Rule 37. Failure to Make Disclosures or to Cooperate in Discovery; Sanctions
(a)
Motion for an Order Compelling Disclosure or Discovery.
(1)
In General. On notice to other parties and all affected persons, a party may move for an order compelling disclosure or discovery. The motion must include a certification that the movant has in good faith conferred or attempted to confer with the person or party failing to make disclosure or discovery in an effort to obtain it without court action.
(2)
Appropriate Court. A motion for an order to a party must be made in the court where the action is pending. A motion for an order to a nonparty must be made in the court where the discovery is or will be taken.
(3)
Specific Motions.
(A)
To Compel Disclosure. If a party fails to make a disclosure required by Rule
26
(a), any other party may move to compel disclosure and for appropriate sanctions.
(B)
To Compel a Discovery Response. A party seeking discovery may move for an order compelling an answer, designation, production, or inspection. This motion may be made if:
(iv)
a party fails to respond that inspection will be permitted—or fails to permit inspection—as requested under Rule
34.
(4)
Evasive or Incomplete Disclosure, Answer, or Response. For purposes of this subdivision (a), an evasive or incomplete disclosure, answer, or response must be treated as a failure to disclose, answer, or respond.
(5)
Payment of Expenses; Protective Orders.
(A)
If the Motion Is Granted (or Disclosure or Discovery Is Provided After Filing). If the motion is granted—or if the disclosure or requested discovery is provided after the motion was filed—the court must, after giving an opportunity to be heard, require the party or deponent whose conduct necessitated the motion, the party or attorney advising that conduct, or both to pay the movant’s reasonable expenses incurred in making the motion, including attorney’s fees. But the court must not order this payment if:
(B)
If the Motion Is Denied. If the motion is denied, the court may issue any protective order authorized under Rule
26
(c) and must, after giving an opportunity to be heard, require the movant, the attorney filing the motion, or both to pay the party or deponent who opposed the motion its reasonable expenses incurred in opposing the motion, including attorney’s fees. But the court must not order this payment if the motion was substantially justified or other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust.
(b)
Failure to Comply with a Court Order.
(1)
Sanctions in the District Where the Deposition Is Taken. If the court where the discovery is taken orders a deponent to be sworn or to answer a question and the deponent fails to obey, the failure may be treated as contempt of court.
(2)
Sanctions in the District Where the Action Is Pending.
(A)
For Not Obeying a Discovery Order. If a party or a party’s officer, director, or managing agent—or a witness designated under Rule
30
(b)(6) or
31
(a)(4)—fails to obey an order to provide or permit discovery, including an order under Rule
26
(f),
35, or
37
(a), the court where the action is pending may issue further just orders. They may include the following:
(i)
directing that the matters embraced in the order or other designated facts be taken as established for purposes of the action, as the prevailing party claims;
(B)
For Not Producing a Person for Examination. If a party fails to comply with an order under Rule
35
(a) requiring it to produce another person for examination, the court may issue any of the orders listed in Rule
37
(b)(2)(A)(i)–(vi), unless the disobedient party shows that it cannot produce the other person.
(C)
Payment of Expenses. Instead of or in addition to the orders above, the court must order the disobedient party, the attorney advising that party, or both to pay the reasonable expenses, including attorney’s fees, caused by the failure, unless the failure was substantially justified or other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust.
(c)
Failure to Disclose, to Supplement an Earlier Response, or to Admit.
(1)
Failure to Disclose or Supplement. If a party fails to provide information or identify a witness as required by Rule
26
(a) or (e), the party is not allowed to use that information or witness to supply evidence on a motion, at a hearing, or at a trial, unless the failure was substantially justified or is harmless. In addition to or instead of this sanction, the court, on motion and after giving an opportunity to be heard:
(C)
may impose other appropriate sanctions, including any of the orders listed in Rule
37
(b)(2)(A)(i)–(vi).
(2)
Failure to Admit. If a party fails to admit what is requested under Rule
36 and if the requesting party later proves a document to be genuine or the matter true, the requesting party may move that the party who failed to admit pay the reasonable expenses, including attorney’s fees, incurred in making that proof. The court must so order unless:
(d)
Party’s Failure to Attend Its Own Deposition, Serve Answers to Interrogatories, or Respond to a Request for Inspection.
(1)
In General.
(A)
Motion; Grounds for Sanctions. The court where the action is pending may, on motion, order sanctions if:
(2)
Unacceptable Excuse for Failing to Act. A failure described in Rule
37
(d)(1)(A) is not excused on the ground that the discovery sought was objectionable, unless the party failing to act has a pending motion for a protective order under Rule
26
(c).
(3)
Types of Sanctions. Sanctions may include any of the orders listed in Rule
37
(b)(2)(A)(i)–(vi). Instead of or in addition to these sanctions, the court must require the party failing to act, the attorney advising that party, or both to pay the reasonable expenses, including attorney’s fees, caused by the failure, unless the failure was substantially justified or other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust.
(e)
Failure to Provide Electronically Stored Information. Absent exceptional circumstances, a court may not impose sanctions under these rules on a party for failing to provide electronically stored information lost as a result of the routine, good-faith operation of an electronic information system.
(f)
Failure to Participate in Framing a Discovery Plan. If a party or its attorney fails to participate in good faith in developing and submitting a proposed discovery plan as required by Rule
26
(f), the court may, after giving an opportunity to be heard, require that party or attorney to pay to any other party the reasonable expenses, including attorney’s fees, caused by the failure.