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KENTUCKY
RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE
RULE 26
GENERAL PROVISIONS GOVERNING DISCOVERY
CR
26.01 DISCOVERY METHODS
Parties may obtain discovery by one or more of the following
methods: depositions upon oral examination or written questions;
written interrogatories; production of documents or things or
permission to enter upon land or other property, for inspection and
other purposes; physical and mental examinations; and requests for
admission. Unless the court orders otherwise under Rule 26.03, the
frequency of use of these methods is not limited.
[Adopted eff.
10-1-71]
CR
26.02 SCOPE OF DISCOVERY
(1) In
general.
Parties may obtain discovery regarding any matter, not privileged,
which is relevant to the subject matter involved in the pending
action, whether it relates to the claim or defense of the party
seeking discovery or to the claim or defense of any other party,
including the existence, description, nature, custody, condition and
location of any books, documents, or other tangible things and the
identity and location of persons having knowledge of any
discoverable matter. It is not ground for objection that the
information sought will be inadmissible at the trial if the
information sought appears reasonably calculated to lead to the
discovery of admissible evidence.
(2) Insurance
agreements.
A party may obtain discovery of the existence and contents of any
insurance agreement under which any person carrying on an insurance
business may be liable to satisfy part or all of a judgment which
may be entered in the action or to indemnify or reimburse for
payments made to satisfy the judgment. Information concerning the
insurance agreement is not by reason of disclosure admissible in
evidence at trial. For purposes of this Section, an application for
insurance shall not be treated as part of an insurance agreement.
(3) Trial
preparation: materials.
(a) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (4) of this rule, a party
may obtain discovery of documents and tangible things otherwise
discoverable under paragraph (1) of this rule and prepared in
anticipation of litigation or for trial by or for another party or
by or for that other party's representative (including his attorney,
consultant, surety, indemnitor, insurer, or agent) only upon a
showing that the party seeking discovery has substantial need of the
materials in the preparation of his case and that he is unable
without undue hardship to obtain the substantial equivalent of the
materials by other means. In ordering discovery of such materials
when the required showing has been made, the court shall protect
against disclosure of the mental impressions, conclusions, opinions,
or legal theories of an attorney or other representative of a party
concerning the litigation.
(b) A party may obtain without the required showing a statement
concerning the action or its subject matter previously made by that
party. Upon request, a person not a party may obtain without the
required showing a statement concerning the action or its subject
matter previously made by that person. If the request is refused,
the person may move for a court order. The provisions of Rule
37.01(4) {37.01(d)}
apply to the
award of expenses incurred in relation to the motion. For purposes
of this subparagraph (b), a statement previously made is (i) a
written statement signed or otherwise adopted or approved by the
person making it, or (ii) a stenographic, mechanical, electrical, or
other recording, or a transcription thereof, which is a
substantially verbatim recital of an oral statement by the person
making it and contemporaneously recorded.
(4) Trial
preparation: experts.
Discovery of facts known and opinions held by experts, otherwise
discoverable under the provisions of paragraph (1) of this rule and
acquired or developed in anticipation of litigation or for trial,
may be obtained only as follows:
(a) (i) A party may through interrogatories require any other party
to identify each person whom the other party expects to call as an
expert witness at trial, to state the subject matter on which the
expert is expected to testify, and to state the substance of the
facts and opinions to which the expert is expected to testify and a
summary of the grounds for each opinion. (ii) Upon motion, the court
may order further discovery by other means, subject to such
restrictions as to scope and such provisions, pursuant to paragraph
(4)(c) of this rule, concerning fees and expenses as the court may
deem appropriate.
(b) A party may discover facts known or opinions held by an expert
who has been retained or specially employed by another party in
anticipation of litigation or preparation for trial and who is not
expected to be called as a witness at trial, only as provided in
Rule 35.02 or upon a showing of exceptional circumstances under
which it is impracticable for the party seeking discovery to obtain
facts or opinions on the same subject by other means.
(c) Unless manifest injustice would result, (i) the court shall
require that the party seeking discovery pay the expert a reasonable
fee for time spent in responding to discovery under paragraphs (4)(a)(ii)
and (4)(b) of this rule; and (ii) with respect to discovery obtained
under paragraph (4)(a)(ii) of this rule the court may require, and
with respect to discovery obtained under paragraph (4)(b) of this
rule the court shall require, the party seeking discovery to pay the
other party a fair portion of the fees and expenses reasonably
incurred by the latter party in obtaining facts and opinions from
the expert.
[Amended eff.
1-1-78; prior amendment eff. 10-1-71; adopted eff. 7-1-53]
CR
26.03 PROTECTIVE ORDERS
(1) Upon motion by a party or by the person from whom discovery is
sought, and for good cause shown, the court in which the action is
pending or alternatively, on matters relating to a deposition, the
court in the judicial district where the deposition is to be taken
may make any order which justice requires to protect a party or
person from annoyance, embarrassment, oppression, or undue burden or
expense, including one or more of the following: (a) that the
discovery not be had; (b) that the discovery may be had only on
specified terms and conditions, including a designation of the time
or place; (c) that the discovery may be had only by a method of
discovery other than that selected by the party seeking discovery;
(d) that certain matters not be inquired into, or that the scope of
the discovery be limited to certain matters; (e) that discovery be
conducted with no one present except persons designated by the
court; (f) that a deposition after being sealed be opened only by
order of the court; (g) that a trade secret or other confidential
research, development, or commercial information not be disclosed or
be disclosed only in a designated way; (h) that the parties
simultaneously file specified documents or information enclosed in
sealed envelopes to be opened as directed by the court.
(2) If the motion for a protective order is denied in whole or in
part, the court may, on such terms and conditions as are just, order
that any party or person provide or permit discovery. The provisions
of Rule 37.01(4) {37.01(d)} apply to the award of expenses
incurred in relation to the motion.
[Amended eff.
10-1-71; adopted eff. 7-1-53]
CR
26.04 SEQUENCE AND TIMING OF DISCOVERY
Unless the court upon motion, for the convenience of parties and
witnesses and in the interests of justice, orders otherwise, methods
of discovery may be used in any sequence and the fact that a party
is conducting discovery, whether by deposition or otherwise, shall
not operate to delay any other party's discovery.
[Adopted eff.
10-1-71]
CR
26.05 SUPPLEMENTATION OF RESPONSES
A party who has responded to a request for discovery with a response
that was complete when made is under no duty to supplement his
response to include information thereafter acquired, except as
follows:
(a) A party is under a duty seasonably to supplement his response
with respect to any question directly addressed to (i) the identity
and location of persons having knowledge of discoverable matters,
and (ii) the identity of each person expected to be called as an
expert witness at trial, the subject matter on which he is expected
to testify, and the substance of his testimony.
(b) A party is under a duty seasonably to amend a prior response if
he obtains information upon the basis of which (i) he knows that the
response was incorrect when made, or (ii) he knows that the response
though correct when made is no longer true and the circumstances are
such that a failure to amend the response is in substance a knowing
concealment.
(c) A duty to supplement responses may be imposed by order of the
court, agreement of the parties, or at any time prior to trial
through new requests for supplementation of prior responses.
[Amended eff.
1-1-78; adopted eff. 10-1-71]
CR
26.06 EFFECT OF TAKING DEPOSITION OR QUESTIONING DEPONENT
The taking of a deposition or the questioning of a deponent shall
not make evidence admissible which is otherwise incompetent or
constitute a waiver of objections to its admissibility.
[Amended eff.
10-1-71]
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