Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_24-cv-02184/USCOURTS-caed-2_24-cv-02184-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 110
Nature of Suit: Insurance
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Injunctive &amp; Declaratory Relief

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

----oo0oo----

THE TRAVELERS INDEMNITY

COMPANY OF CONNECTICUT, a 

Connecticut corporation; and 

TRAVELERS PROPERTY CASUALTY COMPANY 

OF AMERICA, a Connecticut 

corporation,

Plaintiffs,

v.

BUZZ OATES CONSTRUCTION, INC., a 

California corporation; ELITE 

READY-MIX, LLC, a California 

limited liability company; 

FINANCIAL PACIFIC INSURANCE 

COMPANY, a California corporation; 

RON NURSS, INC dba BLUELINE 

CONSTRUCTION, a California 

Corporation and DOES 1 through 10, 

inclusive,

Defendants.

No. 2:24-cv-02184 WBS AC

----oo0oo----

STATUS (PRETRIAL SCHEDULING) ORDER

After consulting with the parties at the scheduling 

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conference held December 2, 2024, and upon review of the parties’ 

joint status report (Docket No. 32), the court issues the 

following pretrial scheduling order: 

I. SERVICE OF PROCESS

All defendants have been served, and no further service 

is permitted without leave of court, good cause having been shown 

under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16(b).

II. JOINDER OF PARTIES/AMENDMENTS

The parties anticipate that (1) plaintiffs will amend 

the complaint to add additional declarations regarding its duty 

to defend and indemnify Buzz Oats Construction, Inc., Ron Nurss, 

Inc. dba Blueline Construction, and/or Elite Ready-Mix LLC 

against various cross-complaints filed in the underlying state 

court action, and (2) Buzz Oats anticipates filing a counterclaim 

against plaintiffs and a cross-claim against Financial Pacific 

Insurance Co. These and any other amendments to the pleadings 

shall be filed by October 3, 2025. 

III. JURISDICTION/VENUE

Jurisdiction is predicated upon 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a), 

because the parties have complete diversity, and the amount in 

controversy exceeds $75,000. Venue is undisputed and hereby 

found to be proper.

IV. DISCOVERY

The parties shall serve the initial disclosures 

required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(a)(1) on or before 

March 17, 2025.

The parties shall disclose experts and produce reports 

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in accordance with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(a)(2) by no 

later than February 27, 2026. With regard to expert testimony 

intended solely for rebuttal, those experts shall be disclosed 

and reports produced in accordance with Federal Rule of Civil 

Procedure 26(a)(2) on or before March 31, 2026.

All discovery, including depositions for preservation 

of testimony, is left open, save and except that it shall be so 

conducted as to be completed by April 30, 2026. The word 

“completed” means that all discovery shall have been conducted so 

that all depositions have been taken and any disputes relevant to 

discovery shall have been resolved by appropriate order if 

necessary and, where discovery has been ordered, the order has 

been obeyed. All motions to compel discovery must be noticed on 

the Magistrate Judge’s calendar in accordance with the local 

rules of this court and so that such motions may be heard (and 

any resulting orders obeyed) not later than April 30, 2026.

V. MOTION HEARING SCHEDULE

All motions, except motions for continuances, temporary 

restraining orders, or other emergency applications, shall be 

filed on or before June 30, 2026. All motions shall be noticed 

for the next available hearing date. Counsel are cautioned to 

refer to the local rules regarding the requirements for noticing 

and opposing such motions on the court’s regularly scheduled law 

and motion calendar.

In addition, the January 6, 2025 hearing on the motion 

to dismiss filed by defendant Ron Nurss, Inc. (Docket No. 34), is

hereby VACATED. The hearing and briefing schedule on the motion 

will be reset upon request of any party after final resolution of 

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the underlying state action, consistent with the court’s ruling 

in its order denying Buzz Oates’ motion to stay but delaying 

decision of all issues relating to insurance coverage until after 

the conclusion of the state action. (See Docket No. 33.)

VI. FINAL PRETRIAL CONFERENCE

The Final Pretrial Conference is set for September 8, 

2026, at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom No. 5. The conference shall be 

attended by at least one of the attorneys who will conduct the 

trial for each of the parties and by any unrepresented parties.

Counsel for all parties are to be fully prepared for 

trial at the time of the Pretrial Conference, with no matters 

remaining to be accomplished except production of witnesses for 

oral testimony. Counsel shall file separate pretrial statements 

and are referred to Local Rules 281 and 282 relating to the

contents of and time for filing those statements. In addition to 

those subjects listed in Local Rule 281(b), the parties are to 

provide the court with: (1) a plain, concise statement which 

identifies every non-discovery motion which has been made to the 

court, and its resolution; (2) a list of the remaining claims as 

against each defendant; and (3) the estimated number of trial 

days.

In providing the plain, concise statements of 

undisputed facts and disputed factual issues contemplated by 

Local Rule 281(b)(3)-(4), the parties shall emphasize the claims 

that remain at issue, and any remaining affirmatively pled 

defenses thereto. The parties shall also prepare a succinct 

statement of the case, which is appropriate for the court to read 

to the jury.

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VII. TRIAL SETTING

The jury trial is set for November 10, 2026, at 10:00 

a.m. The parties estimate that the trial will last 10-15 days.

VIII. SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE

Pursuant to the discussion with the parties at the 

scheduling conference, the parties shall contact the court with 

proposed dates for a settlement conference before a magistrate 

judge once defendant Financial Pacific Insurance Company has 

appeared in this case. Counsel are instructed to have a 

principal with full settlement authority present at the 

settlement conference or to be fully authorized to settle the 

matter on any terms. At least seven calendar days before the 

settlement conference, counsel for each party shall submit a 

confidential settlement conference statement for review by the 

settlement judge. The settlement conference statements shall not 

be filed and will not otherwise be disclosed to the trial judge.

IX. MODIFICATIONS TO SCHEDULING ORDER

Any requests to modify the dates or terms of this 

Scheduling Order, except requests to change the date of the 

trial, may be heard and decided by the assigned Magistrate Judge. 

All requests to change the trial date shall be heard and decided 

only by the undersigned judge.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: December 3, 2024

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