Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_11-cv-00582/USCOURTS-casd-3_11-cv-00582-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 380
Nature of Suit: Other Personal Property Damage
Cause of Action: 28:1346 Tort Claim

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

WILLIAM POLOWNIAK, ) Civil No. t j1cv 50~ JAH ("5i....ro) 

Plaintiff. ORDER GRANTING 

v. DEFENDANT'S UNOPPOSED 

MOTION TO DISMISS 

UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE, [Doc. No.5] 

Defendant. 

Plaintiff originally filed a complaint in the Small Claims Court of California, San 

Diego, seeking monetary relief for damage to a packaged juicer machine, naming the 

United States Postal Service as defendant. See Doc. No. 1. Defendant removed the 

action to federal court on March 23, 2011. See id. On May 5, 2011, Defendant filed the 

pending motion to dismiss. Plaintiff did not file an opposition or otherwise respond to the 

motion. The matter was set for hearing on July 29,2011, but was taken under submission 

without oral argument. 

Defendant's unopposed motion to dismiss seeks dismissal of the action for lack of 

subject matter jurisdiction and argues the United States is immune from suits arising from 

the negligent handling of postal service mail. The Federal Tort Claims Act ("FTCA") is 

the exclusive remedy for proceedings seeking damages against the United States. See 28 

U.S.c. § 2679. The FTCA is a limited waiver of the federal government's sovereign 

immunity. See Cadwalder v. United States, 45 F.3d 297,300 (9th CiT. 1995); Ierves v. 

United States, 966 F.2d 517, 518 (9th Cir. 1992). The United States retains sovereign 

Case 3:11-cv-00582-JAH-BLM Document 7 Filed 08/12/11 Page 1 of 2
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immunity for tort claims against it for "loss, miscarriage or negligent transmission" of the 

mails. See 28 U.S.c. § 2680(b); see also Anderson v. United States Postal Serv., 761 F.2d 

527 (9th Cir. 1985). Accordingly, Plaintiff's complaint for damage to a package shipped 

through the United States mail, is barred. 

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED: 

1. Defendant's unopposed motion to dismiss is GRANTED; 

2. The action is DISMISSED with prejudice; 

DATED: August 11,2011 

J-~~~ 1totes District Judge 

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Case 3:11-cv-00582-JAH-BLM Document 7 Filed 08/12/11 Page 2 of 2