Controlling Documents and Establishing Record Retention Programs

In an age when product liability litigation is a given, companies must assume that their documents, both "electronic" and "hard" copies, are fair game for discovery by plaintiffs' attorneys.  Oftentimes it is the "killer" documents, or even just one, that can lead to disaster in the courtroom. 

How documents are created, the motivations of the creator, and how the documents are maintained will be scrutinized when the company's representative finds him- or herself on the witness stand.  Documents, if written and handled appropriately, can be useful to establish that the company has explored problems and has acted in a reasonable manner to close any open issue.  Otherwise, an innocent oversight can then be construed as a callous disregard for public safety.

Product Liability Solutions, LLC can assist you in developing a systematic process to guard against creation of bad documents, closing the loop once a problem is identified and described in documents, and in establishing record retention programs according to business and legal purposes and requirements.

See also:  Responding to Discovery and Requests for Disclosure

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