Legal Definitions - discovery immunity

Definition: Discovery immunity is a legal rule that prevents certain documents or information from being disclosed during the discovery phase of a lawsuit. This means that the opposing party cannot request or obtain access to these documents or information.

Example: In a medical malpractice case, a doctor's personal diary may be protected by discovery immunity if it contains personal thoughts or opinions that are not relevant to the case. The opposing party cannot request or obtain access to this diary during the discovery phase.

Another example: In a trade secret case, a company may claim discovery immunity for certain confidential information that they do not want to disclose to the opposing party. This could include information about their manufacturing processes or customer lists.

These examples illustrate how discovery immunity can be used to protect sensitive or irrelevant information from being disclosed during the discovery phase of a lawsuit.