Discovery

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Here is yet another reason why accident victims should refrain from using social media after they are in an accident. In Smith v. Brown, 2018 NY Slip Op 28299 (Sup. Ct. Bx. Cty. Sept. 27, 2018), a personal injury case involving a motor vehicle accident, the court held that plaintiff was required to respond to requests…

Read More Car Accident Plaintiff Must Respond to Requests for Admission Regarding Instagram “Selfies,” Court Rules
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In Morales v. PepsiCo. Inc., 16-cv-6597, 2018 WL 3853390 (W.D.N.Y. August 14, 2018), the plaintiff filed a lawsuit against his former employer alleging race discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the New York State Human Rights Law. Not uncommonly, a discovery dispute arose. Among other issues contested…

Read More Court Addresses Discovery Relating to Emotional Distress Damages in Title VII Discrimination Case
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In Hughes v. Twenty–First Century Fox, Inc., 17-cv-7093, 2018 WL 1936096 (S.D.N.Y. April 24, 2018),  a sexual harassment case, the court quashed defendants’ non-party subpoenas. From the decision: This Court need not consider Defendants’ argument that the subpoenaed information will assist them in formulating the defense of absolute truth with respect to Hughes’ defamation claims because…

Read More Court Quashes Non-Party Subpoenas in Sexual Harassment Case [Hughes v. Twenty-First Century Fox]
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In Milan v. Sprint Corporation, 2018 WL 1665690 (E.D.N.Y. April 6, 2018), a sexual harassment case, the court affirmed a Magistrate Judge’s Order granting plaintiff’s motion to compel discovery. Plaintiff sought, inter alia, “complaints of sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and/or retaliation against Sprint, including but not limited to complaints through the ‘Sprint’s Ethics Hotline’ and…

Read More Court Compels Discovery of Sexual Harassment Complaints in Lawsuit Against Sprint
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In Forman v. Henkin, 2018 NY Slip Op 01015 (N.Y. Ct. App. Feb. 13, 2018), a personal injury case, the New York Court of Appeals provided guidance on how courts should evaluate discovery requests for discovery of information from litigants’ social media accounts. Judge DiFiore wrote: [C]ourts addressing disputes over the scope of social media discovery should…

Read More NY Court of Appeals Outlines Standards for Social Media Discovery
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Every legal case is different. This is because there essentially is an infinite permutation of facts and circumstances that may give rise to a legal claim. Changing even one (seemingly inconsequential) fact, and you might very well get a different result. That said, lawsuits all have the same basic structure. Here I’ll outline the basic…

Read More The Litigation Process
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In Spearin v. Linmar, L.P., 129 AD3d 528 (App. Div. 1st Dept. June 16, 2015), a personal injury case, the court addressed an issue that is coming up with increasing frequency: namely, the extent to which a plaintiff’s social media postings must be turned over in discovery. The court reversed a lower court decision that “ordered…

Read More Piano-Playing Plaintiff’s Facebook Posts Ordered for In-Camera Inspection
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In Bright v. Coca Cola, 12-cv-234 (EDNY Nov. 3, 2014), an employment discrimination case, the Eastern District of New York granted summary judgment in defendant’s favor. Judge Cogan’s decision is instructive regarding the use of depositions in employment litigation. For non-lawyers/litigators, a “deposition” is (briefly and generally speaking) a witness’s out-of-court testimony that is reduced to…

Read More “Have You Identified All Facts Supporting Your Claims?”
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In Jackson v. OpenCommunications Omnimedia, LLC, the New York State Supreme Court ordered defendants to produce “all documents and notes related to an internal investigation conducted … in connection with the Plaintiff’s complaints of sexual harassment and discrimination.” Defendants resisted production on the ground of privilege. Citing the liberal discovery principles embodied in CPLR 3101, the court granted…

Read More Court Orders Production of Materials Relating to Internal Sexual Harassment Investigation
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