Patricia Laucella, Natalia Jovovich, and Nicole Rose Lomis v. Medtronic, Inc., et al.

Summary

This document is a stipulated protective order entered in Patricia Laucella et al. v. Medtronic, Inc., a wrongful-death products-liability action involving a medical device. It governs the designation, disclosure, use, filing, handling, and return or destruction of confidential discovery materials, including medical records and proprietary device information.

Holdings

1. Good cause supported entry of the stipulated protective order, and the court ordered that discovery in the action be subject to its restrictions and procedures.
2. Information designated as confidential under the order may be used only in connection with the litigation and may be disclosed only to specified categories of persons subject to the order's conditions.
3. Inadvertent disclosure of confidential, privileged, or work-product material does not waive the applicable confidentiality, privilege, immunity, or protection, subject to the notice and dispute procedures established by the order.
4. The protective order does not itself authorize filing materials under seal; any party seeking to file protected material under seal must comply with Civil Local Rule 79-5 and obtain a court order authorizing sealing of the specific material.

Questions Presented

1. Whether good cause supported entry of the parties' stipulated protective order governing confidential discovery materials.
2. What restrictions and procedures should govern the designation, disclosure, use, filing, return, and destruction of confidential information and inadvertently disclosed privileged material.

Disposition

other