Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-03700/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-03700-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 362
Nature of Suit: Medical Malpractice
Cause of Action: 28:1441 Petition for Removal- Personal Injury

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER FOR DISMISSAL WITH PREJUDICE

No. C 06-3700 EDL

KEVIN V. RYAN (SBN 118321)

United States Attorney

JOANN M. SWANSON (SBN 88143)

Chief, Civil Division

JONATHAN U. LEE (SBN 148792)

Assistant United States Attorney

450 Golden Gate Avenue, Tenth Floor

San Francisco, California 94102

Telephone: (415) 436-6909

Facsimile: (415) 436-6748

Email: jonathan.lee@usdoj.gov

Attorneys for Federal Defendants

Ellen Weiss, M.D., Nathan Copple, M.D., Open Door

Community Health Centers, Connie Frugoni, M.D.,

and United Indian Health Services, Inc. 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

WESLEY COLLVER, and JEREMY

RAYMOND, a minor,

Plaintiff,

v.

ELLEN WEISS, OPEN DOOR

COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER

MEDICAL CLINIC, PACIFIC HEART

GROUP, INC., DAVID PLOSS, JAMES

QUILLEN, CORINNE FRUGONI,

NATHAN COPPLE, UNITED INDIAN

HEALTH SERVICES, AND DOES 1 TO

50, 

Defendants.

 

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No. C 06-3700 EDL

STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED]

ORDER FOR DISMISSAL OF

CERTAIN INDIVIDUAL AND ENTITY

DEFENDANTS WITH PREJUDICE

AND FOR SUBSTITUTION OF THE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS A

NAMED DEFENDANT AS REQUIRED

BY THE FEDERAL TORT CLAIMS

ACT

SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE COURT, THE PARTIES BELOW

STIPULATE AND REQUEST ENTRY OF AN ORDER AS INDICATED:

1. The parties to this stipulation are plaintiffs Wesley Collver and Jeremy Raymond,

on the one hand, and defendants Ellen Weiss, M.D., Nathan Copple, M.D., Open

Case 3:06-cv-03700-EDL Document 13 Filed 08/18/06 Page 1 of 7
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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER FOR DISMISSAL WITH PREJUDICE

No. C 06-3700 EDL

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Door Community Health Center Medical Clinic (“Open Door”), Connie Frugoni,

M.D., and United Indian Health Services, Inc. (“UIHS”) as well as the United

States of America, on the other hand. 

2. The purpose of this stipulation is to correct the pleadings to reflect the proper

party defendant in this Federal Tort Claims Act case, namely the United States of

America, which will – subject to the approval of the Court as described herein –

be substituted in as the sole federally-affiliated defendant in place of defendants

Ellen Weiss, M.D., Nathan Copple, M.D., Open Door Community Health Center

Medical Clinic (“Open Door”), Connie Frugoni, M.D., and United Indian Health

Services, Inc. (“UIHS”) The remaining defendants Pacific Heart Group, Inc.,

David Ploss, M.D., and James Quillen, M.D., are not dismissed by this

stipulation.

3. Plaintiffs Wesley Collver and Jeremy Raymond allege that Defendants treated a

nonparty, Rick Polzin, for a heart condition that caused him to suffer blackout

spells and syncope episodes. As such, Defendants “were under a duty to report

Polzin’s condition under California Health & Safety Code 103900 to the Local

Health Officer so that the California Department of Motor Vehicles would be

notified so it could revoke or suspend Polzin’s driver’s license since it was unsafe

for him to drive.” 

4. Plaintiffs further allege that Defendants did not report Polzin and on March 5,

2004, at Guintoli Lane and Highway 101, in Arcata, California, Polzin suffered a

syncope or near-syncope episode while driving, and struck a vehicle driven by

Collver and occupied by Raymond causing the traumatic amputation of Collver’s

left arm, and physical and emotional injuries to Raymond upon witnessing the

carnage. 

