UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA

HAMMOND DIVISION

STATE FARM FIRE AND CASUALTY )

COMPANY, )

Plaintiff, )

v. ) CAUSE NO.: 2:16-CV-389-PRC

)

LUCAS C. GREICHUNOS and )

ANTHONY T. CARNS, )

Defendants. )

OPINION AND ORDER

This matter is before the Court on Plaintiff State Farm Fire and Casualty Company’s Motion

to Dismiss [DE 53], filed on May 31, 2018. Plaintiff State Farm Fire and Casualty Company (“State

Farm”) moves to dismiss this lawsuit pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(2). Plaintiff

represents that Defendant Anthony T. Carns joins in the motion. Defendant Lucas C. Greichunos has

not filed a response, and the time to do so has passed.

State Farm issued Homeowners Insurance Policy number 14-LG-0207-7, with effective dates

of November 5, 2013, through November 5, 2014 (the “Policy”), to Defendant Lucas C. Greichunos.

Defendant Anthony T. Carns filed a lawsuit against Greichunos in the Lake County, Indiana, Superior

Court under 45D04-1602-CT-00022 (the “Underlying Lawsuit”), seeking to recover damages he

allegedly incurred as a result of a shooting incident that occurred on January 28, 2014, at Greichunos’s

house located at 231 Greiving Street, Dyer, Indiana. Greichunos submitted a claim to State Farm for

defense and potential indemnification for the Underlying Lawsuit. State Farm provided a defense for

Greichunos against the claims of the Underlying Lawsuit pursuant to a reservation of rights.

State Farm filed this declaratory judgment action on September 1, 2016, seeking a declaration

as to State Farm’s obligations to Greichunos with respect to the defense and indemnification of the

Underlying Lawsuit. Both Greichunos and Carns filed answers to State Farm’s Complaint in this case,
but neither filed a counterclaim against State Farm. The deadline for amending the pleadings in this

case was July 12, 2017, and neither Greichunos nor Carns filed a motion to amend the pleadings to

make a counterclaim against State Farm prior to the expiration of the deadline for amending the

pleadings. The November 30, 2017 discovery deadline has passed. Greichunos’s initial disclosures

stated that “part (ii) to Rule 26(a)(1)(a), which requests a computation of any category of damages by

a disclosing party, is not applicable to Lucas C. Greichunos because he does not seek damages.” (ECF

53, Ex. 1). State Farm represents that it settled any and all potential liability of Greichunos to Carns

in the Underlying Lawsuit, with no contribution from Greichunos, and obtained a full release of

Greichunos and State Farm from Carns. The parties to the Underlying Lawsuit filed a stipulation of

dismissal in that matter on May 3, 2018. (ECF 53, Ex. 2). An Order dismissing the Underlying

Lawsuit, with prejudice, was entered on May 7, 2018. (ECF 53, Ex. 3). State Farm provided a defense

to Greichunos for the duration of the Underlying Lawsuit.

The purpose for which the Complaint was filed in this case has been rendered moot, and State

Farm seeks no further relief. Greichunos did not file a Counterclaim that asserted any claim for

damages against State Farm, and Greichunos confirmed in a discovery response, which was never

supplemented, that he “does not seek damages.” Under these circumstances, the Court finds that

dismissal under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(2) is proper.

CONCLUSION

Accordingly, the Court hereby GRANTS Plaintiff State Farm Fire and Casualty Company’s

Motion to Dismiss [DE 53] and ORDERS that this case is DISMISSED with prejudice, costs paid.

SO ORDERED this 18th day of June, 2018.

s/ Paul R. Cherry 

MAGISTRATE JUDGE PAUL R. CHERRY

UNITED STATE DISTRICT COURT

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