Opinion ID: 2538261
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Proposed Amendment to Complaint

Text: At the hearing on the demurrer of defendant Regional Fire Protection Authority,  plaintiffs' counsel told the court he could not amend the complaint except to add a general allegation of gross negligence or bad faith. The court ruled that plaintiff has not indicated anything that changes in the complaint or the amendments that could take it beyond Zepeda or [ sic ] the Court will sustain the demurrer without leave to amend.... I can't see how it can be amended at this point to get beyond  or work its way around Zepeda.  On appeal, plaintiffs initially argued that they should have been allowed to amend their complaint to allege either gross negligence or, in the alternative, a special relationship giving rise to a special duty by defendants toward them. Relying on Ma, however, plaintiffs now treat section 1799.107 as inapplicable. Having found Ma incorrect in this regard, we consider whether plaintiffs should be permitted to amend their complaint as originally sought. Plaintiffs' pleadings and briefs fail to set forth any additional relevant facts that might support a finding of gross negligence or bad faith. Plaintiffs' briefs before the Court of Appeal made the additional allegation that the 911 dispatcher put them on hold during their telephone conversation, but such conduct would hardly amount to gross negligence or bad faith. The case law has defined gross negligence as `the want of even scant care or an extreme departure from the ordinary standard of conduct.' ( Franz v. Board of Medical Quality Assurance (1982) 31 Cal.3d 124, 138, 181 Cal.Rptr. 732, 642 P.2d 792; see Decker v. City of Imperial Beach (1989) 209 Cal.App.3d 349, 358, 257 Cal.Rptr. 356.) Nothing in plaintiffs' pleadings or appellate briefs points to such extreme conduct. Accordingly, the trial court properly sustained the demurrer without leave to amend. The judgment of the Court of Appeal in defendants' favor is affirmed. WE CONCUR: GEORGE, C.J., KENNARD, BAXTER, WERDEGAR, BROWN, and MORENO, JJ.