Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-87-02334/USCOURTS-ca10-87-02334-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 360
Nature of Suit: Other Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 

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UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT FILED 

THE ESTATE OF PAUL HARP, 

by and through its Personal 

Representative Kelley D. Harp, 

Plaintiff-Appellant, 

v . 

FRANK H. VORE, JR., 

Defendant-Appellee. 

KELLEY D. HARP, 

Plaintiff-Appellant , 

v . 

FRANK H. VORE, JR., 

Defendant-Appellee . 

Unit.ed Stat.ea Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit 

~ JAN 2 41989 

) 

> ROBERT L. HOECKER 

> Clerk 

) 

) No. 87-2334 

) (D . C. No. 87-88-C) 

) (E.D. Okla.) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) No. 87-2839 

) (D.C. No. 87-402-C) 

) (E.D. Okla.) 

) 

) 

ORDER AND JUDGMENT 

Before McKAY, MOORE, and BRORBY, Circuit Judges. 

After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel 

has determined unanimously that oral argument would not materially 

assist the determination of these appeals. See Fed. R. App. P. 

34(a); 10th Cir. R. 34.1.8. 

submitted without oral argument. 

The . causes are therefore- ordered 

Appellate Case: 87-2334 Document: 01019962373 Date Filed: 01/24/1989 Page: 1 
These are appeals from orders of the district court 

dismissing wrongful death actions commenced by the daughter of the 

decedent . 

The record· shows the following chronology. Kelley D. Harp 

was born on August 9, 1968, and attained her majority on August 9, 

1986 . The incident which was the alleged ~ause of her father's 

death occurred on July 1, 1974. On January 22, 1987, Kelley D. 

Harp was appointed special administratrix of her father's estate. 

In substance, the allegations of both complaints are nearly 

the same. Both complaints alleged diversity of citizenship of the 

parties, and that the negligence of defendant was the proximate 

cause of decedent's death. Each complaint expressly sought 

damages for the daughter's loss of love, services, earnings, and 

companionship. 

The captions of the cases were as follows: 

1. Case No. 87-88-C, The Estate of Paul Harp, by and through 

i ts Personal Representative, Kelley D. Harp, plaintiff, v. 

Frank H. Vore, Jr., defendant. 

2. Case No. 87-402-C, Kelley D. Harp, plaintiff, v. Frank H. 

Vore, Jr . , defendant. 

In both cases, the district court dismissed the action 

because plaintiff failed to properly plead her capacity to sue. 

The pivotal issue is whether, under Oklahoma law, the 

actions, either or both of them, were commenced by a proper party. 

The starting point in our analysis is Fed. R. Civ. P. 9(a), which 

states that it is not necessary to allege the .authority of a party 

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Appellate Case: 87-2334 Document: 01019962373 Date Filed: 01/24/1989 Page: 2 
to sue in a representative capacity. The authority of a party to 

sue can, however, be challenged by an opposing party. 

Although helpful to the court, the caption usually 

is not considered part of the pleader's statement of 

claim ... and is not determinative as to the parties 

to the action or the court's· jurisdiction. A common 

defect in the caption is a misnomer regarding a party or 

an erroneous designation of capacity in which~ party is 

suing. If the body of the complaint correctly 

identifies the party .•• , courts generally will allow 

amendment ••• to correct technical defects in the 

caption. This seems appropriate inasmuch as a defective 

caption or even its complete absence is merely a formal 

error and should never be viewed as a fatal defect. · 

Wright & Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure, Civil 

§ 1321, pp. 458-61. 

The parties advise in their briefs that in Oklahoma an action 

for wrongful death is statutory and must be brought by the 

decedent's personal representative or, if there is no personal 

representative, by next of kin. 

While case No. 87-88-C was captioned The Estate of Paul Harp, 

by and through its Personal Representative, Kelley D. Harp, it 

seems reasonably clear that it was the pleader's intent to assert 

a claim by the personal representative. Defendant sought 

dismissal of the action for the reason that the named plaintiff 

was the Estate of Paul Harp, rather than the personal 

representative of the decedent. In our view, defendant's 

construction of the caption was hypertechnical and overlooked the 

true nature of the action as disclosed by the body of the 

complaint. 

Case No. 87-402-C was commenced by Kelley D. Harp in her 

capacity as next of kin of the deceden~. Defendant sought 

dismissal for the reason that the plaintiff had "been nominated 

3 

Appellate Case: 87-2334 Document: 01019962373 Date Filed: 01/24/1989 Page: 3 
' and selected as the personal repr~sentative for the Estate of Paul 

Harp." 

In neither case is it affi~matively shown that the actions 

were commenced by an improper party. Further, from the record 

before it, it appears that the district court through inadvertence 

may have been inconsistent in its consideration and analysis of 

the underly{ng cases. 

Accordingly, the judgments appealed from are VACATED. The 

matters are REMANDED to the district court for further 

consideration. Upon remand, the district court should consider 

consolidating the cases and affording the parties appropriate 

opportunity to amend the complaints to reflect a proper alignment 

of parties. 

The mandates shall issue forthwith. 

ENTERED FOR THE COURT 

PER CURIAM 

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Appellate Case: 87-2334 Document: 01019962373 Date Filed: 01/24/1989 Page: 4