ORDER
Dеfendant’s motion to exclude damages evidence presents a scenario all too familiar in this District. Plaintiff alleges that she was injured in an incident occurring on Defendant’s premises. Plaintiff seeks damages based on her medical expenses, both past and future, and economic damages. Plaintiff provided a partial damages computation with her initial disclosures, and has since supplemented the initial disclosures several times to identify аdditional damages. Plaintiff contends that she diligently obtained the information necessary to compute her damages claims, and that she disclosed that information as soon as reasonably possible. Defendant contends that Plaintiff should have disclosed all of the pertinent information with her initial disclosure, and that resorting to serving supplemental disclosures of damages computations prevented Defendant from proceeding effectivеly with its ease through discovery. As a result, Defendant contends that its ability to defend the case has been prejudiced, and that certain damages disclosures must be excluded under Rule 37(e)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
While the above scenario is frequently presented to the magistrate judges in this District, the decisions resolving such motions are not entirely congruous. Indeed, this difference in interpreting the requirements for initial disclosure damages comрutations, and the appropriate penalties for not complying therewith, has already been memorialized elsewhere. See Jones v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Case No. 2:15-cv-1454-LDG-GWF,
I. BRIEF FACTUAL OVERVIEW
Plaintiff alleges that she slipped on a gel-like substance in the bath aisle of one of Defendant Wal-Mart’s stores. See, e.g., Docket No. 31 at 2. Plaintiff filed suit in state court, alleging a cause of action for negligence. Id. Defendant removed the case to this Court on the basis of diversity jurisdiction. See Docket No. 1.
On February 11, 2016, the parties filed a joint proposed discovery plan, which the Court approved the same day. Docket Nos. 8-9. That discovery plan and subsequent scheduling order reflected a stipulation between the parties to exchange initial disclosures by February 6,2016. Docket No. 9 at 1. The Court also set an expert disclosure deadline of May 9, 2016, a rebuttal expert disclosure deadline of June 6, 2016, and a discovery cutoff of July 6, 2016. Docket No. 9 at 2-3.
On April 19, 2016, Plaintiff moved to extend these deadlines. Docket No. 10. The Court granted that motion in part and extended the expert disclosure deadline to June 23, 2016, the rebuttal expert disclosure deadline to July 22, 2016, and the discovery cutoff to August 22, 2016. Docket No. 18 at 3. At the same time, Plaintiff sought an order for
On September 8, 2016, Plaintiff filed a motion to reopen the discovery period. Docket No. 21.
Especially pertinent to this motion, Plaintiff served her initial disclosures, with a damages computation, on February 22, 2016. Docket No. 34-1. Through the date of Defendant’s motion, Plaintiff supplemented her initial disclosures 19 times. See, e.g., Docket No. 34-12 at 46 (Plaintiffs nineteenth supplemental initial disclosure). Plaintiff also served expert disclosures and eight supplements thereto. See, e.g., Docket No. 34-17 at 10 (eighth supplement to designation of expert witnesses).
On December 14, 2016, Defendant filed the instant motion to exclude damages evidence. Docket No. 32. Plaintiff filed a response, and Defendant filed a reply. Docket Nos. 34, 36.
II. STANDARDS
A. Initial Disclosure Requirements
Rule 26(a)(1)(A) requires parties to provide initial disclosures to the opposing parties without awaiting a discovery request. The disclosures must include a computation of each category of damages claimed by the disclosing party. Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(l)(A)(iii). The purposes of the initial disclosure requirements are important and clear. Parties should be put on notice of the factual and legal contentions of the opposing party, and the initial disclosure requirements eliminate surprise and trial by ambush. See, e.g., Ollier v. Sweetwater Union High School Dist.,
The benefits of initial disclosures are significant and courts have a duty to enforce the initial disclosure requirements; however, courts must apply the Rules with an eye toward “common sense,” keeping in mind the purposes that the Rules are intended to accomplish. See, e.g., Jackson v. United Artists Theatre Circuit, Inc.,
A precise damages computation may not be possible until the plaintiff obtains some discovery, undergoes additional treatment, and, in some cases, obtains expert analysis. Tutor-Saliba
A “preliminary assessment” may suffice at the outset of a case, but it will not suffice as the case progresses: “While a party may not have all of the information necessary to providе a computation of damages early in the case, it has a duty to diligently obtain the necessary information and prepare and provide its damages computation within the discovery period.” Jackson,
Read together, the Rules do not require in every case that a complete and unchangeable damages computation be presented at the outset of the case. The initial disclosure must contain a damages computation with the information then reasonably available to the plaintiff. To the extent it becomes clear based on new circumstances that the damages computation is incorrect or incomplete, the plaintiff has a duty to supplement the initial damages computation. There is no bright line rule that such supplementation is improper if made after the expert disclosure deadline or even after the close of discovery. See, e.g., American Gen. Life Ins. Co. v. Vistana Condo. Owners Assoc., Case No. 2:12-cv-01324-JAD-NJK,
