Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-4_06-cv-00089/USCOURTS-azd-4_06-cv-00089-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 350
Nature of Suit: Motor Vehicle Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 28:2671 Federal Tort Claims Act

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 Clerk’s record number.

WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Allstate Insurance Company, a

Corporation, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

United States of America; United States

Air Force; Thomas E. Stephenson, and if

married, Jane Doe Stephenson, husband

and wife; et al., 

Defendants. 

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No. CIV 06-089-GEE

ORDER

Pending before the court is a motion to dismiss filed on June 16, 2006, by the

defendant, Thomas E. Stephenson. [#11]1

. The plaintiff, Allstate Insurance Company

(Allstate), filed a response.

The plaintiff in this case, Allstate, is subrogating the claim of its insured, Lisa Carzoli

whose vehicle was rear-ended by a vehicle operated by the defendant, Stephenson. Allstate

alleges that, at the time of the accident, Stephenson was acting within the scope of his

employment as a member of the United States Air Force and brings this action pursuant to

the Federal Tort Claims Act. Stephenson moves that this court dismiss him as a party

because he is statutorily immune from suit.

Case 4:06-cv-00089-GEE Document 25 Filed 11/20/06 Page 1 of 4
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 The complaint also references 39 U.S.C. § 409 and 28 U.S.C. § 1339, but these statutes

concern actions against the U.S. Postal Service and are inapposite to the instant action.

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Magistrate Judge Edmonds presides over this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c)(1)

having received the written consent of all parties.

Neither party requested a hearing, and the court finds the motion suitable for decision

without oral argument. The motion to dismiss will be granted. Taking the allegations in

Allstate’s complaint to be true, Stephenson cannot be a party to an action brought pursuant

to the Federal Tort Claims Act. 28 U.S.C.A. § 2679(b)(1).

Factual and Procedural Background

On May 5, 2004, Lisa Carzoli was involved in a four-vehicle traffic accident

apparently caused by the defendant, Thomas E. Stephenson, who rear-ended Carzoli, who

then rear-ended the vehicle in front of her which, in turn, rear-ended the first vehicle in line.

(Plaintiff’s response, Exhibit A.) At the time of the accident, Stephenson was a captain in

the U.S. Air Force, and was driving a vehicle with U.S. Air Force license plates. Id.

After the accident, Stephenson was given a traffic citation for failure to control speed

to avoid an accident and a criminal citation for failure to remain at an accident scene with

injury. Id.

Carzoli’s vehicle sustained approximately $ 8,000 in damage. (Complaint.) Allstate,

as her insurer, paid this sum (less a deductible) to Carzoli, and accordingly, her claim is now

subrogated to Allstate. Id.

On February 23, 2006, Allstate filed a complaint alleging Stephenson negligently

caused the accident while acting within the course and scope of his employment with the

U.S. Air Force. Accordingly, it brings this action pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act,

28 U.S.C. §§ 2671-2680.2

 (Complaint.)

On June 16, 2006, the defendant, Thomas E. Stephenson, filed the instant motion to

dismiss pursuant to FED.R.CIV.P. 12(b)(6). He claims he should be dismissed from the action

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because he is statutorily immune from suit. Allstate filed a response arguing the motion is

not ripe.

On July 10, 2006, the government filed a motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction.

The government argues Stephenson was not acting within the course and scope of his

employment when he caused the accident.

Standard: Failure to State a Claim Upon Which Relief Can be Granted

A complaint may be dismissed for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be

granted only if “it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support

of the claim which would entitle the plaintiff to relief.” Thompson v. Davis, 295 F.3d 890,

895 (9th Cir. 2002), cert. denied, 538 U.S. 921 (2003). “[I]t may appear on the face of the

pleadings that a recovery is very remote and unlikely but that is not the test.” Scheuer v.

Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 236 (1974), overruled on other grounds by, Harlow v. Fitzgerald,

457 U.S. 800 (1982). “The issue is not whether a plaintiff will ultimately prevail but whether

the claimant is entitled to offer evidence to support the claims.” Id.

 In considering the motion, “[a]ll allegations of material fact are taken as true and

construed in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. . . .” Simpson v. AOL Time

Warner Inc., 452 F.3d 1040, 1046 (9th Cir. 2006). Nevertheless, “conclusory allegations of

law” and “unwarranted inferences” are, by themselves, insufficient to defeat the motion. Id.

Discussion

The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), 28 U.S.C. §§ 1346(b), 2671, et seq., “provides

a limited waiver of the sovereign immunity of the United States for torts committed by

federal employees acting within the scope of their employment.” Nurse v. United States, 226

F.3d 996, 1000 (9th Cir. 2000). The government accepts liability “under circumstances where

the United States, if a private person, would be liable to the claimant in accordance with the

law of the place where the act or omission occurred.” 28 U.S.C. § 1346(b)(1). 

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This remedy against the United States, however, is exclusive of any other civil action

against the employee. “Any other civil action or proceeding for money damages arising out

of or relating to the same subject matter against the employee . . . is precluded . . . .” 28 

U.S.C. § 2679(b)(1).

Allstate alleges in its complaint that Stephenson negligently caused the accident while

acting within the course and scope of his employment with the U.S. Air Force. Taking these

allegations as true, as the court must, Stephenson is immune from suit. See Kee v. U. S., 168

F.3d 1133, 1135-36 (9th Cir. 1999).

Allstate argues in its response that Stephenson’s motion is not ripe because the

government has filed a motion to dismiss pursuant to FED.R.CIV.P. 12(b)(1) and “a 12(b)(1)

motion must be decided before other motions as they will become moot if dismissal is

granted” citing Orient v. Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine, 936 F.Supp. 704,

706 (D. Ariz. 1996). In the instant case, however, resolution of the government’s motion

cannot cause the dismissal of the entire case. Accordingly, there is no savings of judicial

resources to be had by delaying the court’s ruling on the instant motion. Accordingly,

IT IS ORDERED THAT the motion to dismiss filed on June 16, 2006, by the

defendant, Thomas E. Stephenson, is GRANTED. [#11] Stephenson is dismissed as a

party to this action.

DATED this 17th day of November, 2006.

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