Measuring a Civil-Discovery Sanction for Failure to Turn over Requested Material: Goodyear Tire v. Haeger (15-1406)

Authors

Doug Rendleman, Washington and Lee University School of LawFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Preview of United States Supreme Court Cases

Publication Date

2017

Abstract

A sanction that is unrelated to misconduct is criminal and requires criminal instead of civil procedure. In a product liability lawsuit, the respondent, Goodyear, failed to turn over important tests before the parties settled. The petitioners, the Haegers—a couple who alleged Goodyear’s tires caused injuries—sought approval of a sanction based on their attorney fees. Complex and technical civil procedural rules and statutes, contempt, and the court’s inherent power will govern the Supreme Court’s decision. The issue before the Court is the specificity of the causal link between Goodyear’s misconduct and the amount of the civil sanction.

Recommended Citation

Doug Rendleman, Measuring a Civil-Discovery Sanction for Failure to Turn over Requested Material: Goodyear Tire v. Haeger (15-1406), 44 Preview U.S. Sup. Ct. Cas. 111 (2017).