Barnett v. Deere & Co., No. 2:15-CV-2-KS-MTP, 2016 WL 4544052 (S.D. Miss. Aug. 31, 2016)

Key Insight: Applying 5th Circuit common law (but acknowledging the outcome of the motion would not change under recently-amended Rule 37(e)), the court declined to impose sanctions for the destruction of relevant documents pursuant to Defendant?s document retention policy at a time when there was no duty to preserve and, in its discussion of bad faith, noted that the court ?does ?not draw an inference of bad faith when documents are destroyed under a routine policy??

Nature of Case: Product liability

Electronic Data Involved: ESI, including committee minutes and product testing documents