inspection of any writing obtained or prepared by the adverse party, his attorney, surety, in-demnitor, expert, or agent in anticipation of litigation or in preparation for trial unless satisfied that denial of production or inspection will unfairly prejudice the party seeking the production or inspection in preparing his claim or defense or will cause him undue hardship or injustice. The court shall not order the production or inspection of any part of the writing that reflects the mental impressions, conclusions, opinions, or theories of an attorney or an expert.
A party may obtain without the required showing a statement concerning the action or its subject matter previously made by that party. Upon request, a person not a party may obtain without the required showing a statement concerning the action or its subject matter previously made by that person. If the request is refused, the person may move for a court order. The provisions of Article 1469(4) apply to the award of expenses incurred in relation to the motion. For purposes of this Paragraph, a statement previously made is a written statement signed or otherwise adopted or approved by the person making it, or a stenographic, mechanical, electrical, or other recording, or a transcription thereof, which is a substantially verbatim recital of an oral statement by the person making it and contemporaneously recorded.
Art. 1425. Scope of discovery; trial preparation; experts
Discovery of facts known by experts, otherwise discoverable under the provisions of Article 1422 and acquired or developed in anticipation of litigation or for trial, may be obtained only as follows:
(1)(a) A party may through interrogatories or by deposition require any other party to identify each person whom the other party expects to call as an expert witness at trial, to state the subject matter on which the expert is expected to testify, and to state the substance of the facts to which the expert is expected to testify, (b) Upon motion, the court may order further discovery by other means, subject to such restrictions as to scope and such provisions, pursuant to Paragraph (3) of this Article, concerning fees and expenses as the court may deem appropriate.
(2) A party may discover facts known by an expert who has been retained or specially employed by another party in anticipation of litigation or preparation for trial and who is not expected to be called as a witness at trial, only as provided in Article 1465 or upon a showing of exceptional circumstances under which it is impracticable for the party seeking discovery to obtain facts on the same subject by other means.
(3) Unless manifest injustice would result, the court shall require that the party seeking discovery pay the expert a reasonable fee for time spent in responding to discovery under Paragraphs (l)(a) and (2) of this Article; and with respect to discovery obtained under Paragraph (l)(a) of this Article the court may require, and with respect to discovery obtained under Paragraph (2) of this Article the court shall require, the party seeking discovery to pay the other party a fair portion of the fees and expenses reasonably incurred by the latter party in obtaining facts from the expert.
*
. Illustrative of the questions objected to are the following:
1. "If a patient is having difficulty breathing and is dusky, the proper procedure as a mat ter of fact would be to turn the patient immediately and ventilate him?"
2. "As a matter of fact, what caused the problem in this man."
3. "As a matter of fact, doctor, is it proper within the standards of care to have difficulty insufflating a patient for eight minutes and to continue to do that and not to turn the patient and ventilate him?"
4. "As a matter of fact when a person has a spinal, isn't it true that they should be able to communicate with the anesthesist and aneth-esiologist verbally?"
5. "Did you reach any opinion or conclusion based on materials I (referring to plaintiff's counsel) sent you?" [The plaintiff's counsel had sent Dr. Adriani memorandums and records prior to his becoming a defense expert.]
6. "Should a patient who has had a spinal anesthetic be unconscious as a matter of fact?"
7. "What's the buie position, doctor?"
. There, we allowed discovery of medical testimony of certain doctors, owners and officers of a medical corporation made defendant in a medical malpractice suit.