Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_07-cv-00798/USCOURTS-caed-1_07-cv-00798-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 365
Nature of Suit: Personal Injury - Product Liability
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Product Liability

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ALEX GALINDO, et al., CASE NO. CV F 07-0798 LJO GSA

Plaintiffs, ORDER TO REFER TO VOLUNTARY DISPUTE

RESOLUTION PROGRAM AND TO APPOINT

vs. NEUTRAL EVALUATOR 

BALTIMORE AIRCOIL CO., et al.,

Defendants.

 /

The parties have agreed to participate in this Court’s Voluntary Dispute Resolution Program

(“VDRP”) and to the selection of Richard C. Watters (“Mr. Watters”) as neutral evaluator. To that end,

this Court appoints Mr. Watters to serve as neutral evaluator. On the basis of good cause, this Court

ORDERS:

1. This action is referred to VDRP to be conducted pursuant to this Court’s Local Rule 16-

271;

2. Mr. Watters is selected as the neutral evaluator effective December 5, 2007. Mr.Watters

is directed to contact the parties’ counsel to arrange a VDRP session; and

3. This Court’s clerk is directed to mail a copy of this order to Richard C. Watters, Miles,

Sears & Eanni, 2844 Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93721.

/ / /

/ / /

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BACKGROUND ON VDRP

As a convenience to the parties, the Court provides the following background on VDRP:

VDRP’s purpose is to reduce the cost of litigation. Toward this end, VDRP gives litigants an

early opportunity to present their case to a neutral attorney with considerable experience in the relevant

subject area, to see a comparable presentation by their opponent, to receive an objective evaluation of

the relative strengths and weaknesses of the parties' positions, to discuss early settlement, and, if no

settlement can be reached, to develop a streamlined discovery plan that will produce efficiently

necessary information to explore the possibility of settlement more thoroughly. Here are a few important

points regarding VDRP:

1. Lead trial counsel and their clients, or an authorized representative with settlement

authority, will be required to attend the VDRP session in person.

2. There is no charge to use the VDRP service.

3. The parties should limit pre-VDRP discovery to matters essential to making the VDRP

session meaningful. One of VDRP purposes is to save the parties some of the costs of

discovery.

4. The parties are required to submit a written statement to the neutral evaluator (and send

a copy to opposing counsel) no less than seven calendar days prior to the VDRP session.

Such statements may not exceed ten pages and shall provide/address:

 A. A brief statement of the facts;

B. The pertinent principles of law;

C. The legal and factual issues in dispute;

 D. Whether there are any legal or factual issues the early resolution of which

 might reduce the scope of the dispute or contribute significantly to the

productivity of settlement discussions;

E. The discovery that promises to contribute most to meaningful settlement

negotiations; 

 F. The person(s) in addition to counsel who will attend the session as that

party's representative with settlement authority; and

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G. Documents or physical evidence, if any, central to an understanding of

the dispute.

5. At the VDRP session, each party will be expected to make a short (perhaps 15-30

minutes) informal presentation of the party’sside of the case with supporting documents

to the extent practicable.

6. All written and oral statementsmade in connection with the VDRP session are absolutely

confidential and cannot be used in any aspect of the case for any purpose. The neutral

evaluator will not communicate with the assigned judge about the merits of the case or

about what occurred at the VDRP session other than whether the case settled.

7. After the parties present their case and answer questions, the neutral evaluator will

explore settlement by caucusing with the parties, communicating offers and counter

offers, and utilizing mediation techniques to focus the parties and their attorneys on their

chances of success on legal and factual issues, to quantify that chance of success, and to

assess the costs of continuing to litigate unresolved issues.

8. If settlement efforts fail, the neutral evaluator will give his/her opinion of each party's

chance of success, the range of damages, and his/her opinion of the probable outcome

if the case were tried.

9. The neutral evaluator's assessments and recommendations will be purely advisory, will

not be communicated to the Court, and can have no binding effect on discovery, motion

practice, or other aspects of preparation for trial. Only the assigned judge can control

these matters.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: December 5, 2007 /s/ Lawrence J. O'Neill 

66h44d UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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