Davis

In this opinion, we hold that the mere act of filing a personal injury action asking for general damages for pain and suffering does not tender the plaintiff’s mental condition so as to make discoverable postinjury psychotherapeutic records.

The Case Below

On March 11, 1991, petitioner and her husband filed a complaint for damages for personal injuries suffered in an automobile accident on March 16, 1990. Real party in interest, the operator of a vehicle, was the only named defendant. Petitioner claimed compensatory damages for wage loss, hospital and medical expenses, general damage and loss of earning capacity. Real party answered, asserting a failure to state a cause of action, contributory fault, assumption of the risk, failure to mitigate damages, Civil Code sections 1431 and 1431.2 and the statute of limitations.

After receiving answers to interrogatories in July 1991, real party sent a subpoena duces tecum to the custodian of records for Cedar Women’s Center, seeking petitioner’s treatment records. In August 1991, petitioner filed a motion to quash the subpoena and for a protective order to limit the discovery to directly relevant medical history of a 10-year…