5. On or about March 7, 2005, Wesley Collver and Jeremy Raymond, a minor and

Mr. Collver’s son, filed suit in the Superior Court of California, Humboldt

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER FOR DISMISSAL WITH PREJUDICE

No. C 06-3700 EDL

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County, Case No. DR 050111, against defendants Ellen Weiss, M.D., Corinne

Frugoni, M.D., Nathan Copple, M.D., Open Door Community Health Centers

Medical Clinic, Pacific Heart Group, Inc., David Ploss, M.D., James Quillen,

M.D., County of Humboldt, and Humboldt County Department of Health

Services. 

6. On October 5, 2005, the United States Attorney’s Office filed a notice of removal

of the action on behalf of Defendants Ellen Weiss and Open Door Community

Health Centers, removing plaintiff’s lawsuit from Humboldt County Superior

Court to this Court;

7. The Federal Tort Claims Act provides the exclusive remedy for torts committed

by the federal government, through the conduct of its employees or persons

deemed to be acting in furtherance of the federal government under federal

contracts. In such situations, sovereign immunity is waived on a limited basis,

but such actions must be brought solely against the United States. 28 U.S.C. §

2679(b)(1). 

8. If federal employees or persons deemed to be acting in furtherance of the federal

government under federal contracts are sued in state court, the acion shall be

removed “at any time, before trial” and the action is deemed one against the

United States, which must be substituted in as the named defendant. 28 U.S.C. §

2679(d)(2). Upon removal by the United States, the entire case is removed, even

if the other defendants could not have removed the case. In Re Agent Orange

Product Liability Litig., 304 F.Supp.2d 442, 450 (E.D.N.Y. 2004).

9. On November 15, 2005, the Plaintiffs and Defendants Weiss, Open Door,

Frugoni, and UIHS filed a Joint Stipulation and Proposed Order for Dismissal

Without Prejudice. On November 16, 2005, the Honorable Marilyn Hall Patel

entered an order dismissing the entire case (as opposed to only the moving

parties) and the case was closed. 

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER FOR DISMISSAL WITH PREJUDICE

No. C 06-3700 EDL

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10. The case was remanded to Humboldt County Superior Court on February 24,

2006, which was acknowledged on March 6, 2006.

11. On November 7, 2005, Counsel for Plaintiffs, Steven J. Brady filed an

administrative claim with the Department of Health and Human Services

(“DHHS”) on behalf of his clients, Wesley Collver and Jeremy Raymond, in

which Collver demanded $1 million and Raymond $100,000 in damages, for

injuries sustained in the automobile accident that occurred on March 5, 2004. 

12. In their administrative claims, Plaintiffs alleged the following:

Physician Ellen Weiss acting in the course and scope of her employment

as a Federal employee of the Open Door Community Health Center’s

Medical Clinic and physician Connie Frugoni acting in the course and

scope of her employment as a Federal employee of the United Indian

Health Services, Inc.[,] provided care and treatment to Rich Dean Polzin

who was suffering from a debilitating heart condition that caused him to

black out and lose consciousness. Under California Health and Safety

Code 103900, Weiss had a duty to report Polzin’s condition to the local

health official and/or DMV. Weiss and Open Door failed to do so, and

Polzin passed out while driving and struck an oncoming vehicle.

13. DHHS did not make a final determination on Plaintiffs’ claim within six months;

therefore, plaintiffs exhausted their administrative remedies as of May 7, 2006. 

On May 26, 2006, Counsel for Plaintiffs Steven Brady provided a copy of the

Amendment to Second Amended Complaint in the Humboldt County Action to

the United States Attorney’s Office.

14. On June 9, 2006, the United States Attorney’s Office filed a Notice of Removal,

and the matter was assigned to this Court.

15. On June 22, 2006, Counsel met and conferred regarding the status and procedural

posture of this case and came to this stipulated agreement.

16. As noted above generally, under the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C.§§

1346(b), 2401(b), and 2671-2680 (“FTCA”), the United States is liable for money

damages for personal injury caused by the negligent or wrongful acts or

omissions of a federal employee acting within the scope of employment under

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER FOR DISMISSAL WITH PREJUDICE

No. C 06-3700 EDL

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circumstances or a person deemed to be acting in furtherance of a federallyfunded contract, where the United States, if a private individual, would be liable

according to the law of the place where the incident occurred. 

