Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-00865/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-00865-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 110
Nature of Suit: Insurance
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Fed. Question

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

NEWELL L. deROCHE,

Plaintiff,

 v.

UNITED HEALTHCARE,

Defendant /

No. C-06-0865 MMC

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND

DENYING IN PART PLAINTIFF’S

UNOPPOSED REQUEST FOR

EXTENSION OF DEADLINE TO FILE

AMENDED COMPLAINT AND FOR

PRODUCTION OF PLAN SUMMARY

(Docket No. 25)

Before the Court is plaintiff’s request, filed August 22, 2006, for a six-month

extension of the August 25, 2006 deadline to file an amended complaint, and for an order

requiring defendant to provide him with a copy of the “GE United HealthCare Plan

Summary.” To date, defendant has not filed a response to plaintiff’s request. For the

reasons set forth below, the request is hereby GRANTED in part and DENIED in part.

On July 26, 2006, the Court granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment with

respect to plaintiff’s claims for breach of contract, on the ground such claims are preempted

by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”), and afforded plaintiff

leave to file an amended complaint, no later than August 25, 2006, for the purpose of

asserting an ERISA claim. 

Plaintiff now states he needs a six-month extension of the August 25, 2006 deadline

in order to continue his search for counsel to represent him in the instant action or, if he is

Case 3:06-cv-00865-MMC Document 26 Filed 08/31/06 Page 1 of 2
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unable to obtain counsel, to afford him additional time to attempt to assert an ERISA claim

himself. Although plaintiff has not set forth good cause for a six-month extension of the

deadline, plaintiff has set forth good cause for a shorter extension. Accordingly, to the

extent plaintiff seeks an extension, the request is hereby GRANTED in part, and the

deadline for plaintiff to file an amended complaint is hereby EXTENDED from August 25,

2006 to September 29, 2006.

To the extent plaintiff seeks a copy of the “GE United HealthCare Plan Summary,”

the request is hereby GRANTED. Defendant shall provide plaintiff with a copy of the

applicable summary plan description no later than September 8, 2006. See 29 U.S.C. §

1024(b)(4) (requiring plan administrator to provide copy of summary plan description upon

written request of any participant or beneficiary). All future requests by plaintiff during the

course of the instant litigation, whether for documents or other information, shall be

directed to defendant in writing, pursuant to the applicable Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

governing discovery. See, e.g., Fed. R. Civ. P. 26 through 36.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 31, 2006 

MAXINE M. CHESNEY

United States District Judge

Case 3:06-cv-00865-MMC Document 26 Filed 08/31/06 Page 2 of 2