Opinion ID: 541766
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Ripeness for Summary Judgment

Text: 29 In addressing claims that summary judgment was prematurely granted, we have emphasized that the complaining party is required to do something more than state that discovery might reveal something of which [it was] not aware. Woods v. Federal Home Loan Bank Bd., 826 F.2d 1400, 1414 (5th Cir.1987), cert. denied, 485 U.S. 959, 108 S.Ct. 1221, 99 L.Ed.2d 422 (1988); Washington v. Armstrong World Indus., Inc., 839 F.2d 1121, 1123 (5th Cir.1988). Hartford has alleged nothing more than a generalized claim that further discovery will aid its case. This action was in federal court for over six months before the first summary judgment motion was granted to Costa. Significant discovery was conducted, including a number of depositions in which Hartford participated. Hartford contends that it refrained from affirmative discovery out of fear that it would be considered to have consented to removal. See Johnson v. Odeco Oil & Gas Co., 864 F.2d 40, 42 (5th Cir.1989) (non-removing party's participation in discovery and other pretrial litigation amounted to waiver of right to remand). However, significant discovery was conducted in which Hartford participated and [i]f material facts known to the plaintiff were omitted from the record, discovery was not needed to develop them. Woods, 826 F.2d at 1414. Moreover, Hartford's fear of consent to the federal forum should have been obviated by the looming motion for summary judgment. Yet, in the month following Costa's filing for summary judgment, Hartford propounded no affirmative discovery. Even now, Hartford can lend no more than a general claim that further discovery will help. Under these facts, we cannot say that the district court's entry of summary judgment was premature.