Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_06-cv-04682/USCOURTS-cand-5_06-cv-04682-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 365
Nature of Suit: Personal Injury - Product Liability
Cause of Action: 28:1446 Petition for Removal- Personal Injury

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STIPULATION TO CONTINUE PRETRIAL CONFERENCE DATE AND ALL RELATED DATES AND 

DEADLINES; [PROPOSED] ORDER

218701.1 0170-15624 

LAW OFFICES

SHAW, TERHAR &

LAMONTAGNE, LLP

John W. Shaw [State Bar No. 82802] 

SHAW, TERHAR & LaMONTAGNE, LLP 

707 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 3060 

Los Angeles, California 90017 

Telephone: (213) 614-0400 

Facsimile: (213) 629-4534 

Attorneys for Defendant 

COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION, 

HOMEDICS-U.S.A., INC. (erroneously sued and 

served herein as “U.S.A.-HoMEDICS, INC.”) and 

TAYLOR PRECISION PRODUCTS, INC. 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

GINA DRAKE, 

Plaintiff, 

vs. 

COSTCO WHOLESALE 

CORPORATION, U.S.A.-HoMEDICS, 

INC., TAYLOR PRECISION 

PRODUCTS, INC., and DOES 1 through 

100, inclusive, , 

Defendant. 

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Case No. C 06 04682 JW 

STIPULATION TO CONTINUE 

PRETRIAL CONFERENCE DATE 

AND ALL RELATED DATES AND 

DEADLINES; [PROPOSED] 

ORDER 

Complaint Filed: June 27, 2006 

The parties, by and through their respective counsel of record, hereby stipulate 

to continue the pretrial conference date and related cut-off dates/deadlines as follows: 

ISSUE: ORIGINAL DATE: PROPOSED DATE:

Pretrial Conference: November 19, 2007 April 14, 2008 

This Stipulation may be executed and submitted to the court in counterparts 

and a faxed copy of any and all necessary signature pages to this Stipulation may be 

submitted to the court in lieu of the originals. 

The following good cause exists for the court to grant this Stipulation in its 

entirety: 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORN

I

A

IT IS SO ORDERED

AS MODIFIED

Judge James Ware

Case 5:06-cv-04682-JW Document 22 Filed 11/07/07 Page 1 of 4
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STIPULATION TO CONTINUE PRETRIAL CONFERENCE DATE AND ALL RELATED DATES AND 

DEADLINES; [PROPOSED] ORDER

218701.1 0170-15624 

LAW OFFICES

SHAW, TERHAR &

LAMONTAGNE, LLP

1. Plaintiff GINA DRAKE (“MS. DRAKE”) alleges that she suffered a 

laceration to her foot on 16 August 2005 from the use of a glass scale distributed by 

defendant HOMEDICS-U.S.A., INC. (“HOMEDICS”) that she purchased from 

defendant COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION, INC. (“COSTCO”). 

2. MS. DRAKE has sued HOMEDICS and COSTCO under the theories of 

product liability and negligence. 

3. MS. DRAKE claims that the scale was defective in breaking into pieces 

that cut her foot. 

4. COSTCO and HOMEDICS contend that the scale was not defective. 

5. MS. DRAKE’S medical condition has recently and progressively 

deteriorated, such that it is presently uncertain as to the extent of her claimed injury 

and damages that is at issue in this case. Plaintiff is now claiming a number of 

worsening conditions, including severe and chronic neurological deficits and a 

severely compromised immune system. Her medical treatment is now aggressively 

treating different systemic problems, including RSD. Most recently, in the last few 

months, MS. DRAKE has commenced a new “experimental” type of treatment, 

including gamma globulin injections, in an attempt to boost her immune system. 

Each treatment costs $40,000.00. She receives one treatment each month. Plaintiff 

has identified for the first time those doctors involved in the latest treatments. 

Defendants have not had an opportunity to examine these records that have been 

subpoenaed. These treatments are scheduled for three more months, at which time 

her medical condition will presumably be stabilized. At that time, the extent of 

plaintiff’s medical condition will be ready for evaluation by the parties to this 

litigation and the court. 

6. In order to have a fair and equitable trial of all issues in this case, it will 

be necessary for the parties to know the extent and nature of plaintiff’s medical 

condition and claimed injury. A brief continuance of the pre-trial hearing will 

Case 5:06-cv-04682-JW Document 22 Filed 11/07/07 Page 2 of 4
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STIPULATION TO CONTINUE PRETRIAL CONFERENCE DATE AND ALL RELATED DATES AND 

DEADLINES; [PROPOSED] ORDER

218701.1 0170-15624 

LAW OFFICES

SHAW, TERHAR &

LAMONTAGNE, LLP

determine the extent of the injury and treatments. It would be in the interests of 

justice to do so. 

7. The parties have agreed to mediate this case before private mediator 

Justice Christopher C. Cottle (Ret.), former Presiding Justice of the California Court 

of Appeal. Justice Cottle has dates available in January, 2008 after plaintiff has 

completed her treatments. Justice Cottle is an expert in these types of bodily injury 

cases. It will be necessary to have certainty as to plaintiff’s medical condition in 

order to have a meaningful mediation. It is anticipated that MS. DRAKE’s medical 

condition will have stabilized in the next three months and the case will be postured 

to best maximize resolution efforts through mediation. The parties are guardedly 

optimistic that the case may be voluntarily resolved if allowed to proceed to a 

meaningful mediation. 

/ / / 

/ / / 

Case 5:06-cv-04682-JW Document 22 Filed 11/07/07 Page 3 of 4
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STIPULATION TO CONTINUE PRETRIAL CONFERENCE DATE AND ALL RELATED DATES AND 

DEADLINES; [PROPOSED] ORDER

218701.1 0170-15624 

LAW OFFICES

SHAW, TERHAR &

LAMONTAGNE, LLP

8. The continuation of the above-referenced pre-trial date and related cutoff dates/deadlines will not adversely affect any of the parties to this action. 

Dated: November , 2007 RICHARD E. DAMON, PC 

By: 

Richard E. Damon 

Attorneys for Plaintiff 

GINA DRAKE 

Dated: November , 2007 SHAW, TERHAR & LaMONTAGNE, LLP 

By: 

John W. Shaw 

Attorneys for Defendant 

COSTCO WHOLESALE 

CORPORATION, HOMEDICSU.S.A., INC. (erroneously sued and 

served herein as “U.S.A.-

HoMEDICS, INC.”) and TAYLOR 

PRECISION PRODUCTS, INC. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: November , 2007 

Hon. James Ware 

Judge, United States District Court 

 To accommodate the parties' efforts in resolving the case through mediation, the Court 

continues the Preliminary Pretrial Conference currently set for November 19, 2007 to February 

25, 2008 at 11 AM. The parties shall complete their mediation by January 31, 2008 and file a 

Joint Preliminary Pretrial Statement by February 15, 2008. The statement shall, inter alia, 

update the Court regarding the progress of mediation and the parties' readiness for trial. 

Dated: November 7, 2007 ________________________________ 

 JAMES WARE 

United States District Judge 

Case 5:06-cv-04682-JW Document 22 Filed 11/07/07 Page 4 of 4