Everest v. Leviton Manufacturing Company

• Court: Superior Court of Maine
• Decided: January 13, 2006
• Docket: CUMcv-04-612
• Status: Unpublished

Opinion

· " .

STATE OF MAINE SUPERIOR COURT CUMBERLAND, ss. =,: \~ \ CIVIL ACTION DOCKET,~?: CV-04-612,/ ROBERT EVEREST,

Plaintiff v. ORDER ON PLAINTIFF'S MOTION TO CERTIFY CLASS LEVITON MANUFACTURlNG COMPANY., Defendant

Before the Court is Plaintiff Robert Everest's ("Plaintiff") motion pursuant

to M.R. Civ. P. 23 to certify this case as a class action with the following class:

Every person who purchased a push-in termination electrical wall receptacle ("push-in receptacle"), manufactured by Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc. ("Leviton") from Leviton or a retailer, or by virtue of purchasing a property already containing a push-in receptacle, and who still owns the push-in receptacle, which is installed utilizing the push-in termination in a residence in the State of Maine. Specifically excluded from the Class are those consumers who have sustained personal injury and/ or property damages (other than damage to the receptacle and/ or wire­ insulation in the vicinity of the receptacle termination) as a result of Defendant's practices; Defendant; any entity in which Defendant has a controlling interest; and any of Defendant's subsidiaries, affiliates, and officers, directors, employees and agents.

(Pl.'s Rep. Br. at 6.)

BACKGROUND The background facts underlying the present suit were summarized in a

January 13, 2006 order of this Court (Crowley, J.) on Defendant Leviton

1 Manufacturing Company's ("Leviton") motion to dismiss. Those facts are

replicated below.

[Leviton] manufactures backwire push-in electrical receptacles, the main part of what are commonly called electrical outlets. Plaintiff .. . asserts that he owns "one or more" backwire push-in receptacles manufactured by Leviton. He claims that, since no later than 1989, [Leviton] has known or should have known that backwire push-in receptacles fundamentally and unreasonably pose a significant risk of danger, including "arcing" and risk of fire, and that they pose an even greater risk if one attempts to reuse them after an initial installation. He claims that notwithstanding [Leviton]'s knowledge of the dangerous defects inherent in these receptacles, it has failed to inform consumers thereof. He claims that [Leviton] continues to market these receptacles, concealing their defects in its sales and promotional materials, because it knows that electricians and consumers often may want the perceived ease and speed with which these receptacles can be installed.

Plaintiff has brought this suit as a class action on behalf of himself and all other consumers in Maine who have purchased [Leviton]'s backwire push-in receptacles, but who have not sustained personal injury or property damage other than damage to the receptacle itself and any wire or insulation in the vicinity of the receptacle.

Everest v. Leviton Mfg. Co., 2006 Me. Super. LEXIS 12, *2-*3 Ganuary 12, 2006).

DISCUSSION

I. M.R. Civ. P. 23 - General Standards for Class Certification

Under the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure, a class action suit may only be

maintained if the following four elements are present:

(1) the class is so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable, (2) there are questions of law or fact common to the class, (3) the claims or defenses of the representative parties are typical of the claims or defenses of the class, and (4) the representative parties will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class.

M.R. Civ. P. 23(a).

In addition to the elements stated above, the proposed class action must

2 satisfy one of the three prerequisites of M.R. Civ. P. 23(b). "The party seeking

certification bears the burden of demonstrating under a 'strict burden of proof'

that all of the requirements of Rule 23 are clearly met. I " Millett v. Atlantic Richfield

Co. 2000 Me. Super. LEXIS 39, *17 (March 2,2000) (citing Rex v. Owens ex reI Okla.,

585 F.2d 432,435 (10th Cir. 1978)).

While the allegations of the complaint are to be taken as admitted for

purposes of deciding whether a class should be certified, the Court "'certainly

may look past the pleadings to determine whether the requirements of rule 23

have been met [when helpful to] ... understand the claims, defenses, relevant

facts, and applicable substantive law in order to make a meaningful

determination of the certification issues.'" Id. at *18-*19 (quoting Castano v.

American Tobacco Co., 84 F.3d 734, 744 (5th Cir. 1996)).

II. M.R. Civ. P. 23(a)

A. M.R. Civ. P. 23(a)(l) - Numerosity

Under Rule 23(a)(1), Plaintiff must show that the class "is so numerous that

joinder of all members is impracticable." M.R. Civ. P. 23(a)(l). This requirement

is met because Leviton sold thousands of its push-in receptacles to consumers

through distributors and retailers leading to thousands of potential class

members.

