Supreme Court of Alabama
Ex Parte Michelin North America, Inc. (in Re Betty C. Brown
January 24, 20142014 Ala. LEXIS 8
Summary
The court granted Michelin mandamus relief concerning the requested inspection of its tire-manufacturing facility because Brown failed to show that the inspection was necessary and relevant, particularly given substantial changes to the facility since the subject tire was manufactured. The court otherwise upheld the discovery order, but directed the trial court to exclude materials concerning tire failures unrelated to tread separation. Justices Moore and Main dissented regarding the inspection writ and the limitation of discovery to tread-separation failures.