§ Rule 33(a) Availability-procedures for use-limitations

Rule 33(a). Availability--procedures for use--limitations

    Any party may serve upon any other party written interrogatories to be answered by the parties served or, if the party served is a public or private corporation or a partnership or association or governmental agency, by any officer or agent, who shall furnish such information as is available to the party. Interrogatories may, without leave of court, be served upon the plaintiff after commencement of the action and upon any other party with or after service of the summons and complaint upon that party. Unless otherwise ordered or stipulated, no party may serve on any other party more than 50 interrogatories in the aggregate. Each subpart shall be counted as a separate interrogatory. Additional interrogatories may be submitted for good cause only by leave of court.

    Each interrogatory shall be answered separately and fully in writing under oath unless it is objected to in which event the reasons for objection shall be stated in lieu of an answer. The party answering the interrogatories shall set forth a verbatim recopy of each of the interrogatories, followed by the answer thereto. The answers are to be signed by the person making them, and the objections signed by the attorney making them. The party upon whom the interrogatories have been served shall serve a copy of the answers, and objections if any, within 30 days after the service of the interrogatories, except that a defendant may serve answers or objections within 45 days after service of the summons and complaint upon that defendant. The court may allow a shorter or longer time. The party submitting the interrogatories may move for an order under Rule 37(a) with respect to any objection to or other failure to answer an interrogatory.