Bell v. Novick Transfer Co.
17 F.R.D. 279 (D. Md. 1955)
Yeazell, pp. 18-19
Facts: Baby Bell got in a car accident and sued the truck driver and
the owner of the truck that hit him.
Issue: Is it necessary for the plaintiff to lay out the
facts and allegations in detail in his complaint?
Rule: Rule 8 only requires
only “notice pleading”, which is just a brief statement that shows the plaintiff
can get relief.
Analysis: The court notes that under Maryland procedural rules, the complaint would have to be more
detailed, but under the Federal Rules it doesn’t have to meet the same
standard. The court points out that the defendants
can get all the information they want using other procedural mechanisms like
interrogatories or discovery, whatever those are.
Conclusion: The motion is overruled.
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