Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_09-cv-01377/USCOURTS-caed-2_09-cv-01377-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Alaska Airlines, Inc.
Defendant
Ethan Blankenship
Plaintiff

Document Text:

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STIPULATION TO EXTEND DATES FOR EXPERT WITNESS DISCLOSURES AND REPORTS; AND TO EXTEND DISCOVERY 

COMPLETION DATE; ORDER

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CHRISTOPHER E. GRELL, ESQ. (SBN 88498) 

RICHARD F. RESCHO, ESQ. (SBN 108086) 

LAW OFFICES OF CHRISTOPHER E. GRELL 

The Leamington 

1814 Franklin Street, Suite 501 

Oakland, California 94612 

Telephone: (510) 832-2980 

Facsimile: (510) 832-2986 

Attorneys for Plaintiff 

ETHAN BLANKENSHIP 

 

ROBERT E. DAVIES, ESQ. / SBN 106810 

MARY A. STEWART / SBN 106758 

REBECCA WEINSTEIN-HAMILTON, ESQ. / SBN 162699 

CAULFIELD, DAVIES & DONAHUE, LLP 

P.O. BOX 277010 

Sacramento, CA 95827 

Telephone: (916) 817-2900 

Facsimile: (916) 817-2644 

Attorneys for Defendant 

ALASKA AIRLINES, INC. 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

-o0oETHAN BLANKENSHIP, 

 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

ALASKA AIRLINES, INC., and Alaska 

Corporation, and DOES 1 through 100, 

inclusive, 

Defendants. 

Case No. 2:09-CV-01377-JAM-GGH 

The Hon. John A. Mendez 

STIPULATION TO EXTEND DATES FOR 

EXPERT WITNESS DISCLOSURES AND 

REPORTS; AND TO EXTEND 

DISCOVERY COMPLETION DATE; 

ORDER

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED by and between Plaintiff, ETHAN 

BLANKENSHIP and Defendant ALASKA AIRLINES, INC., through their respective counsel 

to extend the date for Exchange of Initial Expert Witness Disclosure and Reports, currently 

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Case 2:09-cv-01377-JAM-GGH Document 20 Filed 03/01/10 Page 1 of 7
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STIPULATION TO EXTEND DATES FOR EXPERT WITNESS DISCLOSURES AND REPORTS; AND TO EXTEND DISCOVERY 

COMPLETION DATE; ORDER

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set for March 19, 2010, to April 30, 2010 and the date for Rebuttal Expert Disclosure 

currently set for April 16, 2010, to May 28, 2010. 

IT IS FURTHER STIPULATED AND AGREED by and between Plaintiff, ETHAN 

BLANKENSHIP and Defendant ALASKA AIRLINES, INC., through their respective counsel 

to extend the date for completion of discovery currently set for May 28, 2010, to and 

including June 28, 2010. 

This stipulation is made by counsel for the parties, pursuant to the Honorable Judge 

John A. Mendez’s Pre-Trial Scheduling Order of July 14, 2009, Judge Mendez’s Order 

Extending Dates for Expert Witness Disclosure of January 7, 2010, and U.S.D.C. Eastern 

District Local Rules, Rule 144 (formerly L.R. 6-144). There has been one prior Stipulation 

and Order Extending the Dates for Expert Witness Disclosure and Reports in this case. 

There is good cause for the requested extension of the current dates for expert 

witness disclosures and extension of the discovery completion date. The requested 

extension of the expert witness disclosures necessitates the requested extension of the 

discovery completion date. Despite the parties’ diligence in the completion and scheduling 

of considerable discovery in this matter, including an Independent Physical Examination of 

Plaintiff Ethan Blankenship, the requested extensions are necessary. 

Plaintiff’s action is for damages resulting from a fall in the security area of the 

Sacramento International Airport. The parties, through their respective counsel, had 

stipulated to an Independent Physical Examination of Plaintiff Ethan Blankenship by 

Michael R. Klein, Jr., M.D., on March 1, 2010 at 3:00 p.m., at Dr. Klein’s office located at 

MKR Medical Consultants, Inc., 6555 Coyle Avenue, Suite 235, Carmichael, California. 

(Attached Exhibit “A.”) However, Richard Rescho, counsel for Plaintiff Ethan Blankenship, 

just learned on February 19, 2010 that Mr. Blankenship had been hospitalized with 

pneumonia and was only released on February 18, 2010. Due to his current illness, Mr. 

Blankenship, who resides in Mountain Ranch, California, is unable to travel to Dr. Klein’s 

office for the examination on March 1, 2010. 

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STIPULATION TO EXTEND DATES FOR EXPERT WITNESS DISCLOSURES AND REPORTS; AND TO EXTEND DISCOVERY 

COMPLETION DATE; ORDER

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Dr. Klein will be on vacation from March 11, 2010 through March 31, 2010. 

Consequently, Dr. Klein is not available to conduct an independent physical examination of 

Mr. Blankenship prior to the current March 19, 2010 expert witness disclosure date. The 

parties are currently in the process of scheduling a new appointment date in early April, 

2010. 

Plaintiff and Defendant have each served initial written discovery, including 

interrogatories, requests for production and requests for admissions. Plaintiff’s medical 

treatment records have been subpoenaed. Additionally, depositions have been taken of the 

Plaintiff, Plaintiff’s treating orthopedic surgeon and of witnesses who were in Plaintiff’s 

traveling party. The deposition of Plaintiff’s current treating physician is scheduled to be 

taken on Friday, February 26, 2010. Plaintiff’s counsel intends to proceed with depositions 

of certain of Defendant Alaska Airlines, Inc.’s personnel. The depositions of the TSA 

witnesses identified by Plaintiff in discovery responses are in the process of being 

scheduled through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security 

Administration. 

