Opinion ID: 570048
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: judicial admissions by universal

Text: 44 The fumigators urged in their summary judgment motion that Universal henceforth is conclusively bound by its argument in the arbitration, pursuant to the fire statute defense, that the cause of the fire on board the Energy Freedom is unknown. The fumigators contend the argument, contained in pleadings and statements of counsel, is a judicial admission. Because the fire statute requires dismissal of any claim based on a fire at sea whose cause is purely speculative, Westinghouse Elec. Corp. v. M/V Leslie Lykes, 734 F.2d 199, 214 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1077, 105 S.Ct. 577, 83 L.Ed.2d 516 (1984), Universal's claims against the fumigators must fail if Universal is conclusively bound by the unknown cause argument. 45 The admissions of Universal's counsel in the arbitration may be admissible in the district court over hearsay objection, as statements of a party opponent. See, e.g., Hanson v. Waller, 888 F.2d 806, 814 (11th Cir.1989) (hearsay exception for statements by agent of party opponent includes statements by attorney in representational capacity). But judicial admissions are not conclusive and binding in a separate case from the one in which the admissions were made. State Farm Mut. Auto Ins. Co. v. Worthington, 405 F.2d 683, 686 (8th Cir.1968). Since Universal's admissions in arbitration as to the cause of the fire were not conclusively binding in the separate district court suit, the admissions were sufficiently contradicted by Universal's summary judgment evidence to raise a genuine issue of material fact. The district court did not err in denying the fumigators' Motion.