Cichowski v. Four Winds Insurance Agency, LLC

4 Am. Tribal Law 397
CourtHo-Chunk Nation Trial Court
DecidedDecember 15, 2003
DocketNo. CV 01-90
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 4 Am. Tribal Law 397 (Cichowski v. Four Winds Insurance Agency, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ho-Chunk Nation Trial Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cichowski v. Four Winds Insurance Agency, LLC, 4 Am. Tribal Law 397 (hochunkct 2003).

Opinion

[398]*398ORDER (Granting Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment)

TODD R. MATHA, Associate Judge.

INTRODUCTION

The Court must determine whether the defendant has demonstrated the absence of a compensable injury for worker’s compensation purposes. The plaintiff failed to present any evidence to the contrary. Therefore, the Court grants the defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment,

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The plaintiff, Aleksandra Cichowski, initiated the current action by filing a Complaint with the Court on July 31, 2001. Consequently, the. Court issued a Summons accompanied by the above-mentioned Complaint on July 31, 2001, and delivered the documents by personal service to the defendant’s representative, Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Justice [399]*399(hereinafter DOJ).1 The Summons informed the defendant of the right to file an Answer within twenty (20) days of the issuance of the Summons pursuant to HCN R. Civ. P. 5(B). The Summons also cautioned the defendant that a default judgment could result from failure to file within the prescribed time period.

The defendant, by and through DOJ Attorney Michael P. Murphy, timely filed its Answer on August 20, 2001. The Court reacted by mailing Notice(s) of Hearing to the parties, informing them of the date, time and location of the Scheduling Conference. The Court convened the Scheduling Conference on September 7, 2001 at 9:30 a.m. CDT. The following parties appeared at the Conference: Aleksandra Ci-chowski, plaintiff, and DOJ Attorney Michael P. Murphy, defendant’s counsel. The Court entered the Scheduling Order on September 7, 2001, setting forth the applicable timeline of the instant case.

On October 18, 2001, the plaintiff submitted a discovery request to the defendant entitled, Request for Production of Documents Believed to be Relevant to the Matter before the Court, (hereinafter Plaintiffs Discovery Request). The defendant filed its Motion for Summary Judgment and supportive memorandum of law on November 16, 2001. Shortly thereafter, the plaintiff filed a November 19, 2001 request, entitled Plaintiffs Motion to Compel Defendant, to Produce Documents Believed to be Relevant to the Matter before, the Court,. On November 20, 2001, the defendant, by and through DOJ Paralegal Fran Kernes, informed the Court that it had earlier attempted to respond to the discovery request, but that the U.S. Postal Service had returned the mailing, indicating an expiration of a forwarding order. DOJ Correspondence (Nov. 20, 2001), Attach. B. The defendant included a copy of the initial discovery response (hereinafter ■■ Defendant’» Discovery Response) with the correspondence.

In response to the filing of the defendant’s dispositive motion, the Court entered the November 21, 2003 Order (Rescheduling and Redesignating Status-Hearing ). The order informed the parties of the Court’s decision to convene a motion hearing for the purpose of entertaining the November 16, 2001 Motion for Summary Judgment. The order set forth the date, time and location of the Motion Hearing, and alerted the plaintiff to her legal rights and obligations as concerned the proceeding.

On November 26, 2003, the plaintiff filed three (3) separate documents. First, the plaintiff submitted a correspondence offering an explanation for the mailing difficulties experienced in relation to the discovery process. The plaintiff also filed a document entitled, Plaintiffs Motion to Extend the Deadline for the Amendments to Pleadings due to the Fact that the Discovery has not been Concluded Yet. This filing occurred after the deadline to file an amendment to the pleadings. See Scheduling Order at 1. Finally, the plaintiff filed a request entitled, Plaintiffs Motion in Opposition to Defendant’s Mol ion and Proposed, Motion to Change Schedule due to Unequal Treatment. The following day, the plaintiff filed her Motion and Proposed Order to Change Schedule. The Court granted the request of the plaintiff, and rescheduled the Motion Hearing.

The Court mailed Notice,(s) of Hearing to the parties on November 28, 2001, in[400]*400forming them of the date, time and location of the rescheduled Motion Hearing. Prior to convening the Hearing; the plaintiff filed a timely response to the pending dispositive motion in the form of the Motion to Dismiss Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment (hereinafter Plaintiffs Response). See HCN R. Civ. P. 19(A). The Court convened the Motion Hearing on December 7, 2001 at 9:00 a.m. CST. The following parties appeared at the Hearing: Aleksandra Ciehowski, plaintiff, and DOJ Attorney Michael P. Murphy, defendant’s counsel.

APPLICABLE LAW

CONSTITUTION OF THE HO-CHUNK NATION

Art. V—Legislature

Sec. 2. Powers of the Legislature. The Legislature shall have the power:

(a) To make laws, including codes, ordinances, resolutions, and statutes;

(q) To issue charters of incorporation, to charter corporations and other organization for economic or other purposes, and to regulate their activities;

HO-CHUNK NATION LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY ACT

Subch. V—Finance

Sec. 501. Contributions,

(1) A member’s contributions to a limited liability company may consist of cash property or services rendered, or promissory notes or other written obligations to provide cash or property or to perform services.

(2) The value of a member’s contribution shall be determined in the manner provided in an operating agreement. If the operating agreement does not fix a value to a contribution, the value of a contribution shall be approved by a majority in interest of the members, shall be properly reflected in the records and information kept by the limited liability company under s. 405(1). The value of contributions so determined shall be binding and conclusive on the limited liability company and its members.

HO-CHUNK INSURANCE REVIEW COMMISSION ORDINANCE

Sec. 3. Purpose and Powers.

The HIRC shall have the power to review and render a final decision on all Insurance claims. Such decision shall be available for the benefit of employees who have been denied benefits under Ho-Chunk Nation Insurance Plans. The Insurance Review Commission decision shall be final subject to review by the Ho-Chunk Nation Trial Court. A party seeking review of a final decision by the Ho-Chunk Nation Trial Court must file a request with the Court within 30 (thirty) days of the issuance of the final decision.

THE HO-CHUNK NATION WORKER’S COMPENSATION PLAN

Sec. 1. Definitions.

Subsec. 1.007. Compensable or Compen-sable [sic ] Injury

A bodily Injury of an Employee, caused by an Accident when that injury arises out of risk of Employment, the injury occurs during a period of Employment and while performing the duties of the Employment in or on the premises of the Employer or whenever the Employer requires the Employee to perform the Employment activities.

Subsec. 1.008. Bodily Injury or Injury

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
4 Am. Tribal Law 397, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cichowski-v-four-winds-insurance-agency-llc-hochunkct-2003.