Request For Admissions
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A discovery device in civil litigation where one party formally requests that another party admit or deny the truth of certain statements or the authenticity of documents. If a party admits a statement, it is considered conclusively established for the purposes of the lawsuit, saving time and resources during trial.
The plaintiff's attorney served the defendant with a request for admissions, seeking to establish key facts related to the alleged breach of contract.
Real-Case Example:
In McSparran v. Hanigan (1974), the plaintiff used a request for admissions to establish that the defendant had received notice of a defect in the product that caused the plaintiff's injury. The defendant failed to respond to the request, and the statements were deemed admitted, leading to a favorable outcome for the plaintiff.