B. M.R. Civ. P. 23(a)(2) - Commonality

Next, Plaintiff must demonstrate that "there are questions of law or fact

1 Though the burden of proof is described as "strict," the quantum of proof for class certification remains

the familiar "preponderance of the evidence" standard. See Karoftky v. Abbott Laboratories, 1997 Me. Super. LEXIS 316, * 12 (October 5, 1997).

3 common to this class." M.R. Civ. P. 23(a)(2). Leviton satisfies the commonality

element as the claims of all class members arise from the same alleged conduct of

Leviton.

C. M.R. Civ. P. 23(a)(3) - Typicality

Rule 23(a)(3) requires that "the claims or defenses of the representative

parties are typical of the claims or defenses of the class." M.R. Civ. P. 23(a)(3).

The typicality requirement is "'intended to assess whether the action can be

efficiently maintained as a class and whether the named plaintiffs have

incentives that align with those of absent class members so as to assure that the

absentees' interests will be fairly represented."' Millett, 2000 Me. Super. LEXIS at

*24 (quoting Baby Neal ex rel Kanter v. Casey, 43 F.3d 48,57 (3rd Cir. 1994)). The

test for establishing typicality is not a demanding one. Id. at *25 (quoting Mullen

v. Treasure Chest Casino, LLC, 186 F.3d 620,625 (5th Cir. 1999)). The question of

typicality is decided by whether the claims of all class members arise out of the

same events and require the same legal arguments to establish liability. Id.

(quoting Robidoux v. Celani, 987 F.2d 931, 936 (2nd Cir. 1993)). The claims,

however, do no need to be identical. Id.

Leviton argues essentially that invidualized issues in this case, such as

reliance, causation, and the application of the statute of limitations, create a

situation where Plaintiff cannot meet the typicality requirement. In fact, Leviton

goes so far as to argue that N[g]iven the significant differences among the

members of the proposed class ... it may be impossible to find any person whose

claim is 'typical' of the entire proposed class." (Def.'s Br. at 26.)

4 Leviton's argument against typicality is not convincing. Although Plaintiff

comes before the Court with significant factual differences between his

individual claim and the claims of other members of the proposed class, "all of

them base their claims against [Leviton] on the same legal theories." See Millett,

2000 Me. Super. LEXIS at *26. Specifically, both Plaintiff and the proposed class

members base their claims on allegations that Leviton's push-in receptacles

contain the same inherent defect, that Leviton concealed this defect from

consumers and that Leviton benefited financially from each of the proposed class

members. These allegations are sufficient to render Plaintiff's claims "typical" of

those of the proposed class within the meaning of M.R. Civ. P. 23(a)(3).

D. M.R Civ. P. 23(a)(4) - Adequacy of Representation

Rule 23(a)(4) requires a party seeking class certification to show that "the

representative parties will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the

class." M.R. Civ. P. 23(a)(4). This element "requires a showing that 'class counsel

is qualified, experienced and generally able to conduct the litigation' and that

there is 'no conflict of interest between the named plaintiffs and other members

of the plaintiff class.'" Millett, 2000 Me. Super. LEXIS at * 30 (quoting MarisoI A.

ex reI Forbes v. Giuliani, 126 F.3d 372, 378 (2nd Cir. 1997)). There is no dispute that

Plaintiff's counsel are sufficiently experienced and qualified to conduct this

litigation as a class action suit.

Leviton argues, however, that Plaintiff himself cannot "fairly and

adequately protect the interests of the class." Leviton presents two lines of

argument in support of this contention. First, Leviton alleges that Plaintiff lacks

5 sufficient personal knowledge of the nature of his claim and lacks sufficient

personal involvement with the litigation to adequately represent his proposed

class. This argument is without merit. While Leviton can cherry pick the record

to find specific sections from Plaintiff's extensive deposition testimony in which

he appears to lack total familiarity with his case, other portions of the record

demonstrate that Plaintiff has a sufficient understanding of the case and a

willingness to actively participate in its prosecution. In any event, personal

knowledge of the intricacies of a case is not necessary to meet the requirements

of Rule 23(a)(4). See In re Workers' Compensation, 130 F.R.D. 99, 108 (D. Minn.

1990). Rather, "[t]he question is: Will the representative parties put up a genuine

fight?" rd. at 107. Plaintiff's conduct in pursuing this case over a significant

period of time and his active participation in the discovery process has

demonstrated that the answer to this question is yes. Therefore, Plaintiff satisfies

the adequacy of representation element of M.R. Civ. P. 23(a)(4).

III. M.R. Civ. P. 23(b)

Though Plaintiff has established that he meets the criteria of M.R. Civ. P.

