Legal Definitions - interrogatories

In legal proceedings, interrogatories are formal, written questions sent by one party in a lawsuit to another party. They are a crucial tool used during the "discovery" phase, which is the period before a trial where parties gather information and evidence from each other to prepare their cases.

The purpose of interrogatories is to obtain factual information, identify potential witnesses, and understand the opposing party's claims or defenses. The questions must be relevant to the case and cannot ask for privileged information (like confidential communications with an attorney). While interrogatories can delve into facts and how legal principles apply to those facts, they generally cannot ask purely theoretical legal questions.

The party receiving the interrogatories is legally obligated to provide complete and truthful written answers, typically within a set timeframe (often 30 days). These answers are usually given under oath, meaning the responding party swears they are true. Even if a party objects to a question, they often still have to answer it, explaining their objection.

Here are some examples of how interrogatories are used:

• Example 1: Car Accident Lawsuit

  Imagine a scenario where a driver, Sarah, sues another driver, David, for injuries sustained in a car accident. As part of the discovery process, Sarah's attorney sends David a set of interrogatories. These questions might include: "Please state your exact speed immediately before the collision," "Did you consume any alcohol or medication within 12 hours prior to the accident? If so, please specify," or "Describe all actions you took to avoid the collision."

  How this illustrates interrogatories: These are written questions from one party (Sarah) to another (David) seeking specific factual details about the accident. David is legally required to provide written answers under oath, which will help Sarah understand David's account of the events and prepare her case for trial.

• Example 2: Contract Dispute Between Businesses

  Consider a situation where "Tech Solutions Inc." sues "Retail Innovations LLC" for breach of contract, claiming Retail Innovations failed to pay for custom software development. Retail Innovations counters that the software was delivered late and contained critical bugs. Retail Innovations' attorney might send interrogatories to Tech Solutions Inc. asking: "Provide the names and titles of all individuals involved in the quality assurance testing of the software before its delivery," "List all dates and times when your company attempted to troubleshoot or fix reported bugs after the initial delivery," or "Identify all communications (emails, meeting notes, etc.) between your project manager and our representatives regarding the software's performance issues."

  How this illustrates interrogatories: This demonstrates how businesses use interrogatories to gather specific information in a commercial dispute. Retail Innovations is seeking detailed facts about the software's development and support to support its defense and counterclaim. Tech Solutions Inc. must provide written, sworn answers to these questions.

• Example 3: Employment Discrimination Case

  Suppose an employee, Maria, sues her former employer, "Global Corp," alleging age discrimination after she was laid off. Maria's attorney would likely send interrogatories to Global Corp. These questions could ask: "State the specific, non-discriminatory reasons for Maria's termination," "Identify all employees in similar roles to Maria who were laid off or terminated within the past two years, including their age and tenure," or "Describe any training provided to managers on anti-discrimination policies during Maria's employment."

  How this illustrates interrogatories: Here, interrogatories are used in an employment law context. Maria is seeking factual information from Global Corp to build her discrimination case, specifically regarding the reasons for her termination and how other employees were treated. Global Corp must respond in writing, under oath, providing the requested details.