Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_07-cv-00480/USCOURTS-caed-1_07-cv-00480-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Marshall Berry
Defendant
C.R. England, Inc.
Defendant
Carole Sue Tannehill Coleman
Plaintiff
Estate of David Krahn
Defendant

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CAROLE SUE TANNEHILL COLEMAN,

Plaintiff,

v.

THE ESTATE OF DAVID KRAHN, C.R.

ENGLAND, INC., MARSHALL BERRY,

and DOES 1 to 75, inclusive,

Defendants.

 

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1:07-cv-0480 OWW SMS 

ORDER AFTER SCHEDULING

CONFERENCE

Discovery Cut-Off: 10/19/07

8:45 Ctrm. 3

I. Date of Scheduling Conference.

August 8, 2007. 

II. Appearances Of Counsel.

Perez, Williams & Medina by Robert Gray Williams, Esq.,

appeared on behalf of Plaintiff.

Snyder Law by Sean R. Burnett, Esq., appeared on behalf of

Defendants. 

III. Summary of Pleadings. 

1. This is a wrongful death action in which Plaintiff is

seeking monetary damages for the wrongful death of her daughter,

Ami Sue Berry, who was killed as the result of a motor vehicle

accident on July 15, 2006. Plaintiff filed a Complaint by

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utilizing California Judicial Council Approved Standard Form -

Personal Injury/Property Damage/Wrongful Death on November 3,

2006, in Tulare County Superior Court (Case No. 06-221339)

against The Estate of David Krahn, C.R. England, Inc., and Does 1

to 75, inclusive, attaching both a motor vehicle cause of action

and a wrongful death attachment.

2. On November 14, 2006, Plaintiff filed a First Amended

Complaint correcting inadvertent clerical errors made on the

wrongful death attachment.

3. Defendant C.R. England, Inc., filed a Notice of Removal

of Action to this Court on March 27, 2007, and thereafter filed

its answer to complaint on April 20, 2007. Defendant admitted

basic portions of the Complaint, such as that it is a corporation

and that the incident occurred in Cheyenne County, Colorado. 

Otherwise, Defendant either denied, or denied based on lack of

sufficient information, the remaining portions of Plaintiff’s

Complaint, and asserted the following affirmative defenses: (1)

failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted; (2)

failure to join parties under Rule 19; (3) no standing to bring

the suit; (4) negligence on the part of plaintiff; (5) negligence

on the part of third parties; (6) apportionment, indemnity,

and/or contribution from any party, person, or entity adjudged to

have proximately caused or contributed to Plaintiff’s alleged

damages.

4. Plaintiff alleges that the subject accident was caused

when David Krahn, driving a 2006 Volvo tractor-trailer rig owned

by Defendant C.R. England, and in which his girlfriend, Ami Berry

was a passenger, failed to slow for traffic stopped in the

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westbound lane of Colorado SR 40. The traffic had stopped for a

construction zone, and Krahn struck the rear of a tractor-trailer

rig in front of him, causing a chain reaction whereby the

tractor-trailer struck by Krahn was driven forward into two other

tractor-trailer rigs. As a result of the incident both David

Krahn and Ami Berry died. Plaintiff alleges that the issue in

dispute is not whether David Krahn caused the accident, but

whether he was an employee or an independent contractor of

Defendant C.R. England.

5. Defendant notes that the date Plaintiff alleges in the

First Amended Complaint on which the incident occurred (July 15,

2006) conflicts with the date (July 17, 2006) reported in the

Traffic Accident Report. C.R. England is also informed and

believes that Krahn claimed that Ami Berry was his cousin.

6. Plaintiff sues for wrongful death and seeks general

damages, economic and non-economic against three Defendants. 

C.R. England, Inc., is informed and believes that neither

Defendant Estate of David Krahn, nor Defendant Marshall Berry,

have been served or appeared. 

7. Defendant C.R. England, Inc., contends that David Krahn

was an independent contractor of C.R. England, Inc., and denies

any wrongdoing or liability on its part. 

8. Defendant C.R. England, Inc., also contends that David

Krahn was the owner of the tractor involved in the collision, and

that C.R. England, Inc., was the owner of the trailer portion.

III. STATUS OF CASE.

1. The Plaintiff reports that he has had contact from the

insurer for C.R. England, Inc., and depending upon the existence

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and extent of insurance coverage that pertains to David Krahn

and/or Marshall Berry, the necessity to proceed against those

Defendants may no longer exist. 

2. The parties have agreed to reschedule the hearing on the

motion for change of venue to October 1, 2007, at 10:00 in

Courtroom 3. 

3. The parties agree that it is in the interests of justice

that this scheduling conference be continued to a time following

ruling on the motion for change of venue and to afford Plaintiff

the opportunity to conduct further investigation with regard to

insurance coverage.

IT IS ORDERED that this Scheduling Conference is continued

to October 19, 2007, at 8:45 a.m. Defendant is authorized to

appear telephonically. In the event that the action is not

transferred, but it appears that counsel will be able to resolve

all issues in the case, counsel is requested to notify the Court

prior to the Scheduling Conference in the event there is no need

for further action in this litigation. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 8, 2007 /s/ Oliver W. Wanger 

emm0d6 UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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