Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-01786/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-01786-9/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 350
Nature of Suit: Motor Vehicle Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 28:1441 Petition for Removal- Personal Injury

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

J.D. and Z.D., individually 

and as decedent Juan De La 

Torre’s successors in 

interest, minors by and 

through their Guardian Ad 

Litem, VIVICA GONZALEZ; 

VIVICA GONZALEZ, an 

individual; and GRACIELA 

ARELLANO, an individual; 

Plaintiffs, 

v. 

SWIFT TRANSPORTATION COMPANY,

a publicly traded Delaware 

corporation; SWIFT 

TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, LLC,

a Delaware Limited Company; 

SWIFT TRANSPORTATION CO. OF 

ARIZONA, LLC, a Delaware 

Limited Liability Company; 

INTERSTATE EQUIPMENT LEASING, 

LLC, a Delaware Limited 

Liability Company; EDWARD 

GREER, JR., an individual; 

SWIFT LEASING CO., LLC (DOE 

No. 1); FIERRO TRUCKING II, 

LLC (DOE No. 2); and JOSE 

ANGEL MARTINEZ (DOE No. 3), 

Defendants. 

No. 2:13-CV-1786-GEB-DAD 

ORDER GRANTING EACH MINOR 

PLAINTIFF’S APPLICATION FOR 

COMPROMSE OF DISPUTED CLAIMS, 

REMANDING THE MATTERS INVOLVING 

MINORS AND SETTLEMENT TRUSTS, 

AND CLOSING FEDERAL ACTION 

Plaintiffs J.D. and Z.D., through their mother and 

guardian ad litem Vivica Gonzalez; Vivica Gonzalez; and Graciela 

Case 2:13-cv-01786-GEB-DAD Document 65 Filed 04/30/15 Page 1 of 4
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Arellano seek unopposed approval of a compromise settling their 

claims against all Defendants. (Appl. for Compromise of Disputed 

Claims by Minor Pls. (“Application”), ECF No. 59.) Gonzalez was 

appointed guardian ad litem by the Superior Court of California, 

in the County of San Joaquin, where the action was filed as No. 

39-2013-00296353-CU-PO-STK; Defendants removed that case to 

federal court under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1332, 1441. 

Plaintiffs allege Defendants contributed to the 

wrongful death of Juan De La Torre, the father of J.D. and Z.D., 

who was killed after his passenger vehicle collided with a 

tractor-trailer driven by Defendant Geer. The proposed settlement 

awards J.D. and Z.D. each $1,100,000, with a net settlement of 

$599,399 for J.D. and $599,400 for Z.D. after attorneys’ fees and 

costs are reduced from the referenced gross settlement amounts. 

(Decl. Shea ISO Pls.’ Application (“Shea Decl.”) Ex. 3, ECF No. 

64-4 (state court order regarding J.D.); Shea Decl. Ex. 4, ECF 

No. 64-5 (state court order regarding Z.D.).) 

The referenced settlements were approved by the state 

court from which this case was removed, as required by Local Rule 

202(b)(1), which prescribes: 

In actions in which the minor . . . is 

represented by an appointed representative 

pursuant to appropriate state law, excepting 

only those actions in which the United States 

courts have exclusive jurisdiction, the 

settlement or compromise shall first be 

approved by the state court having 

jurisdiction over the personal 

representative. Following such approval, a 

copy of the order and all supporting and 

opposing documents filed in connection 

therewith shall be filed in the District 

Court with a copy to all parties and to the 

Judge or Magistrate Judge who may either 

approve the settlement or compromise without 

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hearing or calendar the matter for hearing. 

The state court approved J.D.’s and Z.D.’s compromises 

on April 21, 2015. (Shea Decl. Exs. 3-4.) I concur in the 

approval of the settlements. The remaining issue is whether the 

federal court or state court should exercise jurisdiction over 

the two trusts created by approval of the settlements. 

Each trust will be remanded to the state court from 

which this lawsuit was removed, since the trusts are established 

by this order and “both as a matter of comity and to promote 

justice [for J.D. and Z.D.],” all matters involving J.D. and Z.D. 

and the administration of each trust should be handled by the 

state court from which the state case was removed. United Mine 

Workers of Am. v. Gibbs, 383 U.S. 715, 726 (1966). Each trust 

includes language concerning the administration of the trusts. 

Z.D.’s trust states in part that “[w]hen required by the Court or 

application of the California Probate Code, the Trustee shall 

file a periodic Account and Report in compliance with the 

procedures and schedule set forth in the California Probate Code. 

(Shea Decl. Ex. 4, Ex. 1 p. 7-1.) J.D.’s trust states in part 

that “[u]nless waived by the Court, the Trustee shall file a 

periodic Account and Report for court approval in compliance with 

the procedures and schedule set forth in the California Probate 

Code.” (Shea Decl. Ex. 3, Ex. 1 p.8.) 

For the stated reasons, the referenced matters and 

trusts are remanded to the Superior Court of California, San 

Joaquin County, where the action was filed as No. 39-2013-

00296353-CU-PO-STK. 

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The federal Clerk of Court shall close this federal 

action. 

Dated: April 30, 2015 

 

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