Dorchester Insurance Company and Janak Ramchandani v. Renzo R. Odiott

Superior Court of The Virgin Islands·Decided July 29, 2026·No. ST-2025-CV-00151·Published

Opinion

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS DIVISION OF ST. THOMAS AND ST. JOHN

)

DORCHESTER INSURANCE )

COMPANY and JANAK )

RAMCHANDANI, )

)

Plaintiffs ) Case No. ST-2025-CV-00151 )

vs ) ACTION FOR DAMAGES )

RENZO R. ODIOTT ) JURY TRIAL DEMANDED )

Defendant )

)

Cite as 2026 VI Super 35

MEMORANDUM OPINION 41 #$THIS MATTER is before the Court on a Motion to Dismiss filed on October 30, 2025 by Defendant Renzo R. Odiott (“Defendant”). Plaintiffs Dorchester Insurance Company and Janak Ramchandani (“Plaintiffs”) oppose this Motion.' For the reasons set forth herein, the Court will grant Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY I Factual History q2 On March 22, 2021, Plaintiff Janak Ramchandani’s 2018 Toyota RAV4 was allegedly being driven by a family member, Sahil Ramchandani, in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands where the vehicle was allegedly turning from Rue de Barthelemy onto Veterans Drive at or around 12:40

' Also pending before the Court is Defendant’s Motion to Stay Discovery Pending Ruling on Motion to Dismiss; Plaintiffs Motion for Ruling; and Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment. Since the Court has now ruled on the dispositive Motion to Dismiss, the Motion to Stay is rendered moot, the Motion for Ruling will be denied, and the Motion for Summary Judgment need not be reached

Dorchester Ins. Co. et al. v. Odiott Case No: ST-2025-CV-00151 Memorandum Opinion Page 2 of 13

a.m.” It is further alleged that a 2002 Jeep Liberty owned by Defendant Odiott and driven by Ramon Anthony ran a red light on Veterans Drive, resulting in a collision that allegedly totaled Plaintiff Ramchandani’s vehicle.’ The investigating officer allegedly concluded that the driver of Defendant Odiott’s vehicle was at fault for failure to obey the traffic signal at the intersection of Veterans Drive and Rue de Barthlemy.* It is also alleged that Plaintiff Ramchandani’s Toyota RAV4 was insured by Plaintiff Dorchester, that the damages sustained by Plaintiff Ramchandani were allegedly bore by Plaintiff Dorchester pursuant to the applicable insurance agreement, and that Plaintiff Dorchester allegedly paid for those damages and, under the terms of that agreement, is legally permitted to subrogate Ramchandani’s claims.° II Procedural History q3 Plaintiffs filed a complaint on April 23, 2025, alleging negligence against Defendant Odiott.° The Summons and Complaint were served upon Defendant on May 21, 2025. On June 9, 2025, Defendant answered the Plaintiffs’ Complaint. In his Answer, Defendant, submitted the following affirmative defenses: (1) The Complaint failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted; (2) Plaintiffs’ right to damages in this action was barred by the doctrine of contributory and/or comparative negligence; (3) Plaintiffs’ right in this action was further barred by the doctrine of accord and satisfaction, as Plaintiff Dorchester was fully aware of the situation at hand at the time it paid the claim, and such payment resolved any alleged obligation; and (4) Plaintiffs’ right to damages in this action was also barred by the doctrine of contributory negligence.’ A joint

Pls’ Compl. 6 31d.47 414.48 5 Id. 48-11 6 fd. 412-18 7D.’s Answer at 2

Dorchester Ins. Co. et al. vy. Odiott Case No: ST-2025-CV-00151 Memorandum Opinion Page 3 of 13

scheduling order was submitted on July 15, 2025, and the order was signed by the Court on July 18, 2025 q4 All initial disclosures pursuant to V.I. R. Civ. P. 26(a) were to be served on the parties not later than July 31, 2025; all dispositive motions except for motions challenging subject matter jurisdiction or Daubert/Kuhmo motions were to be filed and served no later than January 23, 2026 Plaintiffs filed their notice of service in regard to Rule 26 disclosures on July 25, 2025, the same day it served its Initial Discovery Disclosures on Defendant. On September 3, 2025, Plaintiffs filed a Motion to Compel Initial Discovery Disclosures. On October 9, 2025, the Court ordered Defendant to file and serve their Rule 26 disclosures within fifteen (15) days of entry of the order, which would have been October 25, 2025 qs On October 30, 2025, Defendant filed a Motion to Dismiss pursuant to V.I. R. Civ. P 12(b)(6) in which Defendant claims that Plaintiffs failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted because the claim’s statute of limitations has expired.® The Defendant claims a two-year statute of limitation applies pursuant to 5 V.I.C. §31(5)(A), and that when the case was filed it had been four years and 29 days from the accident. Plaintiffs filed their response to the Motion to Dismiss on November 14, 2025, where Plaintiffs claim the action is not time barred because they are proceeding via a contractual right rather than a claim sounding in tort.'° Therefore, Plaintiffs claim a six-year statute of limitations applies.'!

8 1D.’s Mot. to Dismiss at 2. The Court notes that Defendant’s substantive “Motion to Dismiss” was filed after the Defendant had already answered; therefore, the Court will treat the Motion to Dismiss as a motion for judgment on the pleadings pursuant to V.I. R. Civ. P. 12(c). See Bryan v. Fawkes, 61 V.1. 416, 467 n.30 (V.L. 2014) (noting that the substance of a motion, and not its caption, shall determine under which rule that motion is construed” {internal citations omitted)); see also Infra €7 ° Id '0 Pls’ Opp’n to Mot. to Dismiss at 2 Wid

Dorchester Ins. Co. et al. v. Odiott Case No: ST-2025-CV-00151 Memorandum Opinion Page 4 of 13

46 On December 3, 2025, Plaintiffs filed a Motion for Ruling where they requested the Court issue an order awarding attorney fees to Plaintiffs for Defendant’s failure to comply with the initial disclosure order.'? That same day Plaintiffs also filed a Motion for Summary Judgment. Then on December 9, 2025, Defendant filed a Motion for Protective Order and to Stay Discovery Pending a Ruling by the Court on Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss and Incorporated Opposition to Plaintiffs’ Request for Attorney’s Fees and Expenses. Plaintiffs responded to this motion on December 30, 2025. On March 16, 2026, the Court ordered a Post Mediation Status Conference and hearing on all outstanding Motions on Monday, April 13, 2026. Plaintiffs filed a Motion for Grant of Summary Judgment on March 20, 2026. Defendant filed their Opposition to Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment on April 28, 2026. Plaintiffs filed their Reply to Defendant’s Opposition on April 29, 2026 LEGAL STANDARDS

i Failure to State a Claim q7 V. I. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) allows dismissal for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The Virgin Islands is a notice pleading jurisdiction for purposes of stating a claim. V.I R. Civ. P. 8 (a)(2). The purpose of the notice pleading standard is to avoid “dismissals of cases based on failure to allege specific facts which, if established, plausibly entitle the pleader to relief.” V.I. R. Civ. P. 8 Reporter's Note; Mills-Williams v. Mapp, 67 V.I. 574, 585 (V.1. 2017). Statute of limitations is an affirmative defense under V.I. R. Civ. P. 8(c){1), so it should be raised under Rule 12(b)(6) in a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, rather than one under Rule 12(b)(1) for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction. Palton v. V.I. Gov’t Hosp. &

Pls’ Mot. for Ruling at 1

Dorchester Ins. Co. et al. v. Odiott Case No: ST-2025-CV-00151 Memorandum Opinion Page 5 of 13

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