Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_06-cv-00644/USCOURTS-caed-2_06-cv-00644-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 362
Nature of Suit: Medical Malpractice
Cause of Action: 28:1346 Wrongful Death

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McGREGOR W. SCOTT

United States Attorney

JOHN F. GISLA, SB #42829

Assistant U.S. Attorney

501 I Street, Suite 10-100

Sacramento, California 95814

Telephone: (916) 554-2740

Attorneys for the United States

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

DOLORES ALVARADO,

Plaintiff,

v.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES; SHASTA

COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER; CLAYTON

REINHARDT, D.O.; JOSE RAFAEL

MEJIA; DOES 1 TO 30,

Defendants.

No. 2:06-CV-0644-MCE-GGH

STIPULATION TO AMEND

COMPLAINT; ORDER

It is stipulated between the undersigned counsel as follows:

1. At the time of the incident that is the subject of

plaintiff's COMPLAINT FOR WRONGFUL DEATH DUE TO PROFESSIONAL

NEGLIGENCE (Medical Malpractice), defendants SHASTA COMMUNITY HEALTH

CENTER and CLAYTON REINHARDT were deemed to be employees of the

United States Public Health Service, an agency of the United States

of America, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 233(g); were acting within the

scope of their federal employment as employees of the United States

of America; and were covered under the Federal Tort Claims Act for

Case 2:06-cv-00644-MCE -GGH Document 9 Filed 05/10/06 Page 1 of 3
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liability for medical malpractice.

2. An employee of the United States acting in the scope of

federal employment is absolutely immune under the Federal Tort

Claims Act from liability for common law torts. 42 U.S.C. §

 233(g)(a)(A); 28 U.S.C. § 2679(b)(1). Under the Federal Tort

Claims Act, the United States of America is therefore the only

proper defendant. Defendants SHASTA COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER,

CLAYTON REINHARDT, and UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN

SERVICES should therefore be dismissed from this action, and the

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA substituted in their place as the proper

defendant.

3. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure do not provide for

suing fictitious parties, and a suit naming Doe defendants may not

be maintained in federal court. The DOE defendants should therefore

be dismissed.

4. It is therefore stipulated that Plaintiff's Complaint be

amended to dismiss Defendants SHASTA COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER,

CLAYTON REINHARDT, and UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN

SERVICES, and the DOE Defendants; and to substitute as the proper

Defendant the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

DATED: May 8, 2006 McGREGOR W. SCOTT

United States Attorney

 By: /s/ John F. Gisla 

JOHN F. GISLA

Assistant United States Attorney

Attorneys for the United States

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DATED: May 5, 2006 /s/ Michael Cogan 

MICHAEL COGAN

Attorney for Plaintiff

ORDER

Pursuant to the foregoing stipulation:

1. Defendants SHASTA COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, CLAYTON

REINHARDT, and UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

are dismissed from this action, and the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is

substituted in their place as the proper Defendant.

2. The DOE Defendants are dismissed.

DATED: May 8, 2006

_____________________________

MORRISON C. ENGLAND, JR

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 2:06-cv-00644-MCE -GGH Document 9 Filed 05/10/06 Page 3 of 3