Texas Court Rules Discovery Request Must be Tailored for Relevance

BEAUMONT, Texas - A Texas appellate panel has reversed a trial court decision compelling discovery, ruling that plaintiffs' discovery request should include only matters relevant to the asbestos exposure claim. In Re Mobil Oil Corporation, Mobil Oil Refining Corporation and Mobil Chemical Company, Inc., No. 09-06-392-CV (Texas Ct. App., 9th Dist.).

In an Oct. 26 opinion, the 9th District Court of Appeals granted relators Mobil Oil Corp., Mobil Oil Refining Corp. and Mobil Chemical Company Inc. mandamus relief, stating that plaintiffs' discovery request for a Mobil employee's entire personnel file was overbroad and that the information plaintiffs seek would likely …