Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_06-cv-02174/USCOURTS-casd-3_06-cv-02174-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 310
Nature of Suit: Airplane Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 28:1346 Tort Claim

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- 1 - 06CV2174

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

TAMMIE LAMPHERE, Personal

Representative of the ESTATE OF

KRISTOPHOR JOHN LAMPHERE,

deceased, TAMMIE LAMPHERE,

individually, MARISSA CHACON,

individually, by and thru her mother,

TAMMIE LAMPHERE, BRIANA

CHACON, individually, by and throuh her

mother, TAMMIE LAMPHERE, LINDA

KOLM, Personal Representative of the

ESTATE OF KARL KOLB, deceased,

LINDA KOLB, individually, BRETT KOLB,

individually, DONALD L. WOMBLE, SR.,

Personal Representative of the ESTATE

OF DONALD L. WOMBLE, JR.,

deceased, DONALD L. WOMBLE, SR.,

individually, JEANNE WOMBLE,

individually, KRISTIN WOOMBLE,

individually, by and through her mother,

STACEY L. GARDNER, AMBER

WOMBLE, individually, DONALD L.

WOMBLE, III, by and through his mother,

STACEY L. GARDNER,

Plaintiffs,

CASE NO. 06CV2174-LAB (JMA)

(Consol. w/ 06cv2175, 06cv2192)

ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR

LEAVE TO FILE FIRST

AMENDED COMPLAINT

[Dkt No. 24]

vs.

UNITED STATE OF AMERICA,

Defendant.

This consolidated action is before the court on Plaintiffs' Motion For Leave To File

First Amended Complaint ("Motion") for the purpose of joining necessary parties in this

Case 3:06-cv-02174-LAB-JMA Document 30 Filed 07/10/07 Page 1 of 3
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- 2 - 06CV2174

Federal Tort Claims Act ("FTCA") matter. Defendant the United States filed Opposition, and

Plaintiffs filed a Reply. Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 7.1(d)(1), the court finds the issues

presented appropriate for decision on the papers and without oral argument. For the

reasons discussed below, the Motion is GRANTED.

This action arises from the October 24, 2004 mountain crash of a Learjet after take-off

from San Diego's Brown Field Municipal Airport. All five persons on board were killed.

Plaintiffs seek damages for wrongful death and loss of consortium. By Order entered

May 10, 2007, this court granted Plaintiffs' unopposed motion establishing New Mexico law

applies to the claims of New Mexico resident plaintiffs. Plaintiffs request leave to amend the

Complaint to add eight named plaintiffs who purportedly can state loss of consortium claims

under New Mexico's broad definition of persons eligible to receive such damages. 

The United States opposes the Motion on grounds two of the new plaintiffs identified

in the [Proposed] First Amended Complaint, Thomas A. Lamphere and Cheryl L. Lesar,

failed to present administrative claims pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2675(a), a jurisdictional

prerequisite to their standing to seek FTCA damages. See, e.g., McNeil v. United States,

508 U.S. 106 (1993); Cadwalder v. United States, 45 F.3d 297 (9th Cir. 1995). Plaintiffs

concede in their Reply those two proposed plaintiffs filed no administrative claims. Plaintiffs

offer an [Amended Proposed] First Amended Complaint eliminating those claimants from the

action. The government's objection is accordingly OVERRULED AS MOOT.

The United States also opposes the Motion on grounds the other six individuals have

not alleged facts sufficient to establish they are proper loss of consortium claimants.

Plaintiffs apparently concede the language of the [Proposed] First Amended Complaint fails

to allege all elements necessary to state an actionable relationship with decedent[s] under

New Mexico law. The [Amended Proposed] First Amended Complaint restates the

relationship description at Paragraphs 22 and 25. As noted by Plaintiffs: "Moving plaintiffs

have now met all the concerns and objections as stated by defendants by submitting the

[Amended Proposed] First Amended Complaint." Reply 2:20-21.

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Case 3:06-cv-02174-LAB-JMA Document 30 Filed 07/10/07 Page 2 of 3
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For the forgoing reasons, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED the Motion is GRANTED.

Plaintiffs shall forthwith file as their First Amended Complaint their [Amended Proposed] First

Amended Complaint. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: July 10, 2007

HONORABLE LARRY ALAN BURNS

United States District Judge

Case 3:06-cv-02174-LAB-JMA Document 30 Filed 07/10/07 Page 3 of 3