Judge: Robert B. Broadbelt, Case: 19STCV29421, Date: 2023-11-08 Tentative Ruling

Tentative rulings are sometimes, but not always, posted. The purpose of posting a tentative ruling is to to help focus the argument. The posting of a tentative ruling is not an invitation for the filing of additional papers shortly before the hearing.

Case Number: 19STCV29421    Hearing Date: December 15, 2023    Dept: 53

Superior Court of California

County of Los Angeles – Central District

Department 53

MOVING PARTY:                 Plaintiff Arin Yaghoubi         

RESPONDING PARTY:       Defendant Ford Motor Company

Motion to Compel the Deposition of Defendant’s Person Most Knowledgeable and Production of Documents

The court considered the moving, opposition, and reply papers filed in connection with this motion.

DISCUSSION

Plaintiff Arin Yaghoubi (“Plaintiff”) moves the court for an order (1) compelling defendant Ford Motor Company (“Defendant”) to produce for deposition its person most qualified to testify as to matters for examination 1 through 19, as set forth in Plaintiff’s Notice of Deposition, and (2) compelling Defendant to produce documents responsive to the Requests for Production of Documents, numbers 3-18, as set forth in Plaintiff’s Notice of Deposition.

            The court grants Plaintiff’s motion to compel Defendant to produce its person most qualified as to matters for examination numbers 1-3, 5-14, and 18-19.

            The court denies Plaintiff’s motion to compel Defendant to produce its person most qualified as to subject matter number 4 because it is duplicative of the matter for examination number 2.

            The court denies Plaintiff’s motion to compel Defendant to produce its person most qualified as to matters for examination numbers 15-17 because the matters on which examination is requested are not described with reasonable particularity.  (Code Civ. Proc., § 2025.230.)

The court grants Plaintiff’s motion to compel Defendant to produce at the deposition of its person most qualified documents responsive to Requests for Production of Documents, numbers 3-5, except for documents protected from disclosure by the attorney-client privilege and the attorney work-product doctrine.

The court denies Plaintiff’s motion to compel Defendant to produce at the deposition of its person most qualified documents responsive to Requests for Production of Documents, numbers 6-15 because those requests are overbroad and request the production of documents that are not relevant to the subject matter of this action and are not reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence since the requests are not limited to vehicles for the same year, make, and model as the subject vehicle.  (Code Civ. Proc., § 2017.010.)

The court denies Plaintiff’s motion to compel Defendant to produce at the deposition of its person most qualified documents responsive to Requests for Production of Documents, numbers 16-18 because those requests are vague, ambiguous, and unintelligible. 

The court denies Defendant’s request for monetary sanctions against Plaintiff.  (Code Civ. Proc., § 2025.450, subd. (g)(1).)

ORDER

            The court grants in part plaintiff Arin Yaghoubi’s motion to compel the deposition of defendant’s person most knowledgeable and production of documents as follows.

The court orders defendant Ford Motor Company (1) to designate and produce for deposition those of its officers, directors, managing agents, employees, or agents who are most qualified to testify on its behalf as to matters for examination, numbers 1-3, 5-14, and 18-19, as set forth in plaintiff Arin Yaghoubi’s Notice of Deposition, by no later than January 15, 2024, and (2) to produce at the deposition documents responsive to Requests for Production of Documents, numbers 3-5, as set forth in plaintiff Arin Yaghoubi’s Notice of Deposition, except that defendant Ford Motor Company is not required to produce documents protected from disclosure by the attorney-client privilege and the attorney work-product doctrine.

The court denies defendant Ford Motor Company’s request for monetary sanctions against plaintiff Arin Yaghoubi.

The court orders plaintiff Arin Yaghoubi to give notice of this ruling.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED:  December 15, 2023

_____________________________

Robert B. Broadbelt III

Judge of the Superior Court