Stewart et al v. Boston Scientific Corporation
Filing
120
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER (Defendant's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment) denying 61 MOTION by Boston Scientific Corporation for Partial Summary Judgment on Plaintiff's Chelsea Stewart and Matt Stewart's Punitive Damages Claim, as more fully set forth herein. Signed by Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on 10/5/2015. (cc: counsel of record; any unrepresented party) (kp)
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF WEST VIRGINIA
CHARLESTON DIVISION
CHELSEA STEWART and MATT STEWART,
Plaintiffs,
v.
Civil Action No. 2:12-cv-03686
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORP.,
Defendant.
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER
(Defendant’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment)
Pending before the court is defendant Boston Scientific Corporation’s (“BSC”) Motion for
Partial Summary Judgment on Chelsea Stewart’s and Matt Stewart’s Punitive Damages Claim
(“Motion for Partial Summary Judgment”) [Docket 61]. To obtain summary judgment, “the
movant must show that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and that the movant is
entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). In turn, to avoid summary judgment,
the nonmovant must offer some “concrete evidence from which a reasonable juror could return a
verdict in his [or her] favor.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 256 (1986).
The question of whether a plaintiff is entitled to punitive damages often involves an
interlocking web of factual determinations respecting the defendant’s conduct. A court thus treads
cautiously, especially pretrial, when adjudicating a peremptory request to remove the matter
entirely from the factfinder’s consideration. The evidentiary record is frequently muddled enough
on the point that genuine issues of material fact remain. That is the case here. Consequently, BSC
is not, at least at this stage of the case, entitled to judgment as a matter of law on the punitive
damages claim. The court will be better equipped to assess, and perhaps resolve, the issue at the
stage for Rule 50 motions. For these reasons, the Motion for Partial Summary Judgment [Docket
61] is DENIED.
The court DIRECTS the Clerk to send a copy of this Order to counsel of record and any
unrepresented party.
ENTER: October 5, 2015
2
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