17. Pursuant to 25 U.S.C § 450f(d), tribal organizations and Indian contractors are

deemed part of the Public Health Service (“PHS”) in DHHS, and the FTCA is the

exclusive remedy for personal injury, including death, caused by an employee or

contractor, acting within the scope of their employment, while carrying out a

contract, grant agreement, or cooperative agreement with a tribal organization for

the provision of services in any facility owned, operated, or constructed under the

jurisdiction of the Department of Health & Human Services–Indian Health

Service (“DHHS–IHS”).

18. UIHS is a tribally operated facility under Title I, P.L. 93-638, which entered into

a Self-Determination Contract with the DHHS–IHS.

19. Dr. Corrine Frugoni has been employed at UIHS from 1992, until the present. 

Thus, UIHS and its employee, Dr. Frugoni, are deemed to be employees of the

PHS under 42 U.S.C. § 233(a), and are “employee[s] of the government” for the

purposes of 28 U.S.C. § 2679.

20. The Secretary of Health and Human Services deemed Open Door Community

Health Centers eligible for FTCA coverage pursuant to the Federally Supported

Health Centers Assistance Act (“FSHCAA”), 42 U.S.C. § 233(g)-(n), on February

1, 1999. 

21. Dr. Ellen Weiss and Dr. Nathan Copple have been employed at Open Door from

1992, until the present. By operation of the FSHCAA, Open Door, Dr. Weiss,

and Dr. Copple are covered under the FTCA.

22. This Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over defendants Weiss, Frugoni,

Copple, Open Door and UIHS, because none of those defendants is a proper

defendant under the Federal Tort Claims Act. 28 U.S.C. § 2679(a). Therefore,

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER FOR DISMISSAL WITH PREJUDICE

No. C 06-3700 EDL

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dismissal of defendants Weiss, Frugoni, Copple, Open Door and UIHS is

appropriate. Substitution of the United States of America as defendant is likewise

appropriate. Therefore, the caption in this case will name the United States of

America as defendant and previously-named defendants Weiss, Frugoni, Copple,

Open Door and UIHS will no longer appear in the caption or be a party.

23. The United States agrees to make Drs. Weiss, Copple and Frugoni available for

their deposition and for trial testimony, subject to the rules of civil procedure

applicable to said testimony, as if Drs. Weiss, Copple, and Frugoni were

employees of the United States, unless however any of these doctors is no longer

employed with or working for Open Door or UIHS, in which case the United

States will provide the last known address information to plaintiff.

24. The parties further agree that claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act, this case

will be tried to the Court, not to a jury. 28 U.S.C. § 2402. 

25. The parties request that the Court grant the proposed order. On or before July 31,

2006, plaintiff will file an amended complaint with a caption consistent with the

terms of this stipulation. Within 30 days after plaintiff’s filing, defendant United

States of America will file its answer or responsive pleading.

SO STIPULATED.

Dated: June 29, 2006 LAW OFFICES OF STEVEN J. BRADY

 /s/ 

STEVEN J. BRADY, ESQ.

Attorneys for Plaintiffs Wesley Collver 

and Jeremy Raymond

Dated: June 29, 2006 KEVIN V. RYAN

United States Attorney

 /s/ 

JONATHAN U. LEE

Assistant United States Attorney

Attorneys for Defendant USA

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER FOR DISMISSAL WITH PREJUDICE

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[PROPOSED] ORDER

PURSUANT TO STIPULATION, IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: ___________________ _________________________________________ 

THE HONORABLE ELIZABETH D. LAPORTE

United States Magistrate Judge

August 18, 2006

U

NITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IT IS SO ORDERED

Judge Elizabeth D. Laporte

Case 3:06-cv-03700-EDL Document 13 Filed 08/18/06 Page 7 of 7