Opinion ID: 1715519
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: judgment for failure to comply with discovery orders

Text: Next, Wal-Mart asserts that the district court erred in striking Wal-Mart's answer and entering a judgment on the issue of liability against Wal-Mart for its failure to comply with discovery orders. Determination of an appropriate sanction for failure to comply with a proper discovery order initially rests with the discretion of the trial court, and its rulings with respect thereto will not be disturbed on appeal absent a showing of an abuse of that discretion. Booth v. Blueberry Hill Restaurants, 245 Neb. 490, 513 N.W.2d 867 (1994); Stanko v. Chaloupka, 239 Neb. 101, 474 N.W.2d 470 (1991). A judicial abuse of discretion exists when reasons or rulings of a trial judge are clearly untenable, unfairly depriving a litigant of a substantial right and denying just results in matters submitted for disposition. Pope v. Pope, 251 Neb. 773, 559 N.W.2d 192 (1997); Adrian v. Adrian, 249 Neb. 53, 541 N.W.2d 388 (1995). Neb. Ct. R. of Discovery 37(b)(2) (rev.1996) states in pertinent part: If a party ... fails to obey an order to provide or permit discovery ... the court in which the action is pending may make such orders in regard to the failure as are just, and among others the following: . . . . (C) An order striking out pleadings ... or rendering a judgment by default against the disobedient party. In the instant case, Wal-Mart continued to assert that the requested documents were protected and refused to produce the documents as ordered by the district court. Under these facts, we conclude that the district court's order rendering a judgment against Wal-Mart, pursuant to rule 37(b)(2), was not clearly untenable. Accordingly, the district court did not abuse its discretion.