La. Federal Judge Limits Scope of Subpoena to Exclude Psychiatric, Substance Abuse Records

NEW ORLEANS, La. — A Louisiana federal judge has limited a defendant’s subpoena for a plaintiff’s medical records in a second-hand asbestos exposure case to 15 years, ruling that its request for 30-plus years of records was not proportional to the needs of the case.

On Oct. 31, Magistrate Judge Donna Currault of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana also limited the scope of the subpoenas to exclude any psychiatric or substance abuse treatment, consultation or counseling records.

Kelly Giarratano sued Huntington Ingalls Incorporated (HII) and numerous other defendants in state court alleging that she …