Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-02471/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-02471-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 340
Nature of Suit: Marine Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 46:741 Shipping

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Plaintiffs’ Request for Miscellaneous Administrative Relief Continuing the 

Deadline to Conduct a Settlement Conference; and [Proposed] Order CASE NO. CIV. 05-2471 JSW

BANNING MICKLOW BULL & LOPEZ LLP

Eugene A. Brodsky, State Bar No. 36691

Kurt Micklow, State Bar No. 113974

Jennifer L. Fiore, State Bar No. 203618

One Market, Steuart Tower, Suite 1440

San Francisco, California 94105-1528

Telephone: (415) 399-9191

Facsimile: (415) 399-9192

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

JEFFERY L. LUQUE, individually and as 

Guardian ad Litem for CHRISTENE LUQUE,

a minor

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JEFFERY L. LUQUE, individually and as

Guardian ad Litem for CHRISTENE

LUQUE, a minor,

Plaintiffs,

vs.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Defendant.

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Civ. No: C 05-2471 JSW

PLAINTIFFS’ REQUEST FOR

MISCELLANEOUS

ADMINISTRATIVE RELIEF

CONTINUING THE

DEADLINE TO CONDUCT A

SETTLEMENT

CONFERENCE; AND

[PROPOSED] ORDER

Plaintiffs, JEFFREY L. LUQUE, individually and as Guardian ad Litem for

CHRISTENE LUQUE, a minor, and hereby request that the deadline to conduct

the settlement conference be continued to June 7, 2006, or as soon thereafter as

Magistrate Judge Larson is available. 

On October 19, 2005, the Court ordered that the settlement conference be

conducted by February 24, 2006. On January 19, 2006, Judge Larson issued an

order setting the settlement conference for February 15, 2006, at 2:00 p.m. 

On January 25, 2006, by way of letter from Plaintiffs’ counsel, the parties

requested that the settlement conference be continued to March 24, 2006. On

January 25, 2006, the parties also filed a Stipulation and [Proposed] Order

Case 3:05-cv-02471-JSW Document 19 Filed 03/21/06 Page 1 of 4
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Plaintiffs’ Request for Miscellaneous Administrative Relief Continuing the 

Deadline to Conduct a Settlement Conference; and [Proposed] Order CASE NO. CIV. 05-2471 JSW

Continuing the Deadline to Conduct a Settlement Conference from February 24,

2006 to March 24, 2006. 

GOOD CAUSE EXISTS FOR CONTINUING THE DEADLINE TO

CONDUCT A SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE

On March 14, 2006, Plaintiffs’ counsel met with Jeffrey L. Luque’s treating

physician, Joseph Meyers, M.D., to discuss Mr. Luque’s foot injury and ongoing

complaints. During the conference with Dr. Meyers, he advised that Mr. Luque is

suffering from metatarsalgia; Mr. Luque is permanently disabled and unable to

return to his pre-accident job as a Teamsters truck driver. Up until this point, it

had been hoped that Mr. Luque’s condition would improve so that he could return

to his former occupation. Mr. Luque, however, now needs to be evaluated by a

vocational rehabilitation expert in order for his damages and any mitigated

earnings to be properly evaluated. Given the recent development and need for

evaluation, Mr. Luque is not in a position to submit to a meaningful settlement

conference until after such vocational testing and analysis is performed. 

On March 16, 2006, Plaintiffs’ counsel, Ms. Fiore, contacted counsel for the

Defendant, Jeanne M. Franken, with respect to continuing the settlement

conference based upon Dr. Meyers’ findings. On March 17, 2006, Ms. Fiore and

Ms. Franken spoke about the situation. During the conversation, Ms. Fiore

advised that Plaintiffs’ counsel is in the process of scheduling the vocational

rehabilitation examination. Ms. Fiore further advised that Plaintiff would stipulate

to appear for a defense medical examination and a defense vocational

rehabilitation examination. 

Ms. Franken has advised that the United States is not opposed to a further

continuance of the settlement conference date in theory, but has concerns

regarding the deadlines in this case in light of the representations of Plaintiffs’

counsel regarding Plaintiff’s condition, some difficulties which have arisen during

discovery, and the fact the government agreed to Plaintiffs’ previous request for a

Case 3:05-cv-02471-JSW Document 19 Filed 03/21/06 Page 2 of 4
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Plaintiffs’ Request for Miscellaneous Administrative Relief Continuing the 

Deadline to Conduct a Settlement Conference; and [Proposed] Order CASE NO. CIV. 05-2471 JSW

continuance of a settlement conference date. Counsel for the United States does

not anticipate filing an opposition to Plaintiffs’ application. 

As a result of the foregoing, on March 17, 2006, Ms. Fiore contacted Judge

Larson’s chambers and spoke with Venice Thomas regarding a continuance of the

settlement conference. Ms. Fiore inquired about the process for continuing the

conference as well as a potential date approximately 60 days from the March 24

date. According to Ms. Thomas, Judge Larson’s first available date is June 7,

2006 at 2:00 p.m. 

Based upon Mr. Luque’s need for evaluation and allowing the Defendant an

opportunity to have Mr. Luque appear for defense medical and vocational

rehabilitation examinations, there is good cause for continuing the deadline to

conduct a settlement conference until June 7, 2006, or as soon thereafter as Judge

Larson is available. Continuing the deadline to June 7, 2006 should allow all

parties sufficient time to conduct the necessary examinations and evaluation of

Mr. Luque’s damages. 

It is Plaintiffs’ position that continuing the deadline to conduct the

settlement conference will not adversely impact any of the pretrial deadlines, such

as the Non-Expert Discovery Cutoff date of May 22, 2006 or the trial date of

October 23, 2006. Plaintiffs, therefore, respectfully request that the deadline to

conduct a settlement conference be continued to June 7, 2006, or as soon

thereafter as Judge Larson is available. 

Dated: March 17, 2006 BANNING MICKLOW BULL & LOPEZ LLP

 /s/ Jennifer L. Fiore 

KURT MICKLOW

EUGENE A. BRODSKY

 JENNIFER L. FIORE

 

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

JEFFERY L. LUQUE, individually and as 

Guardian ad Litem for CHRISTENE LUQUE,

a minor

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Plaintiffs’ Request for Miscellaneous Administrative Relief Continuing the 

Deadline to Conduct a Settlement Conference; and [Proposed] Order CASE NO. CIV. 05-2471 JSW

ORDER

IT IS SO ORDERED. The parties are to participate in a settlement

conference with Magistrate Judge Larson on June 7, 2006, or as soon thereafter as

Judge Larson is available. 

Dated: _________________, 2006 

THE HONORABLE JEFFREY S. WHITE

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

The Court has received and considered Defendant's response to 

Plaintiff's request. There being no direct opposition to the request, 

it is GRANTED. March 21

Case 3:05-cv-02471-JSW Document 19 Filed 03/21/06 Page 4 of 4