Opinion ID: 2590922
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Is the state lawsuit based upon the same claim as the federal suit?

Text: Rhoten argues the state law negligence theories do not comprise the same claim as the federal due process theories. She also argues Stanfield was wrong when it determined a legal theory does not need to be determined by a prior court to be precluded in a later action arising out of the same claim. In other words, Rhoten argues the federal district court had to address her negligence claims before they could be precluded. Defendants argue the state law and federal law claims compose the same claim because they are based upon the same series of factual transactions. The state district court and Court of Appeals agreed with defendants, and so do we. Stanfield held federal law determines whether Rhoten's legal theories comprise a single claim. 263 Kan. at 396, 949 P.2d 602. In 1988, the Tenth Circuit adopted the transactional approach from the Restatement (Second) of Judgments to determine whether separate legal theories constitute the same claim for claim preclusion purposes. Petromanagement Corp. v. Acme-Thomas Joint Venture, 835 F.2d 1329, 1335 (10th Cir.1988); Restatement (Second) of Judgments § 24 (1980). This approach was most recently employed in 2006, and there is no evidence the Tenth Circuit is moving away from it. Hatch v. Boulder Town Council, 471 F.3d 1142 (10th Cir.2006). The transactional approach focuses on the facts underlying the separate legal theories, and a `claim arising from the same transaction or series of connected transactions as a previous suit, which concluded in a valid and final judgment, will be precluded.' Hatch, 471 F.3d at 1149 (quoting Restatement [Second] of Judgments § 24). To determine whether separate legal theories comprise the same transaction or series of transactions, courts examine whether the facts are related in time, space, origin, or motivation and whether they would form a convenient trial unit. 471 F.3d at 1149. We find the Stanfield court correctly applied the transactional approach and that this approach remains an accurate reflection of federal law. In Rhoten's case, all theories arise from the traffic accident and the parties' conduct leading up to the accident. The federal and state law theories relate in time and origin. The same witnesses and proof are required for both claims, and they form a convenient trial unit. The district court and Court of Appeals were correct in finding Rhoten's federal claims comprise the same series of transactions as her state negligence claims.