Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_13-cv-00966/USCOURTS-azd-2_13-cv-00966-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 362
Nature of Suit: Medical Malpractice
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Medical Malpractice

---

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

WO 

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA 

Edward Blum and Nancy Blum,

Plaintiffs, 

v. 

Samuel Duran, Jr., et al., 

Defendants.

No. CV-13-00966-PHX-GMS

ORDER 

 Pending before the Court are Defendant Medical Protective Company’s Motion to 

Dismiss, (Doc. 15), and Motion to Stay Ruling on Motion to Dismiss Until Deadline for 

Filing Second Amended Complaint, (Doc. 18). For the following reasons, the Motion to 

Stay Ruling and the Motion to Dismiss are granted.1

BACKGROUND 

 This case arises out of negligent dental care which allegedly caused serious 

injuries to a patient. Plaintiff Edward Blum visited Defendant Dr. Samuel Duran, Jr., to 

replace a lost dental filling in March and April of 2011.2

 (Doc. 20, Second Am. Compl. at 

2.) During the second visit, Dr. Duran broke Mr. Blum’s tooth and then recommended a 

 

1

 The request for oral argument by Defendant Medical Protective Company is denied because the Parties have had an adequate opportunity to discuss the law and evidence, and oral argument will not aid the Court’s decision. See Lake at Las Vegas Investors Grp. v. Pac. Malibu Dev., 933 F.2d 724, 729 (9th Cir.1991). 

2

 The Court takes as true the allegations contained in Plaintiffs’ Second Amended 

Complaint at this stage of the litigation. Smith v. Jackson, 84 F.3d 1213, 1217 (9th Cir. 

1996). 

Case 2:13-cv-00966-DLR Document 25 Filed 10/02/13 Page 1 of 4
- 2 - 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

root canal and crown. (Id. at 3.) In May, Mr. Blum returned to Dr. Duran, but Dr. Duran 

mistakenly operated on the wrong tooth. (Id.) Later that month, Dr. Duran operated on 

the correct tooth but did not adequately medicate Mr. Blum and continued to work 

despite Mr. Blum’s objections that he was in pain. (Id. at 5.) 

 Following these procedures, Mr. Blum experienced debilitating pain and he went 

to the emergency room twice on May 29 to receive pain medication. (Id. at 6–7.) Mr. 

Blum’s health worsened dramatically and he was transported to the hospital with a high 

fever and elevated heart rate. (Id. at 7.) The attending doctors diagnosed Mr. Blum with 

septic shock and determined that the dental work had caused an infection that spread 

throughout his body. (Id. at 7–8.) Mr. Blum spent three days in intensive care and six 

weeks confined to his home while he received intravenous antibiotics. (Id. at 8–9.) 

 The Blums brought this action on May 10, 2013. (Doc. 1.) They filed a Second 

Amended Complaint (the “SAC”) on July 29. (Doc. 20.) They seek compensatory and 

punitive damages for Negligence against Dr. Duran and Defendant Medical Protective 

Company (“MedPro”). (Id. at 9–10.) MedPro is the company that insured Dr. Duran 

during the time of the conduct at issue. (Id. at 2.) 

DISCUSSION 

 MedPro’s Motion to Stay Ruling asks the Court to delay ruling on the Motion to 

Dismiss until the Blums filed the SAC or the deadline to do so had past. (Doc. 18 at 1.) 

MedPro further asks that the Court apply the Motion to Dismiss to whatever complaint is 

controlling. (Id.) The Blums filed the SAC on July 29, 2013. (Doc. 20.) The Court grants 

the Motion to Stay Ruling and now considers MedPro’s Motion to Dismiss as applied to 

the SAC.

I. LEGAL STANDARD 

 Rule 12(b)(6) is designed to “test the legal sufficiency of a claim.” Navarro v. 

Block, 250 F.3d 729, 732 (9th Cir. 2001). To survive dismissal for failure to state a claim 

pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), a complaint must contain more than 

“labels and conclusions” or a “formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action”; 

Case 2:13-cv-00966-DLR Document 25 Filed 10/02/13 Page 2 of 4
- 3 - 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

it must contain factual allegations sufficient to “raise a right to relief above the 

speculative level.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007). While “a 

complaint need not contain detailed factual allegations . . . it must plead ‘enough facts to 

state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Clemens v. DaimlerChrysler Corp.,

534 F.3d 1017, 1022 (9th Cir. 2008) (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570). “A claim has 

facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw 

the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Ashcroft 

v. Igbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556). Plausibility 

requires “more than a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully.” Twombly,

550 U.S. at 555. Accordingly, a plaintiff must do more than employ “labels,” 

“conclusions,” or a “formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action.” Id .

When analyzing a complaint for failure to state a claim under Rule 12(b)(6), “[a]ll 

allegations of material fact are taken as true and construed in the light most favorable to 

the nonmoving party.” Smith v. Jackson, 84 F.3d 1213, 1217 (9th Cir. 1996). However, 

legal conclusions couched as factual allegations are not given a presumption of 

truthfulness, and “conclusory allegations of law and unwarranted inferences are not 

sufficient to defeat a motion to dismiss.” Pareto v. FDIC, 139 F.3d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 

1998). 

II. DIRECT ACTIONS AGAINST INSURERS 

 In Arizona, “an injured person has no direct cause of action against a tortfeasor’s 

insurance company.” Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co. v. Ariz. Health Care Cost Containment 

Sys., 166 Ariz. 514, 518, 803 P.2d 925, 929 (Ct. App. 1990). Direct actions against 

insurers are only permitted if the injured party has obtained an assignment of the 

insured’s rights. Ring v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 147 Ariz. 32, 35, 708 P.2d 457, 

460 (Ct. App. 1985). This is because the insured, not the injured party, is the one in a 

fiduciary relationship with the insurer and the one that is harmed by an insurer’s bad 

faith. Id. 

 The Blums bring state law claims of Negligence. But MedPro is Dr. Duran’s 

Case 2:13-cv-00966-DLR Document 25 Filed 10/02/13 Page 3 of 4
- 4 - 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

insurer and only he can maintain a direct action against it under Arizona law. The SAC 

fails to state a claim against MedPro because the Blums do not allege that Dr. Duran 

assigned his rights to them. Further, the SAC contains no allegations of misconduct by 

MedPro. The Blums allege bad faith in their Response to the Motion to Dismiss, (Doc. 17 

at 2), but even if these allegations were incorporated into a third amended complaint, an 

assignment of rights would still be required. 

 MedPro’s also requests the costs and fees related to the Motion to Dismiss because 

it asserts that the Blums’ direct claim against it is “blatantly frivolous.” (Doc. 15 at 5.) 

While the Court rejects the Blums’ argument for direct action, it is a nonfrivolous 

argument for the modification or reversal of existing law. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(b)(2). 

The request for costs and fees against the Blums, who are proceeding pro se, is denied. 

 IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Defendant Medical Protective Company’s 

Motion to Dismiss, (Doc. 15), is granted. The Clerk of the Court is directed to terminate 

Defendant Medical Protection Company from this action. 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Defendant Medical Protection Company’s 

Motion to Stay Ruling on Motion to Dismiss Until Deadline for Filing Second Amended 

Complaint, (Doc. 18), is granted. 

 Dated this 2nd day of October, 2013. 

Case 2:13-cv-00966-DLR Document 25 Filed 10/02/13 Page 4 of 4