Judge: Stephanie M. Bowick, Case: 21STCV42831, Date: 2023-10-31 Tentative Ruling

DEPARTMENT 19 LAW AND MOTION RULINGS
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Case Number: 21STCV42831    Hearing Date: October 31, 2023    Dept: 19

Defendant  Lyft's unopposed Motions to Compel: 1) Plaintiff's Responses to Request for Production of Documents, Set One; 2) Plaintiff Responses to Form Interrogatories, Set One; and 3) Plaintiff's Responses to Special Interrogatories, Set One are all GRANTED.

Plaintiff is ordered to serve verified responses, without objections, and produce responsive documents to all of the above-listed discovery requests within 30 days. (Code of Civil Procedure sections 2031.300, 2031.310, 2030.290, 2030.300). 

Defendant's request for sanctions is granted in part. The Court finds that Plaintiff’s conduct constitutes an abuse of the discovery process.  Defendant has been denied a full opportunity to conduct discovery in which to defend this lawsuit and has been severely prejudiced by Plaintiff’s failure to respond to valid written discovery. The Court also notes that Plaintiff has failed to file an opposition to these motions.  Accordingly, the Court grants Defendant's motion and request for sanctions. The Court imposes a monetary sanction against Plaintiff in the amount of $850.00 for each motion filed for reasonable expenses incurred by Defendant in filing each of the above motions, for a total of $2,550.00 in monetary sanctions, payable within 30 days through Defendant's counsel of record.  (Code of Civil Procedure Sections 2023.010(d) and 2023.030(a).)  The Court takes into consideration that no opposition was filed.

Orders signed this date.

In addition, the Court, on its own motion, advances and specially sets Defendant's Motion to Deem Requests for Admissions, Set One, Admitted from 4/09/2024 to 01/05/2024, at 9:00 a.m.

Moving party to to give notice.