Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_05-cv-01160/USCOURTS-caed-2_05-cv-01160-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Homedics-U.S.A., Inc.
Defendant
USAA Casualty Insurance Company
Plaintiff

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

208946.1 0170-15488

LAW OFFICES

SHAW, TERHAR &

LAMONTAGNE, LLP

John W. Shaw [State Bar No. 82802] 

jshaw@stl-lawoffices.com

Christopher M. McDonald [State Bar No. 198093] 

cmcdonald@stl-lawoffices.com

SHAW, TERHAR & LaMONTAGNE, LLP 

707 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 3060 

Los Angeles, California 90017 

Telephone: (213) 614-0400 

Facsimile: (213) 629-4534 

Attorneys for Defendant 

HOMEDICS-U.S.A., INC. 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

USAA CASUALTY INSURANCE 

COMPANY, 

Plaintiff, 

vs. 

HOMEDICS-U.S.A., INC.; and DOES 1 

to 30, inclusive, 

Defendants. 

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Case No. 2:05CV01160-DFL-GGH 

STIPULATION TO CONTINUE 

EXPERT WITNESS 

DESIGNATION DATE AND 

SUPPLEMENTAL EXPERT 

WITNESS DESIGNATION DATE; 

ORDER 

Complaint Filed:April 28, 2005 

The parties, by and through their respective counsel of record, hereby stipulate 

to continue the Expert Witness Designation Date from Friday, April 7, 2006, to 

Friday, May 5, 2006, and the Supplemental Expert Witness Designation Date from 

Friday, April 21, 2006, to Friday, May 19, 2006. 

This Stipulation may be executed and submitted to the court in counterparts 

and a faxed copy of any and all necessary signature pages to this Stipulation may be 

submitted to the court in lieu of the originals. 

The following good cause exists for the granting of this Stipulation by the 

court: 

Case 2:05-cv-01160-DFL-GGH Document 14 Filed 03/31/06 Page 1 of 3
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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

208946.1 0170-15488

LAW OFFICES

SHAW, TERHAR &

LAMONTAGNE, LLP

1. This is a subrogation action filed by plaintiff USAA Casualty Insurance 

Company (“USAA”) seeking recovery of the $366,903.96 it paid its 

homeowner/insured, James Sedlar, for damage resulting from a fire at a four unit 

apartment structure he owned in Sacramento, California on Monday, November 8, 

2004. The Complaint alleges that Mr. Sedlar purchased a HoMedics Shiatsu 

Massaging Cushion, Model Number SBM 200 (“Massage Cushion”), from a Costco 

Wholesale warehouse in Sacramento on Saturday, November 6, 2004, and that the 

Massage Cushion allegedly caused the fire after being used on November 8, 2004. 

2. USAA retained a fire causation expert witness, John D. Ford, to 

investigate the cause of the fire from which the present action arose. While 

conducting his investigation, Mr. Ford took possession from Mr. Sedlar, among other 

items, the remains of the Massage Cushion. 

4. HoMedics-U.S.A., Inc. requested via written discovery the production 

of, among other items, the remains of the Massage Cushion. However, USAA has 

confirmed that Mr. Ford, sometime between taking possession of the Massage 

Cushion and HoMedics-U.S.A., Inc.’s request for the Massage Cushion, lost the 

Massage Cushion. 

6. In light of Mr. Ford having lost the Massage Cushion, the parties are 

preparing a Stipulated Judgment setting forth the aforementioned facts that the 

parties intend to file with the court within the next two weeks that would result in the 

conclusion of this matter. 

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

208946.1 0170-15488

LAW OFFICES

SHAW, TERHAR &

LAMONTAGNE, LLP

7. The parties wish to avoid incurring the unnecessary costs associated 

with preparing expert witness declarations prior to the Expert Witness Designation 

and the Supplemental Expert Witness Designation while they prepare for filing with 

the court the aforementioned Stipulated Judgment. 

DATE: March 23 , 2006 SHAW, TERHAR & LaMONTAGNE LLP 

 By: /s/ Christopher M. McDonald

 JOHN W. SHAW 

 CHRISTOPHER M. McDONALD 

 Attorneys for Defendant, 

 HOMEDICS-U.S.A., INC. 

DATE: March 23, 2006 LAW OFFICES OF JEFFREY E. KARPEL 

 By: /s/ Jeffrey E. Karpel____________ 

 JEFFREY E. KARPEL 

 Attorneys for Plaintiff, 

 USAA CASUALTY INSURANCE 

 COMPANY 

GOOD CAUSE HAVING BEEN SHOWN, IT IS SO ORDERED. 

DATE: March 30, 2006 

______________________________ 

DAVID F. LEVI 

United States District Judge

 

 

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