Opinion ID: 779906
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Pingel's communications with Rivera regarding Golan's fuel filter

Text: 38 We agree with the district court that Pingel's facsimile statement to Rivera regarding the flow rate of the Peak Flow filter was not itself actionable. This statement represented that Pingel tested the filters and that they would not flow at the advertised six gallon per minute rate in a gravity system. Wayne Pingel testified that he tested Golan's filter and it failed to flow at the advertised 6.3 gallons per minute rate. Golan's argument that this statement is false rests on the contention that it is entirely possible that a reasonable jury could find that [Pingel] had made false or misleading descriptions of the filter element found in the [Golan] fuel filter.... Applnt's Br. at 56 (emphasis added). We disagree. The facsimile plainly refers to the flow rate of the fuel filter in a gravity system, not to any limited element thereof. Because Golan's argument rests on a strained and implausible reading of the challenged statement, we agree with the district court that Golan failed to present evidence sufficient to raise a genuine issue of material fact that this statement was false or misleading. 4