Opinion ID: 7489
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Discovery of the Prior Settlement Agreement

Text: 45 As noted previously, Hartford did not become Lafarge's insurer until 1987; before that time, Nationwide Casualty Insurance Company (Nationwide) was Lafarge's primary insurer. In January 1992, Lafarge and Nationwide settled a number of coverage disputes related, inter alia, to the underlying litigation in this case. Hartford sought to compel Lafarge to answer its interrogatory requesting information on the amount of the settlement between Nationwide and Lafarge, but Lafarge resisted, asserting that the settlement agreement contained an express confidentiality provision that forbade revelation of the terms of the agreement without prior written consent of all parties. 46 After a hearing, the district court, on March 5, 1992, ordered Lafarge to produce the settlement agreement for Hartford's inspection upon receipt of an acceptable confidentiality agreement from Hartford. The record contains no evidence of such a confidentiality agreement ever having been forwarded by Hartford, and Lafarge contends that none was ever received. Given the express confidentiality provision of the settlement agreement, we do not think the district court abused its discretion in requiring Hartford to agree to keep the information confidential. 47 Hartford argues, however, that although it attempted to negotiate with Lafarge, it could not produce an acceptable confidentiality agreement because of the restrictions Lafarge sought to impose on Hartford's use of the information contained in the settlement agreement. But, Hartford never brought this to the district court's attention or filed a subsequent motion or other request with the district court to obtain the settlement agreement or fix the terms of any confidentiality restrictions. We must therefore conclude that it has waived its right to insist on production of this information.