Chumney v. U.S. Repeating Arms Co.

196 F.R.D. 419, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13239, 2000 WL 1336476
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Alabama
DecidedAugust 8, 2000
DocketNo. Civ.A. 97-D-1690-S
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 196 F.R.D. 419 (Chumney v. U.S. Repeating Arms Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chumney v. U.S. Repeating Arms Co., 196 F.R.D. 419, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13239, 2000 WL 1336476 (M.D. Ala. 2000).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

DE MENT, District Judge.

Before the court is a Motion For Summary Judgment filed by Defendants U.S. Repeat[421]*421ing Arms Company, Inc. (“USRAC”) and BWA, Inc. (“BWA”) on January 26, 19981 (“USRAC’s Mot.”),2 and a Motion For Summary Judgment filed by Defendant Olin Corporation (“Olin”) on July 13, 1998 (“Olin’s Mot.”). On April 6, 1998, Plaintiff filed a Memorandum Brief in opposition to US-RAC’s Motion For Summary Judgment, which the court construes as a Response (“Resp. to USRAC”). USRAC and BWA filed a Reply thereto on April 29, 1998 (“US-RAC’s Reply”).

On July 29,1998, Plaintiff filed a Response to Olin’s Motion (“Resp. to Olin”). Olin filed a Reply thereto on August 5, 1998 (“Olin’s Reply”). On August 11, 1998, Plaintiff filed an additional brief in opposition to Olin’s Motion, which the court construes as a SurResponse (“Sur-Response to Olin”). Finally, on August 18, 1998, Olin filed an additional brief in support of its Motion, which the court construes as a Sur-Reply (“Olin’s SurReply”).

After careful consideration of the arguments of counsel, the relevant law, and the record as a whole, the court finds that US-RAC’s Motion For Summary Judgment is due to be granted and Olin’s Motion For Summary Judgment is due to be granted in part and denied in part.

I. JURISDICTION AND VENUE

The court has diversity jurisdiction over this lawsuit pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a).3 The parties do not contest personal jurisdiction or venue.

II. SUMMARY JUDGMENT STANDARD

On a motion for summary judgment, the court is to construe the evidence and factual inferences arising therefrom in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. See Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970). Summary judgment can be entered on a claim only if it is shown “that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). As the Supreme Court has explained the summary judgment standard:

[T]he plain language of Rule 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. In such a situation, there can be ‘no genuine issue as to any material fact,’ since a complete failure of proof concerning an essential element of the nonmoving party’s case necessarily renders all other facts immaterial.

Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986) (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c)).

The trial court’s function at this juncture is not “to weigh the evidence and determine the [422]*422truth of the matter but to determine whether there is a genuine issue for trial.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). A dispute about a material fact is genuine if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party. See id. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505; Barfield v. Brierton, 883 F.2d 923, 933 (11th Cir.1989).

The party seeking summary judgment has the initial burden of informing the court of the basis for the motion and of establishing, based on relevant “portions of ‘the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any,’ ” that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323,106 S.Ct. 2548 (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c)). The mechanics of satisfying the initial burden vary, however, depending upon which party, the movant or the nonmovant, bears the burden of proof at trial. See Fitzpatrick v. City of Atlanta, 2 F.3d 1112, 1115 (11th Cir.1993) (detailing the nature of the parties’ responsibilities when preparing or defending against a motion for summary judgment).

Once this initial demonstration under Rule 56(c) is made, the burden of production, not persuasion, shifts to the nonmoving party. The nonmoving party must “go beyond the pleadings and by [his or] her own affidavits, or by the ‘depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file,’ designate ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’” Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548 (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e)). In meeting this burden, the nonmoving party “must do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.” Matsushita Elec. Indus. Corp. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). That party must demonstrate that there is a “genuine issue for trial.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e); see also Anderson, 477 U.S. at 250, 106 S.Ct. 2505; Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348. An action is void of material issues for trial “[w]here the record taken as a whole could not lead a rational trier of fact to find for the non-moving party.” Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 587,106 S.Ct. 1348.

III. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

The undisputed facts are as follows: On December 5, 1995, Reynold Howard Chumney, Plaintiffs Decedent (“Decedent”), was killed when his Winchester 30-30 Rifle bearing Serial Number 3234191 (“the Rifle”) accidentally discharged and shot him in the head. (Compl.H 5.) The Rifle was manufactured and sold by Olin in 1968. (Giglio Aff. Iff 6, 8.)

CARSU, Inc. (“CARSU”) purchased the firearms manufacturing assets of Olin on July 20, 1981. (Resp. to USRAC at 2.) As part of this purchase, CARSU signed an Agreement of Purchase and Sale on July 8, 1981. Therein, CARSU agreed to defend and indemnify Olin for all product liability claims asserted on or after July 20, 1981, with respect to: (1) firearms manufactured by Olin’s United States and Canadian affiliate plants and sold by Olin prior to July 20, 1981, other than product liability claims arising out of injuries which occurred before July 20, 1981; and (2) firearms completed and sold by CARSU for its own account.4 (US-RAC’s Reply at 4.)

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Bluebook (online)
196 F.R.D. 419, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13239, 2000 WL 1336476, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chumney-v-us-repeating-arms-co-almd-2000.