Williams v. Phillips Hospital Corporation et al

Filing 27

ORDER granting 21 Defendant Phillips Hospital Corporation's Motion to Deem Admitted. Signed by Magistrate Judge J. Thomas Ray on 01/30/2013. (kcs)

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS
EASTERN DIVISION

AL M. WILLIAMS,
TDC #362773
V.

PLAINTIFF
2:12CV00168 JMM/JTR

PHILLIPS HOSPITAL CORPORATION,
d/b/a Helena Regional Medical Center;
and DR. ARTHUR LEVY

DEFENDANTS

ORDER
Plaintiff, Al Williams, is a prisoner in the West Tennessee State Penitentiary.
He has filed this pro se diversity alleging that Defendants provided him with negligent
medical care.
On November 11, 2012, separate Defendant Phillips Hospital Corporation sent
Plaintiff Requests for Admission asking him to admit that “this is a cause of action for
medical injury as defined by Ark. Code. Ann § 16-114-201.” See docket entry #22,
Ex. A. Defendant Phillips Hospital Corporation also asked Plaintiff to admit that he
did not have a qualified physician to act as a medical expert to testify regarding the
allegations of negligence, the proximate cause of his injury, and the applicable
standard of care. Id.
On December 6, 2012, Plaintiff sent Defendant Phillips Hospital Corporation

an Answer stating that he did “not have sufficient information or knowledge to
respond” to the Requests for Admissions. Id., Ex. B. Plaintiff also stated that the
Requests for Admissions were “denied” and “would be addressed by Plaintiff’s
counsel.” Id. However, as of the date of this Order, no attorney has entered an
appearance on Plaintiff’s behalf.
On January 11, 2013, Defendant Phillips Hospital Corporation filed a Motion
asking the Court to deem its Requests for Admission to be admitted. See docket entry
#21. Plaintiff has not filed a Response to that Motion, and the time for doing so has
expired. See Local Rule 7.2(f) (providing that: “The failure to timely respond to any
nondispositive motion . . . shall be an adequate basis, without more, for granting the
relief sought in said motion”).
Further, the Court finds that Plaintiff’s Answers clearly violated Fed. R. Civ.
P. 36. Within thirty days of receipt, Plaintiff was required to admit or deny each of
the Requests for Admission. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 36(a)(3). Clearly, Plaintiff knew at
that time whether he had found an expert to testify on his behalf, and he was required
to admit or deny that fact to Phillips Hospital Corporation. See Fed. R. Civ. P.
36(a)(4) (explaining that a party “may assert lack of knowledge or information as a
reason for failing to admit or deny only if the party states that it has made reasonable
inquiry and that the information it knows or can readily obtain is insufficient to enable
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it to admit or deny”). Accordingly, his Answers are deemed admitted pursuant to Fed.
R. Civ. P. 36(a)(6).
IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED THAT separate Defendant Phillips Hospital
Corporation’s Motion to Deem Admitted (docket entry #21) is GRANTED.
Dated this 30th day of January, 2013.

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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