B. Sanctions for Failing to Comply with Disclosure Requirements
When a defendant believes the plaintiff failed to comply with the requirements for disclosing a damages computation, the defendant may move for sanctions under Rule 37(c). The party requesting sanctions bears the initial burden of establishing that the opposing party failed to comply with the disclosure requirements established in Rule 26. E.g., Lodge v. United Homes, LLC, 787
In exercising that discretion, courts determine initially whether the failure to comply with the initial disclosure requirements was either substantially justified or harmless. Fed. R. Civ. P. 37(c)(1). The party facing sanctions bears the burden of establishing that substantial justification or harmless exists. See, e.g., Yeti by Molly,
Exclusion sanctions are not a foregone conclusion if substantial justification or harmlessness have not been established, however. “Rule 37(c)(1) does not require the court, in all instances, to exclude evidence as a sanction for a late disclosure that is neither justified nor harmless.” Jackson,
There is good reason for courts to impose exclusion sanctions sparingly. Courts universally recognize the strong preference for deciding cases on the merits whenever reasonably possible. E.g., Eitel v. McCool,
III. ANALYSIS
Turning to the instant motion, the Court finds the matter insufficiently devel
Perhaps because of the broad sweep taken by Defendant, the factual presentation in the briefing is disorganized. Defendant challenges numerous damages computations,
In short, the Court has now explained the standards and considerations that will be applied in this case. The parties may find it advantageous to re-evaluate their positions given that guidance, and may wish to confer with one another in an attempt to eliminate or narrow the dispute.
IV. CONCLUSION
For the reasons discussed more fully above, the pending motion to exclude is DENIED without prejudice. Any renewed motions) must be filed in accordance with the instructions outlined above.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Notes
. Plaintiff again asked the Court to bless supplemental disсlosures. Docket No. 21 at 4-5. At this point, the Court reminded the parties that court approval is unnecessary to supplement initial disclosures and that Plaintiff should supplement as she felt appropriate, subject to Defendant's ability to file a motion to exclude that supplement or seek other relief from the Court. Docket No. 22. The Court otherwise declined to weigh in on the issue at that time, since it was not properly before the Court. Id.
. The touсhstone of this analysis is whether information is "reasonably available" to the plaintiff. A plaintiff is not excused from making initial disclosures because she has not diligently investigated her case. Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(1)(E).
. The rule requires a supplemental disclosure "if the additional or corrective information has not otherwise been made known to the other parties during the discovery process or in writing.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(e)(1)(A).
. Some of these considerations will overlap with those addressed to whether substantial justification or harmlessness exists.
. The Ninth Circuit has recognized tension in its case law on this issue. See, e.g., Toyrrific, LLC v. Karapetian,
. To be clear, “litigants should not indulge in gamesmanship with respect to the disclosure obligations.” E.g., Jackson,
. As a corollary, courts are generally unimpressed by tenuous assertions of prejudice when any harm could have been minimized through the movant’s prompt action in either obtaining a stipulation with opposing counsel or moving the Court for relief. See, e.g., Roe v. Nevada,
. The exact universe of challenged disclosures is not clear. The motion specifically identifies four damages for which Defendant seeks exclusion. Doсket No. 32 at 25 (identifying damages for cervical fusion surgery, lost earning capacity, future lumbar surgery, and general "future damages” disclosures). Elsewhere, the motion challenges other disclosures. See, e.g., Docket No. 32 at 6 (asserting that disclosures for future hip surgery were untimely). The motion also includes a catchall request to exclude "all claims and evidence of past medical expenses disclosed after Plaintiff's third ‘supplement’ to her Rule 26(a) disclosures,” withоut specific identification of the particular disclosures at issue. Id. at 25.
. For example, Defendant represents that the damages computation for a future lumbar surgery in the amount of $213,000 was first disclosed on June 29, 2016, after the expert disclosure deadline. Docket No. 32 at 5. The record includes a supplemental disclosure served on June 14, 2016 (i.e., nine days before the expert disclosure deadline) including a claim for $213,000 for a lumbar surgery. See Docket No. 34-9 at 33, 35. As another example, Defendant represents that it deposed Plaintiff on April 18, 2016, "without any prior notice that Plaintiff would make a claim for loss of earning capacity.” Docket No. 32 at 24 (emphasis added). The record—and Defendant’s own briefing—show that such notice was provided before April 18, 2016. See, e.g., id. at 14 (acknowledging supplemental disclosure served on April 4, 2016, which included a damages claim for "loss of earning capacity"); Docket No. 32-5 at 9 (further supplemental disclosure served on April 15, 2016, which included a claim for "loss of earning capacity” (emphasis in original)).
.Such a pre-filing conference is not required, see, e.g., Hoffman,