Although counsel have not been dilatory in conducting discovery, additional time is 

needed to reschedule and complete the Independent Physical Examination of Plaintiff 

Ethan Blankenship. This additional discovery is needed in order for the parties to assemble 

the evidence necessary for prospective experts to formulate their opinions. 

In addition to the completion of the Independent Physical Examination of Plaintiff, 

remaining necessary discovery includes, but is not necessarily limited to, depositions of 

certain Alaska Airlines, Inc. personnel, airport security personnel, certain of Plaintiff’s 

treating physicians, and inspection of the area where the fall occurred, as well as further 

interrogatories and requests for production. 

The parties agree that each party should be allowed adequate time to conduct 

necessary discovery into the matters at issue in this action, prior to expending the time and 

cost which would be required to meet the current expert witness disclosure requirements. 

The stipulated extension would allow the necessary time. 

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STIPULATION TO EXTEND DATES FOR EXPERT WITNESS DISCLOSURES AND REPORTS; AND TO EXTEND DISCOVERY 

COMPLETION DATE; ORDER

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Both parties, through their respective counsel, have agreed that it would serve the 

interests of justice and judicial economy to extend the current expert disclosure dates to 

April 30, 2010 and May 28, 2010 and to extend the current discovery completion date to 

June 28, 2010, as set forth above. 

The requested extension of the current dates for expert witness disclosure and 

discovery completion would not affect the other dates set forth in the July 14, 2009 PreTrial Scheduling Order. 

WHEREFORE, the parties respectfully move this Honorable Court to extend the 

dates for expert witness disclosure and discovery completion as requested herein. 

IT IS SO STIPULATED. 

Dated: February ___, 2010 LAW OFFICES OF CHRISTOPHER E. GRELL

 By: ________________________________ 

 Christopher E. Grell (SBN 88498) 

 Richard F. Rescho (SBN 108086) 

 Attorneys for Plaintiff, 

 ETHAN BLANKENSHIP 

 

Dated: February ___, 2010 CAULFIELD DAVIES & DONAHUE, LLP 

 By: __________________________________ 

 Robert E. Davies (SBN 106810) 

 Mary A. Stewart (SBN 106758) 

 Rebecca Weinstein-Hamilton (SBN 162699) 

 Attorneys for Defendant, 

ALASKA AIRLINES, INC. 

ORDER EXTENDING DATES FOR EXPERT WITNESS DISCLOSURE

AND DISCOVERY COMPLETION

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, good cause appearing therefore, that the date for 

exchange of Initial Expert Witness Disclosure and Reports, currently set for March 19, 

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STIPULATION TO EXTEND DATES FOR EXPERT WITNESS DISCLOSURES AND REPORTS; AND TO EXTEND DISCOVERY 

COMPLETION DATE; ORDER

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2010, is extended through April 30, 2010; the date for exchange of Rebuttal Expert Witness 

Disclosure, currently set for April 16, 2010 is extended through May 28, 2010; and the date 

for Completion of Discovery, currently set for May 28, 2010 is extended through June 28, 

2010. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: February 26, 2010 /s/ John A. Mendez________________

 THE HONORABLE JOHN A. MENDEZ 

 United States District Court Judge, 

 Eastern District of California 

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STIPULATION TO EXTEND DATES FOR EXPERT WITNESS DISCLOSURES AND REPORTS; AND TO EXTEND DISCOVERY 

COMPLETION DATE; ORDER

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ROBERT E. DAVIES, ESQ. / SBN 106810 

MARY A. STEWART / SBN 106758 

REBECCA WEINSTEIN-HAMILTON, ESQ. / SBN 162699 

CAULFIELD, DAVIES & DONAHUE, LLP 

P.O. BOX 277010 

Sacramento, CA 95827 

Telephone: (916) 817-2900 

Facsimile: (916) 817-2644 

Attorneys for Defendant 

ALASKA AIRLINES, INC. 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

-o0oETHAN BLANKENSHIP, 

 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

ALASKA AIRLINES, INC., and Alaska 

Corporation, and DOES 1 through 100, 

inclusive, 

Defendants. 

Case No. 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE OF

STIPULATION TO EXTEND DATES FOR 

EXPERT WITNESS DISCLOSURES AND 

REPORTS; AND TO EXTEND 

DISCOVERY COMPLETION DATE; 

ORDER

I HEREBY CERTIFY that I electronically filed with the Clerk of Court the foregoing 

document entitled: STIPULATION TO EXTEND DATES FOR EXPERT WITNESS 

DISCLOSURES AND REPORTS; AND TO EXTEND DISCOVERY COMPLETION DATE; 

ORDERusing the CM/ECF system which will automatically send email notification of such 

filing to the following attorneys of record: 

/ / 

/ / 

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STIPULATION TO EXTEND DATES FOR EXPERT WITNESS DISCLOSURES AND REPORTS; AND TO EXTEND DISCOVERY 

COMPLETION DATE; ORDER

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CHRISTOPHER E. GRELL (SBN 88498) 

RICHARD F. RESCHO (SBN 108086) 

LAW OFFICES OF CHRISTOPHER E. GRELL 

The Learnington 

1814 Franklin St, Ste 501 

Oakland, CA 94612 

Tel: (510) 832-2980 

Fax: (510) 832-2986 

Counsel for Plaintiff ETHAN BLANKENSHIP

This _____ day of February, 2010. 

 CAULFIELD DAVIES & DONAHUE, LLP 

 By: ____________________________ 

 Robert E. Davies, Esq. 

 Mary A. Stewart, Esq. 

 Rebecca Weinstein-Hamilton, Esq. 

 Attorneys for Defendant 

ALASKA AIRLINES, INC. 

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