Estate of Wildhaber et al v. Life Care Centers of America, Inc.,
Filing
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ORDER Denying 35 Defendant's Motion to Quash and 37 Motion for Protective Order. Signed by Magistrate Judge Peggy A. Leen on 10/4/11. (Copies have been distributed pursuant to the NEF - EDS)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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DISTRICT OF NEVADA
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ESTATE OF ELEANOR E. WILDHABER, et al., )
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Plaintiffs,
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vs.
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LIFE CARE CENTERS OF AMERICA,
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INC., et al.,
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Defendants. )
__________________________________________)
Case No. 2:10-cv-00015-RLH-PAL
ORDER
(Mtn to Quash - Dkt. #35)
(Mtn for PO - Dkt. #37)
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This matter is before the court on Defendant Life Care Centers of America, Inc.’s Emergency
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Motion to Quash (Dkt. #35) and Motion for Protective Order Regarding Plaintiff’s Overrreaching
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Discovery (Dkt. #37) filed September 22, 2011. The Motion was filed as one document, but because
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two forms of relief are requested, the Clerk’s Office docketed it as two entries. The court has
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considered the Motion, Plaintiffs Estate of Eleanor E. Wildhaber’s and Greg Halbrook’s Opposition
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(Dkt. #36), filed September 23, 2011, and Defendant’s Reply (Dkt. #38), filed October 3, 2011.
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The Complaint in this case was filed in state court and removed (Dkt. #1) on January 7, 2010. It
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involves a wrongful death and negligence action arising out of the treatment, care and death of decedent
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Eleanor Wildhaber. The decedent was admitted to Defendant Life Care Center of Las Vegas on
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December 12, 2008 for treatment after suffering a stroke in November 2008 and remained there until
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her admission to MountainView Hospital on December 29, 2008. Plaintiffs allege that she died on
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December 30, 2008 at MountainView Hospital as a result of injuries and damages she suffered because
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of the negligence of Defendant. The Plaintiffs have also asserted claims for abuse and neglect, and
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battery.
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On August 30, 2010, District Judge Hunt approved the parties’ stipulation to stay this case
pending private binding arbitration. See Order (Dkt. #33).
This motion involves a discovery dispute which developed after the parties stipulation to stay
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pending private binding arbitration was approved. On September 15, 2011, Plaintiffs served Defendant
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with a subpoena and notice of deposition for the custodian of records of the Nevada Department of
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Health and Human Services (“NDHHS”) seeking “[a]ny and all applications and/or re-applications for
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licensure in Nevada regarding Life Centers of America, Inc. and the insurance requirements pursuant to
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NAC 449.74411(3)” to be produced on or before September 22, 2011. Defense counsel objected to the
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subpoena on the grounds that it: (a) sought the production of irrelevant records; (b) was overly broad in
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time and scope; and (c) requested financial information the parties had previously agreed not to produce
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at this stage of the litigation. As a result, Defendant requested Plaintiffs vacate the subpoena. The
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parties engaged in meet and confer efforts, but on September 21, 2011, negotiations failed.
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Defendants’ motion requests the court quash Plaintiffs’ subpoena issued to the NDHHS
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pursuant to Rule 45(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, or alternatively, enter a protective order
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pursuant to Rule 26(c). Defendant asserts Plaintiffs are abusing the discovery process to embark on a
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fishing expedition into the financial affairs of Defendant, a subject matter previously agreed to by the
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parties as inappropriate at this time. Defendant contends the subpoena is merely an effort to obtain
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financial records because each application for licensure must include information about the applicant’s
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financial status. Additionally, Defendant contends the subpoena is overly broad in time and scope
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because it seeks all licensure applications from the beginning of Defendant’s operations as well as
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licensure applications from all Defendant’s Nevada facilities, not only the one where Ms. Wildhaber
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received treatment.
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Additionally, Defendant requests a protective order be entered pursuant to Rule 26(c) because
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Plaintiffs’ request subjects the NDHHS to an undue burden and annoyance in seeking any and all
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applications and re-applications without a time limit. Further, Defendant contends the request is also
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overly broad because, pursuant to NAC 449.0011, it seeks disclosure of information that would
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encompass the “financial status and business activities and associations in and out of [Nevada] during
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the immediately preceding 3-year period.” Finally, Defendant asserts that the parties have already
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agreed Plaintiff would not inquire into financial information unless and until the arbitration panel
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makes a finding that Plaintiff is entitled to punitive damages, and no such finding has been made.
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In response, Plaintiffs assert that Defendant’s motion should be denied because this matter is in
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private binding arbitration. Plaintiffs note that everything in this case was done through the
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arbitrators–status conferences have been held, discovery end dates were ordered, and a date for the
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private binding arbitration was selected. By filing this motion, Defendant is forum shopping because it
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is dissatisfied with the arbitrators’ rulings. For example, in August, 2011, a dispute arose concerning
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Defendant’s insurance coverage, which resulted in the arbitrators entering an order allowing Plaintiffs
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to conduct a Rule 30(b)(6) deposition and directing Defendant to produce a second insurance policy.
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Defense counsel then produced a third policy to Plaintiffs’ counsel. In an attempt to figure out which
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insurance policy applied to this case, Plaintiffs scheduled the deposition of the NDHHS Bureau of
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Health Care Quality and Compliance. The parties then disputed the scope of the subpoena, and
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eventually, Plaintiff agreed to amended the subpoena, and then the parties disputed again, and
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Defendant filed this motion. Plaintiff did not file this motion with the arbitrators. Plaintiffs contend
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Defendants cannot agree to binding arbitration, use that forum for some discovery matters, and then
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return to the court when one loses certain discovery disputes. On the merits, Plaintiffs contend the
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insurance policies should have been disclosed pursuant to Rule 26. Moreover, the subpoena seeks non-
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confidential information that is relevant to this case. Plaintiffs request the court deny Defendant’s
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motion and award Plaintiffs attorney’s fees and costs associated with responding to the motion.
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The court finds that the district judge referred this case to binding arbitration for all matters,
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including discovery, at the parties’ request. See Order, Dkt. #33. This case has also been stayed at the
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parties’ request. Id. Therefore, this court is not the appropriate forum for Defendant’s motion, and the
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court will not intervene in the arbitration proceedings. Counsel for Defendant should not have filed this
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motion in this court. Having stipulated to binding arbitration and a stay of the case, all disputes should
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be submitted to the arbitrators for decision.
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Accordingly,
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IT IS ORDERED that Defendant’s Emergency Motion to Quash and Motion for Protective
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Order Regarding Plaintiff’s Overreaching Discovery (Dkt. ##35, 37) is DENIED.
Dated this 4th day of October, 2011.
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________________________________________
______________________________
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PEGGY A. LEEN
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PEGGY A. LEEN
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UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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