Willis et al v. Buffalo Pumps, Inc. et al
Filing
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ORDER Granting in part Plaintiff's 320 Motion to Quash, and Modifying John Crane Inc.'s Subpoenas to Bankruptcy Trusts. Signed by Magistrate Judge David H. Bartick on 6/2/2014. (All non-registered users served via U.S. Mail Service)(rlu)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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DONALD WILLIS and VIOLA
WILLIS,
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Plaintiffs,
v.
BUFFALO PUMPS, INC., et al.,
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Defendants.
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Case No. 12cv744-BTM (DHB)
ORDER GRANTING IN PART
PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO
QUASH, AND MODIFYING
JOHN CRANE INC.’S
SUBPOENAS TO BANKRUPTCY
TRUSTS
[ECF No. 320]
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On April 25, 2014, Plaintiff filed a Motion to Quash Defendant John Crane Inc.’s
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Subpoenas to Bankruptcy Trusts. (ECF No. 320.) Defendants John Crane Inc. and Foster
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Wheeler Energy Corporation have opposed the motion (ECF Nos. 327, 328) and Plaintiff
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has filed a Reply. (ECF No. 330.) Having considered the arguments of the parties and the
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applicable law, the Court hereby GRANTS IN PART Plaintiff’s Motion to Quash, and
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MODIFIES Defendant John Crane Inc.’s subpoenas to the Bankruptcy Trusts, as set forth
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below.
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I. BACKGROUND
On April 3, 2014, Defendant John Crane Inc. served subpoenas to various asbestos
bankruptcy trusts requesting the following documentation:
“Any and all correspondence between your office and Donald Willis (DOB:
12cv744-BTM (DHB)
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2/20/1942, DOD: 5/5/2013 SSN: []), or anyone acting on his behalf, but not
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limited to any claims, settlements, requests, documents, or files.”
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(ECF No. 320-1 at 9.) Plaintiff has moved to quash the subpoenas.
II. DISCUSSION
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Plaintiff initially argued the subpoenas should be quashed on grounds of privacy and
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confidentiality of settlement information. Defendants oppose Plaintiff’s motion, citing
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numerous cases that hold claims submitted to bankruptcy trusts are discoverable in asbestos
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injury cases. In her reply, Plaintiff concedes that much of the information requested by the
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subpoenas is relevant and discoverable. (ECF No. 330 at 2, 7.) Plaintiff acknowledges that
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all claim forms and related documents submitted to the bankruptcy trusts are subject to
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discovery. However, Plaintiff argues documents from the bankruptcy trusts to Plaintiff are
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not discoverable to the extent they contain settlement negotiations, or settlement amounts.
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Federal and state courts have routinely held that claims submitted to asbestos
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bankruptcy trusts are discoverable. See Volkswagen of America v. Superior Court, 139
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Cal.App.4th 1481,1493-96 (Cal. Ct. App. 2006); National Union Fire Ins. Co. v. Porter
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Hayden Co., 2012 WL 628493 (D. Md. Feb. 24, 2012); Ferguson v. Lorillard Tobacco Co.
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Inc., 2011 WL 5903453 (E.D. Pa. Nov. 22, 2011); Shepherd v. Pneumo-Abex,LLC, 2010 WL
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3431633 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 30, 2010); In re Asbestos Products Liability Litigation (No. VI),
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2009 WL 6869437 (E.D. Pa. Sept. 18, 2009). However, the courts have also recognized a
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distinction between claim submissions, and settlement offers or other documents received
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from the bankruptcy trusts. Courts have generally found that documents provided from the
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trusts to Plaintiffs regarding offers of compromise or settlement amounts are not
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discoverable. See Asbestos Products Liability Lit., 2009 WL 6869437 at *1 (compelling the
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plaintiffs to produce claim forms and other documents submitted to bankruptcy trusts, but
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allowing the plaintiffs to withhold documents that contained “specific instances of offers
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of compromise, as opposed to factual assertions of economic loss.”); Shepherd, 2010 WL
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3431633 at *2 (granting the defendants’ request for bankruptcy trust claims submitted by
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the plaintiff but allowing the redaction of any reference to offers of compromise or ultimate
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12cv744-BTM (DHB)
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settlement amounts); National Union Fire Ins. Co., 2012 WL 628493 at *4 (denying motion
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to quash subpoenas to bankruptcy trusts where the subpoenaed information did not include
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settlement figures or evidence of negotiations or compromise); Ferguson, 2011 WL
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5903453 at *1 (ordering the plaintiff to respond to discovery seeking claims submitted to
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bankruptcy trusts, but allowing the plaintiff to redact references to offers of compromise or
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settlement amounts).
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The Court finds the reasoning of these cases sound and applicable to this case.
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Accordingly, the Court finds all documents Plaintiff submitted to the bankruptcy trusts,
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including claim forms, supporting documentation, and supplemental information is
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discoverable. However, the subpoenas also specifically seek documentation regarding
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“settlements.” (ECF No. 320-1 at 9.) Because specific instances of offers to compromise
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are generally not discoverable, the Court finds it is not appropriate for Defendants to request
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settlement information from the trusts. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 45(d)(A) provides
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that a court may modify a subpoena as an alternative to quashing a subpoena entirely.
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Fed.R.Civ.P. 45(d)(A). Accordingly, the Court will modify the subpoenas to exclude
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requests for “settlements.”
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12cv744-BTM (DHB)
III. CONCLUSION
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Based on the foregoing, Plaintiff’s Motion to Quash is GRANTED IN PART.
Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:
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John Crane Inc.’s April 3, 2014 subpoenas directed to the bankruptcy trusts1
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are modified to permit production of the following items:
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Any and all correspondence between your office and
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Donald Willis (DOB: 2/20/1942, DOD: 5/5/2013
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SSN: []), or anyone acting on his behalf, but not
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limited to any claims, requests, documents, or files.
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No settlement offers, or other documents related to
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settlements or offers to compromise should be
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produced.
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2.
Defendant John Crane Inc. shall serve this order on the bankruptcy trusts listed
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in Plaintiff’s motion to compel within five (5) days of the date of service of this
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order.
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3.
(14) days following receipt of service of this order.
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IT IS SO ORDERED.
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The bankruptcy trusts shall respond to the subpoenas no later than fourteen
DATED: June 2, 2014
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DAVID H. BARTICK
United States Magistrate Judge
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Specifically, Defendant John Crane Inc. served subpoenas on the following entities:
ABB Lummus Global Inc., Lummus 524(g) Asbestos Trust;
Armstrong World Industries Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust;
Celotex Asbestos Settlement Trust;
Eagle Picher Trust;
Federal-Mogul Asbestos Personal Injury Trust;
G-I Holdings, Inc. Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust;
Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust;
Owens Corning/Fibreboard Asbestos Personal Injury Trust;
Plibrico Asbestos Trust;
UNARCO Trust; and
United States Gypsum Asbestos Injury Settlement Trust.
(See ECF No. 320-1 at 2-3.)
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12cv744-BTM (DHB)
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