Opinion ID: 563740
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: trw

Text: 25 We need not reach the substance of Cahlin's FCRA claims against TRW because we find that he has utterly failed to produce any evidence tending to show that he was damaged as a result of an allegedly inaccurate TRW credit report. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c) mandates the entry of summary judgment, after adequate time for discovery and upon motion, against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party's case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial. 24 In this case, Cahlin bears the burden of proving that a TRW credit report was a causal factor in the denial of his residential mortgage loan by First Nationwide. 25 Despite the voluminous discovery already conducted in this case, the only evidence in the record, beyond Cahlin's bare allegations, that supports this element of his prima facia case is a letter prepared for First Nationwide requesting an explanation of the paid charge off notation attached to the GMAC tradeline on a TRW report. 26 Although this letter does provide circumstantial evidence indicating that a TRW report was used by First Nationwide to evaluate Cahlin's pending mortgage application, we find that it does not support the further inference that allegedly inaccurate information on that report was the cause of Cahlin's denial of credit. Such an inference, even if it were logically supportable, is completely overwhelmed by the affidavits proffered by TRW. The affidavit of Betty J. Del Place, the only employee that Cahlin claims he dealt with at First Nationwide, states that she cannot recall whether or not Cahlin's loan application was denied as a result of a TRW credit report. In addition, the affidavit of counsel for TRW states that the records of First Nationwide were produced pursuant to a subpoena and that no TRW report with derogatory information about the GMAC account was ever found. We stress that Cahlin had the affirmative duty of coming forward with evidence supporting his claim that TRW's alleged inaccurate report caused him harm. Despite more than adequate opportunity for discovery, he has failed to meet this burden, and the district court's grant of summary judgment in favor of TRW must be affirmed on this basis. 27 In affirming the district court's holding on Cahlin's claim against TRW, we do not imply that TRW would have been found liable to Cahlin. We simply do not address that issue.