In Re Laundress Marketing and Product Liability Litigation
- Jesse Furman
- 1:22-cv-10667
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In re Laundress Marketing and Product Liability Litigation: Judge Furman granted a motion to seal medical information about a minor, subject to reconsideration.
The Laundress, LLC; plaintiffs Olga Macha and Lauris Macs; and A.S., the fourteen-year-old child whose medical information is at issue.
What happened
In re Laundress Marketing and Product Liability Litigation concerns a request by The Laundress, LLC, to file a letter-motion and exhibits with information sealed or redacted. The materials contain medical-record information about A.S., a fourteen-year-old child involved in the case.
The Laundress argued that the information was protected health information and included details about diagnosis and treatment. The court noted that A.S.’s health was central to the plaintiffs’ claims but that the dispute involved discovery and A.S. was a minor.
Judge Jesse M. Furman granted the motion to seal, subject to reconsideration if someone files a motion to unseal. The plaintiffs were ordered to respond to the letter-motion within three business days, by the close of business on March 4, 2025.
The detailed version
- In Re Laundress Marketing and Product Liability Litigation · No. 1:22-cv-10667
- Jesse Furman
- Feb. 28, 2025
Background
The Laundress, LLC, sought permission to file a letter-motion asking to exclude Olga Macha and Lauris Macs from the deposition of A.S. The requested filing included confidential information concerning A.S.’s medical records, including diagnosis and treatment information. A.S. is fourteen years old. The request also covered attached exhibits, with an index identifying the material proposed for redaction or sealing.
Court’s Analysis
The court recognized that medical information is ordinarily treated as sensitive and may be sealed. It also observed that A.S.’s health is central to the plaintiffs’ claims, creating a strong argument that the public-access presumption could outweigh privacy interests for at least some of the proposed material. Nevertheless, because A.S. is a minor and the matter is a discovery dispute, the court chose to proceed cautiously.
Ruling
The court granted The Laundress’s motion to seal, subject to reconsideration if anyone files a motion to unseal. The plaintiffs must file a response to the letter-motion, limited to three pages, within three business days—by the close of business on March 4, 2025. The Clerk of Court was directed to terminate ECF Nos. 214 and 215.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.