Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_07-cv-00891/USCOURTS-caed-1_07-cv-00891-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Bruce Kopitar
Plaintiff
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
Defendant

Document Text:

WILKINS,

DROLSHAGEN &

CZESHINSKI LLP

7050 N. Fresno Street,

Suite 204

Fresno, CA 93720

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James H. Wilkins, #116364

Alyson a. Berg, #184795

WILKINS, DROLSHAGEN & CZESHINSKI LLP

7050 N. Fresno Street, Suite 204

Fresno, California 93720

Telephone: (559) 438-2390

Facsimile: (559) 438-2393

Attorneys for Plaintiff, BRUCE KOPITAR

(SPACE BELOW FOR FILING STAM P ONLY)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

BRUCE KOPITAR, an individual,

Plaintiff,

v.

NATIONWIDE MUTUAL INSURANCE

COMPANY, and DOES 1 through 50,

inclusive,

Defendants.

Case No.: 1:07-CV-00891-OWW-GSA

STIPULATION AND ORDER TO

CONTINUE SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE

AND TRIAL DATE AND ORDER THEREON

Trial Date: December 2, 2008

THE PARTIES IN THE ABOVE-ENTITLED ACTION, Plaintiff BRUCE KOPITAR, and

Defendant NATIONWIDE MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY desire to continue the trial date

in this matter so that necessary discovery may be conducted and completed in a timely manner in

accordance with the commencement of trial.

WHEREAS, the parties are involved in a bad faith action in which Plaintiff alleges that his

residential premises incurred a loss from a malfunction in a steam room at his home; that the steam

caused a large amount of moisture to permeate the house; that there was a determination by a

reclamation contractor that there was a substantial amount of mold in the residence; that Plaintiff had

a policy of insurance with Allied Insurance, a member of Defendant Nationwide Mutual Insurance

Case 1:07-cv-00891-OWW -JLT Document 15 Filed 05/19/08 Page 1 of 3
WILKINS,

DROLSHAGEN &

CZESHINSKI LLP

7050 N. Fresno Street,

Suite 204

Fresno, CA 93720

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Company; that there is a dispute whether the damage to the residence arose from a covered loss; and

Plaintiff contends that Defendant acted in bad faith, discovery must be conducted in stages.

WHEREAS, the parties are involved in an inspection of the residential premises, which was

difficult to schedule, and although the inspection has commenced, the inspection has not yet been

completed.

WHEREAS, the parties also will be required to conduct some destructive testing of the

residential premises, the nature and extent of the destructive testing has not yet been determined, and

it cannot be determined until the non-destructive inspections have been completed, and as soon as

it is determined in what areas the destructive testing must be pursued, then all experts will need to

be present for the destructive testing.

WHEREAS, the parties will not know what further discovery will be necessary until the

testing and inspections are completed.

WHEREAS, the parties have determined that the inspections and destructive testing of the

residential premises need to be completed before the next stage of discovery on the extra-contractual

damages issues in this bad faith case can reasonably commence, the parties believe that good cause

has been shown to continue the trial and that the trial date should be continued to allow time for all

parties to complete necessary discovery.

THEREFORE, it is stipulated and agreed by and among the parties, through their respective

counsels of record, that the settlement conference and trial of the above-captioned matter may be

continued and all deadlines in the Court’s Scheduling Order be rescheduled as follows, in accordance

with the new trial date.

Mid-Discovery Conference: October 6, 2008

Non-Expert Discovery Cut Off: March 18, 2009

Expert Disclosure: January 19, 2009

Supplemental Expert Disclosure: February 19, 2009

Expert Discovery Cut Off: March 3, 2009

Non-Dispositive Motions to be Heard By: February 23, 2009

Dispositive Motions to be Heard By: May 22, 2009

Case 1:07-cv-00891-OWW -JLT Document 15 Filed 05/19/08 Page 2 of 3
WILKINS,

DROLSHAGEN &

CZESHINSKI LLP

7050 N. Fresno Street,

Suite 204

Fresno, CA 93720

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Pretrial Conference: June 29, 2009

Settlement Conference: March 23, 2009

Trial: August 4, 2009

The Parties Hereto agree that this Stipulation may be executed in counterparts.

Dated: May 15, 2008 COOPER & HOPPE

 By: /s/ Theodore W. Hoppe 

Theodore W. Hoppe

Attorneys for Defendant, NATIONWIDE

MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY

Dated: May 15, 2008 WILKINS, DROLSHAGEN & CZESHINSKI LLP

 By: /s/ Alyson A. Berg 

James H. Wilkins

Alyson A. Berg

Attorneys for Plaintiff, BRUCE KOPITAR

ORDER

IT IS SO ORDERED. The new trial date in this matter will be August 3, 2009 and the

Scheduling Order shall be revised in accordance with the dates listed above.

 NO FURTHER CONTINUANCES.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: May 17, 2008 /s/ Oliver W. Wanger 

emm0d6 UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 1:07-cv-00891-OWW -JLT Document 15 Filed 05/19/08 Page 3 of 3