Opinion ID: 1787445
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Discovery of the Investigative File

Text: Valleylab first argues that the trial court abused its discretion when it denied Valleylab's requested discovery of 15 documents that are part of Mutual Assurance's investigative file on the incident. Mutual Assurance contends that the documents sought by Valleylab were prepared in anticipation of litigation and therefore are not subject to discovery by Valleylab. Valleylab served a notice of deposition on Mutual Assurance, together with a subpoena duces tecum, seeking testimony and production of documents concerning certain matters in Mutual Assurance's investigative file. Mutual Assurance, a nonparty as to this lawsuit, moved to quash the subpoena and the notice of deposition and also moved for a protective order. After conducting a hearing, the circuit court allowed discovery of 7 items, but denied Valleylab's request for discovery of 15 of the documents. The 15 documents now sought by Valleylab consist of handwritten notes made by claims representatives, including incident reports and documentation of investigative activities and notes from interviews of witnesses. Valleylab argues that the attorney-client privilege does not apply to these documents; it contends that the notes and documents that are part of Mutual Assurance's investigative file regarding M.B.'s case were not prepared in anticipation of litigation and are not privileged. Specifically, Valleylab seeks to discover specific notes made by the insurer's claims representative concerning nurse Carol Miller's account of the events that occurred during the circumcision. Rule 26(b)(3), Ala.R.Civ.P., sets out the work-product doctrine: Subject to the provisions of subdivision (b)(4) of this rule, a party may obtain discovery of documents and tangible things otherwise discoverable under subdivision (b)(1) of this rule and prepared in anticipation of litigation or for trial by or for another party or by or for that other party's representative (including the other party's attorney, consultant, surety, indemnitor, insurer or agent) only upon a showing that the party seeking discovery has substantial need of the materials in the preparation of the party's case and that the party is unable without undue hardship to obtain the substantial equivalent of the materials by other means. In ordering discovery of such materials when the required showing has been made, the court shall protect against disclosure of the mental impressions, conclusions, opinions, or legal theories of an attorney or other representative of a party concerning the litigation. With respect to discovery matters, this Court has stated that the trial court has very broad discretion and that its ruling on discovery matters will not be reversed absent a clear abuse of discretion. Ex parte Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 682 So.2d 65, 67 (Ala.1996). Except as to Item 383, Valleylab has shown no clear abuse of discretion on the part of the circuit judge in his order denying discovery of the 15 items in Mutual Assurance's investigative file. Item 383 is a letter written by attorney Tom Dutton in reply to a January 18, 1993, letter from attorney Boyd Reeves. This letter was from counsel for one party to opposing counsel. Therefore, it was not the work product of the insurer. This letter is not covered by the work-product rule and is discoverable by Valleylab. As to the other documents requested from the investigative file, it appears that Valleylab has had ample opportunities to interview, depose, and question Carol Miller. Valleylab will suffer no undue hardship in gaining, through other means, the information it says it believes would be gained by examining documents in the insurance company's investigative file. Valleylab would like to discover additional information regarding notes taken by the insurance investigators regarding the testimony given by Miller in her depositions. Miller's account of the events differs from the accounts given by the other operating-room personnel. The mere fact that Miller's account of the incident differs from the accounts of other witnesses is insufficient to mandate discovery of the insurance company's investigative file. The parties have deposed Miller over 10 times to properly ascertain her version of the events. The record before us indicates no reason why Valleylab could not have obtained from other sources the information it seeks from the insurer's file. The fact that witnesses disagree on the events in question in a lawsuit is no reason to violate the work-product doctrine. The insurer contends that on the day after the incident was reported to it, it contacted its legal counsel regarding the incident because it assessed M.B.'s case as one that would be litigated. Mutual Assurance was notified soon after the incident that a well-known plaintiffs' lawyer had requested M.B.'s medical records. The contents of the investigative file Valleylab seeks were related to, and were prepared in anticipation of, litigation, with the exception of Item 383. Valleylab should have been able to ascertain the information it seeks through other methods that would not cause it undue hardship. Valleylab seeks discovery of the 15 documents in question because it says it believes these documents may contain further information concerning Miller's account of the events that took place during the circumcision. This Court can determine no reason why Valleylab, through its extensive depositions, interviews, and interrogations of both Miller and the other personnel involved, could not ascertain the varying accounts of what happened during the circumcision. Valleylab has not shown that it will incur an undue hardship if it has to secure through other means the information contained in the investigative file. There appears to be no reason why Valleylab could not gain this information through its own questioning of witnesses. As to the materials in the insurer's investigative file, we conclude that the circuit court should have ordered the discovery of Item 383, but otherwise we see no abuse of discretion in the circuit court's denial of discovery as to those materials. As to Item 383, the petition will be granted; as to the other items it will be denied.