Valerie Willis v. Frederick Brot

This is an appeal from an order of the trial court dismissing appellant's (Willis) petition against respondent Brot with prejudice for failure to answer interrogatories. 1 The interrogatories in question inquired into the working relationship between one of appellant's doctors and appellant's attorneys in personal injury suits in which appellant was not a party. Appellant filed her petition against several defendants, including respondent for damages for personal injuries arising out of a multicar collision. During the course of discovery, respondent directed two sets of interrogatories to appellant. The first set was of a conventional nature and was timely answered by appellant. In the answers to the first set of interrogatories, appellant disclosed that Dr. Nasrallah, a chiropractor, had treated her for injuries arising out of the automobile accident and that he would be called as an expert witness at trial. In his second set of interrogatories to appellant, respondent asked the following questions: