Court Opinion

ID: 9718634
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 07:28:29.073637+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:00.889071
License: Public Domain

DAVID GAULTNEY, Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. We should not be ruling on the sufficiency of the evidence at this stage. Plaintiffs allege John Thompson used benzene sold by Texas Solvents, and benzene caused Thompson’s death. The record indicates Texas Solvents may have sold benzene in this area around the time Thompson is alleged to have used the product. Plaintiffs want to discover from the defendant whether the benzene used by John Thompson’s employer was sold by Texas Solvents. Relator argues plaintiffs are not entitled to the discovery without establishing Texas Solvents sold benzene to Thompson’s employer; but that is one of the goals of the deposition. Because the deposition is reasonably calculated to lead *190to the discovery of admissible evidence, the trial court did not clearly abuse its discretion in permitting a deposition of a representative most knowledgeable about Texas Solvents sales and deliveries to Texas U.S. Chemical during 1970-71. We should do as we did in the companion case involving McKesson Chemical and permit the deposition, with a more narrowly tailored notice and subpoena duces tecum. See Tex.R. Civ. P. 192.3(a).