Key Insight: failure to take reasonable steps to preserve data, prejudice to other party, intent to deprive
Nature of Case: personal injury
Electronic Data Involved: event recorder data: .dat file
Keywords: reasonable steps, adverse inference, relevance of data, event recorder, black box, laptop crash, prejudice, inferred intent to deprive
Key Insight: Plaintiff had kept a journal which was scanned and provided. Original Hard Copy was then destroyed. Judge granted motion for additional deposition time, but denied adverse inference instruction.
Nature of Case: Employment Discrimination; Wrongful Termination
Electronic Data Involved: Hard Copy of Scanned Journal
Keywords: Sanctions, Adverse Inference, Scanned Copy, Hard Copy
Key Insight: Defendant’s failure to preserve the relevant ESI.
Nature of Case: Motor vehicle accident
Electronic Data Involved: Electronic Data/Electronic Control Module (ECM) Vehicle Data Recorder/Black Box and associated data.
Keywords: Spoliation, ECM data
Key Insight: Whether deleted ESI and destroyed notebooks were relevant and, if so, whether there is sufficient evidence to find that spoliation was intentional or resulted in prejudice; whether sanction of reasonable costs is appropriate
Nature of Case: contract dispute
Electronic Data Involved: deleted e-mail, deleted electronic records, hard-copy notebooks
Keywords: spoliation, sanctions, notebook, litigation hold, bad faith, prejudice, deleted, legal hold, negligence, retention policy, backups
Key Insight: Spoliation of video evidence. Evidence must have existed and been in the control of a party.
Nature of Case: civil rights action
Electronic Data Involved: surveillance and taser video
Keywords: spoliation sanctions, multi-step analysis, Rule 37(e), routine retention policy.
Key Insight: whether sanction inappropriate absent bad faith
Nature of Case: personal injury
Electronic Data Involved: video footage
Keywords: surveillance footage, adverse inference, preservation letter, spoliation, Eleventh Circuit, prejudice, significant impairment, other available evidence
Key Insight: petitioner’s motion for contempt, subpoena enforcement
Nature of Case: subpoena duces tecum issued by US Dept. of Labor to Respondent, a roofing company. Workplace safety violations and follow-up inspections..
Electronic Data Involved: text and email messages
Keywords: subpoena duces tecum, failure to take reasonable steps to comply with the order
Key Insight: Texas Supreme Court 7 part test for proportionality- benefit, case needs, amount in controversy, parties’ resources, issues at stake, importance of proposed discovery and other articulable factors. Brought Texas in line with FRCP.
Nature of Case: Homeowner Insurance Claim Litigation
Electronic Data Involved: Insurer Records
Keywords: Format of Production; Proportionality Factors
Key Insight: Defendant had reviewed video recording twice and did not show area of spill and fall. Deleted recording per their normal 37 day video retention policy. Defendant moved for summary judgment, Plaintiff argued should be sanctioned by not granting order. Judge granted summary judgment.
Nature of Case: Personal Injury
Electronic Data Involved: Video Recording
Keywords: Summary Judgment; Retention Policy
Key Insight: Whether FRCP 37(e) applies where the duty to preserve does not arise out of the anticipation or conduct of litigation, whether sanctions issued under a court’s inherent power were appropriate
Nature of Case: False Claims Act
Electronic Data Involved: country of origin data
Keywords: Country of Origin documentation, adverse inference, Trade Agreements Act, inherent power, overwrite, direct proof or disproof
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