Art. 1459 Interrogatories to parties; scope; use at trial

If you're involved in a lawsuit, one side can send the other side written questions called interrogatories. These questions have to cover the same types of topics that are allowed in other kinds of discovery, like facts about the case, documents, expert opinions, and similar matters. Basically, if you're allowed to ask about something during discovery in general, you can also ask about it through interrogatories.

The answers a party gives to these questions aren't just paperwork that sits in a file. They can actually be used later at trial. However, they can only be used in ways that follow the normal rules of evidence. This means someone can't just introduce an interrogatory answer however they want. It has to fit within the same evidence rules that apply to other testimony or statements used in court.

In practical terms, this rule tells people that written answers given during discovery can come back into play at trial. So it's important to answer these questions carefully and honestly, since what you say in writing early in a case can be used against you or in your favor later on.