Opinion ID: 852618
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Attorney Fees and Other Remedies

Text: In addition to a new trial, Outback seeks discovery sanctions under Trial Rule 37 to recover its trial and post-trial attorney fees and to exclude Roysdon's testimony in any subsequent proceedings. Neither the trial court nor the Court of Appeals addressed Outback's requests for attorney fees and for exclusion of Roysdon's testimony. Rule 37 authorizes imposition of sanctions, including exclusion of evidence and attorney fees, for a party's failure to respond to interrogatories. However, the Rule appropriately provides that sanctions should not be imposed when circumstances make sanctions unjust. T.R. 37(D). There is no evidence the Markleys were involved in the discovery violations. Both exclusion of Roysdon's testimony at any subsequent proceedings and an order compelling the Markleys to pay Outback's attorney fees would punish the Markleys for their counsel's conduct. We therefore deny Outback's request for this relief. We cannot resolve from this record whether the plaintiffs' failure to give a complete response to Interrogatory 12 or the failure to supplement that response, or both, were intentional or negligent. For this reason we do not order plaintiffs' counsel to pay Outback's attorney fees at this stage.