Court Opinion

ID: 9637988
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 15:28:34.714687+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:10:02.539865
License: Public Domain

GOODRICH, Circuit Judge
(concurring).
Agreeing with the result reached by the Court, I want to add a few words on the first point considered in the principal opinion.
Plaintiff’s voluntary dismissal of defendant Welty was permissible under Rule 41(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Lyman v. United States, 1 Cir., 1943, 138 F.2d 509, certiorari denied 1944, 320 U.S. 800, 64 S.Ct. 429, 88 L.Ed. 483. We are not concerned with local rules of practice, either as to dismissal as to one of several defendants, or as to joining of additional defendants. These are not substantive and do not control federal court procedure. Cleary v. Quaker City Cab Co., 1926, 285 Pa. 241, 132 A. 185.
Wilky, however, complains that the dismissal of Welty adversely affected his rights. This point is not well taken. Whatever rights there were between them remain. Their substantive rights relating to reimbursement, indemnity, contribution, are unaffected. Kravas et al. v. Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., D.C.W.D.Pa., 1939, 28 F.Supp. 66. The operative facts occurred in Pennsylvania and reference to the law of that state will be made as to substantive rights. Restatement, Conflict of Laws Sec. 384. The Pennsylvania Act of June 24, 1939, P.L. 1075, § 1, 12 P.S. § 2081 provides that “contribution shall be enforcible among those who are jointly or severally liable for a tort where, as between them, such liabilities are either all primary or all secondary.” See Trerotola, et al. v. City of Philadelphia, 1943, 346 Pa. 222, 29 A.2d 788, 790.
The right to contribution is a matter of substantive law, and whatever rights Wilky and Welty have between them will be governed by the Pennsylvania rule. If it is necessary to sue in New York whether or not the local law of New York would permit contribution under the circumstance involved is not determinative. Nor does the statute of limitations begin to run against the right of contribution until some event, like payment, occurs which throws on the one claiming an inequitable share of the common burden. 13 Am.Jur. 77.