Procedure for bill of particulars

Rule 3042. Procedure for bill of particulars. (a) Demand. A demand for a bill of particulars shall be made by serving a written demand stating the items concerning which particulars are desired. Within thirty days of service of a demand for a bill of particulars, the party on whom the demand is made shall serve a bill of particulars complying with each item of the demand, except any item to which the party objects, in which event the reasons for the objection shall be stated with reasonable particularity. The assertion of an objection to one or more of the items in the demand shall not relieve the party on whom the demand is made from the obligation to respond in full within thirty days of service of the demand to the items of the demand to which no objection has been made.

(b) Amendment. In any action or proceeding in a court in which a note of issue is required to be filed, a party may amend the bill of particulars once as of course prior to the filing of a note of issue.

(c) Failure to respond or to comply with a demand. If a party fails to respond to a demand in a timely fashion or fails to comply fully with a demand, the party seeking the bill of particulars may move to compel compliance, or, if such failure is willful, for the imposition of penalties pursuant to subdivision (d) of this rule.

(d) Penalties for refusal to comply. If a party served with a demand for a bill of particulars willfully fails to provide particulars which the court finds ought to have been provided pursuant to this rule, the court may make such final or conditional order with regard to the failure or refusal as is just, including such relief as is set forth in section thirty-one hundred twenty-six of this chapter.

(e) Service of improper or unduly burdensome demands. If the court concludes that the demand for particulars, or a part thereof, is improper or unduly burdensome, in addition to vacating or modifying the demand, the court may make such order with regard to the improper or unduly burdensome demand as is just.