DISCOVERY

modern pretrial procedure by which one party gains information held by the adverse party, concerning the case; the disclosure by the adverse party of facts, deeds and documents that are exclusively within his or her possession or knowledge and that are necessary to support the other party's position. Common types of discovery are depositions, interrogatories, production of documents and requests for admissions. EXAMPLE: Alina gets into an accident when her rear wheels stop for no reason, causing the car to skid into a highway divider. In her lawsuit against the car manufacturer, Alina uses the discovery procedure to obtain memos and test run results that the manufacturer used in designing the car. Without discovery, Alina may not be able to acquire that information. Source: Barron's Dictionary of Legal Terms, Steven H. Gifis, 5th Edition; © 2016