Sub-sub-series 1: MDL Depositions
Scope and Contents
In 1976 when Bradley Post, on behalf of plaintiffs' attorneys, was seeking Robins documents for multi-district litigation, dozens of top officials in the A. H. Robins Co. were being deposed. The following Robins employees were deponents: Ernest L. Bender, Jr., Dr. John I. Brewer, John Leo Burke, Dr. A.N. Chremos, Dr. Fred A. Clark, Jr., Robert E. Cohn, Elderin Wayne Crowder, Dr. Hugh J. Davis, Dr. Roy William Dent, Thomas D. Downs, Dr. Thad J. Earl, Dorothy Kimball Ervin, William A. Forrest, Jr., Daniel Eugene French, Jack Freund, Edwin Hood, A.J. Kapadia, Oscar Klioze, Irwin Lerner, Frank William Mann, A. Edwin Martin, David Mefford, Kenneth Moore, C.E. Morton, Dr. Robert S. Murphey, Dr. Fletcher B. Owen, Jr., Allen Polon, Dr. Ellen Preston, Dr. Lester W. Preston, E.C. Robins, Melvin Rohling, W. Roy Smith, Ritchie Alan Snyder, Robert Walker Tankersley, Howard James Tatum, Dale Taylor, George E. Thomas, Roger Lewis Tuttle, Richard A. Velz, John Wesley Ward, Thomas C. Yu, and William L. Zimmer III.
Depositions were taken from 1976 through 1983. These transcripts, available on microfilm reels 42-55, are arranged alphabetically by deponent and then chronologically. Most depositions lasted from one to four consecutive days, although a few deponents were called back for a second time. Some depositions are followed by exhibits, summaries, and/or objections. An index precedes the documents on the microfilm.
Dates
- Creation: 1938 - 2000
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1970 - 1998
Access
The Dalkon Shield Claimants Trust Collection was transferred to the University of Virginia Law Library by order of the U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in September 2000. Under that order, Series I through V are open for research with no restrictions. The Court imposed the following access restrictions for the materials in Series VI (the Trust's Central Records Library and Outside Counsel Files):
"5.01 Preservation of Claimants' Privacy. No Identifying Information, or any document or record within the Trust Materials containing Identifying information, relating to any Personal Injury Claimant --- or Other Claimant --- may be disclosed at any time, without written consent of the relevant Personal Injury Claimant or Other Claimant, or an Order by the Court allowing such disclosure."
The Court defined "Identifying Information" as the following:
"Identifying Information" means a person or entity's name, address, telephone number, facsimile number, email address, and any unique identifier including but not limited to a social security number, tax identification number, passport number, and military identification number."
Requests for material in Series VI should be made in advance to allow Special Collections staff time to determine whether it contains identifying information, and to allow for the redaction of such information before permitting access. Copying documents in Series VI may be restricted, and advance consideration of such requests is required.
Full Extent
From the Collection: 327.5 Linear Feet (408 boxes and cartons, 3 volumes, 271 videotapes, 416 three ring notebooks)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Materials Specific Details
Despositions were taken from 1976 through 1983. These transcripts, available on microfilm reels 42-55 are arranged alphabetically by deponent and then chronologically.
Repository Details
Part of the Arthur J. Morris Law Library Special Collections Repository
Arthur J. Morris Law Library
580 Massie Road
University of Virginia
Charlottesville Virginia 22903 United States
archives@law.virginia.edu