Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-almd-1_04-cv-00849/USCOURTS-almd-1_04-cv-00849-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Southeast Alabama Medical Center
Counter Claimant
Wal-Mart Associates, Inc.
Defendant
Jerry Willoughby
Counter Defendant

Document Text:

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE

MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA, SOUTHERN DIVISION

JERRY WILLOUGHBY, )

)

Plaintiff, )

)

v. ) CIVIL ACTION NO.

) 1:04cv849-T

WAL-MART, ASSOCIATES, INC., ) (WO)

a foreign corporation, )

et al. )

)

Defendants. )

ORDER

Plaintiff Jerry Willoughby filed this lawsuit in

the Circuit Court of Houston County, Alabama, against

Wal-Mart Associates, Inc. and Southeast Alabama Medical

Center under the Employee Retirement Income and

Security Act (ERISA), 29 U.S.C.A. § 1132(a)(1)(B).

Willoughby, who is covered by Walmart’s health

insurance plan, contends that Walmart improperly

refused to pay the medical expenses he incurred while

undergoing treatment at Southeast. Walmart removed the

case from state to federal court pursuant to 28

Case 1:04-cv-00849-MHT-DRB Document 50 Filed 10/06/05 Page 1 of 4
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U.S.C.A. § 1441. Southeast then filed a counterclaim

against Willoughby, alleging that Willoughby failed to

pay his medical bill as required by the financial

agreement he signed before receiving treatment. This

case is currently before the court on Southeast’s

motion for summary judgment on its counterclaim against

Willoughby. 

“Federal courts are not courts of general

jurisdiction; they have only the power that is

authorized by Article III of the Constitution and the

statutes enacted by Congress pursuant thereto.” Bender

v. Williamsport Area Sch. Dist., 475 U.S. 534, 541

(1986) (internal citations and quotations omitted). A

federal court is obliged to satisfy itself of its

jurisdiction, even if the parties are prepared to

concede it. Id.; see also Reno v. American-Arab

Anti-Discrimination Comm., 525 U.S. 471, 488 (1999). 

At the pretrial conference, the parties

acknowledged that Willoughby is not seeking any relief

against Southeast in his lawsuit, which consists solely

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of an ERISA claim. Indeed, Willoughby could not seek

any relief against Southeast under ERISA because it is

not a plan or fiduciary, as defined by ERISA, and had

nothing to do with Walmart’s decision not to pay

benefits to Willoughby. Southeast therefore is not a

proper party to this case under ERISA and the

jurisdiction that attends ERISA claims; nor is

Southeast a proper party to this case pursuant to

supplemental jurisdiction, see 28 U.S.C.A. § 1367,

because Willoughby does not seek relief against

Southeast under state law either.

Accordingly, based on the arguments presented by

the parties at the pretrial conference on October 5,

2005, it is ORDERED that:

(1) Defendant Southeast Alabama Medical Center’s

counterclaim against plaintiff Jerry Willoughby is

remanded to state court.

(2) Defendant Southeast Alabama Medical Center’s

motion for summary judgment (Doc. No. 37) is denied as

moot. 

Case 1:04-cv-00849-MHT-DRB Document 50 Filed 10/06/05 Page 3 of 4
The clerk of the court is DIRECTED to take

appropriate steps to effect the remand. 

DONE, this the 6th day of October, 2005.

_____________________________ /s/ Myron H. Thompson

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE 

Case 1:04-cv-00849-MHT-DRB Document 50 Filed 10/06/05 Page 4 of 4