23(a) for class certification, he must also demonstrate that he satisfies one of the

pre-requisites presented by M.R. Civ. P. 23(b). Plaintiff has elected to proceed

pursuant to M.R. Civ. P. 23(b)(1) and M.R. Civ. P. 23(b)(3). Those rules provide

that

[a]n action may be maintained as a class action if the prerequisites of subdivision (a) are satisfied, and in addition:

(1) the prosecution of separate actions by or against individual members of the class would create a risk of (A) inconsistent or varying adjudications with respect to

6 individual members of the class which would establish incompatible standards of conduct for the party opposing the class, or (B) adjudications with respect to individual members of the class which would as a practical matter be dispositive of the interests of the other members not parties to the adjudications or substantially impair or impede their ability to protect their interests, or

(3) the court finds that the questions of law or fact common to the members of the class predominate over any questions affecting only individual members, and that a class action is superior to other available methods for the fair and efficient adjudication of the controversy.

A. M.R. Civ. P. 23(b)(1)

Plaintiff does not argue that class certification is appropriate under M.R

Civ. P. 23(b)(1)(B). Rather, Plaintiff asserts that requiring each individual class

member to bring a separate suit would carry the risk of "inconsistent or varying

adjudications with respect to individual members of the class which would

establish incompatible standards of conduct for [Leviton]." See M.R Civ. P.

23(b )(l)(A).

Plaintiff supports the applicability of Rule 23(b)(1)(A) to this case by

arguing that "(b)(l) actions involve cases in which a defendant had the same

obligation to all class members or all class members have claims against a

common fund insufficient to satisfy all of their claims." Risinger v. Concannon, 201

F.RD. 16, 23 (D. Me. 2001). Plaintiff argues that this case is one where Leviton

had the same obligation to all class members, to design a safe product and to

inform consumers of any dangers presented by the product. In addition, Plaintiff

argues that adjudicating the issues presented by this case in different forums

creates a risk that one jury could find Leviton liable while other juries might not,

7 subjecting Leviton to "incompatible standards of conduct."

Plaintiff's argument does not withstand scrutiny. As an initial matter, it is

notable that "Rule 23(b)(l)(A) 'is designed to protect the interests of the party

opposing the class.'" In re Ford Motor Co. Ignition Switch Prods. Liab. Litig., 174

F.R.D. 332,354 (D.N.J. 1997) (quoting Pruitt v. Allied Chern. Corp., 85 F.R.D. 100,

107 (B.D. Va. 1980)). Therefore, itis questionable whether a class action may be

maintained under that rule where a party opposing the class, like Leviton in this

case, does not seek its protection. See Pruitt, 85 F.R.D. at 106-07.

Even if Plaintiff could otherwise invoke Rule 23(b)(l)(A) to its benefit,

however, it would not be appropriate on these facts. In a comparable Ninth

Circuit case, the court held that "a judgment that defendants were liable to one

plaintiff would not require action inconsistent with a judgment that they were

not liable to another plaintiff. By paying the first judgment, defendants could act

consistently with both judgments." McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. United States Dist.

Court for the Cent. Dist. Of Cal., 523 F.2d 1083, 1086 (9th Cir. 1975).

Similar to McDonnell Douglas Corp., if separate lawsuits were required here

and Leviton were held liable in some suits and not liable in others, it could

simply compensate the defendants it is ruled liable to, and not compensate the

other defendants. As recognized by the Ninth Circuit by paying the first

judgment, Leviton could act consistently with both judgments. As a result,

Plaintiff fails to satisfy M.R. Civ. P. 23(b)(l)(A).

B. M.R. Civ. P. 23(b)(3)

Although Plaintiff does not satisfy the requirements of M.R. Civ. P. 23(b)(l),

8 he may still maintain this suit as a class action if he is correct that the

requirements of M.R. Civ. P. 23(b)(3) are satisfied. In order to certify a class

pursuant to Rule 23(b)(3), the Court must find that "questions of law or fact

common to the members of the class predominate over any questions affecting

only individual members and that a class action is superior to other methods for

the fair and efficient adjudication of the controversy." M.R. Civ. P. 23(b)(3).

Factors pertinent to deciding this issue are

(A) the interest of members of the class in individually controlling the prosecution or defense of separate actions;

(B) the extent and nature of any litigation concerning the controversy already commenced by or against members of the class;

(C) the desirability or undesirability of concentrating the litigation of the claims in the particular forum;

(D) the difficulties likely to be encountered in the management of a class action.

M.R. Civ. P. 23(b)(3).

1. Predominance of Common Questions of Law or Fact

Although the predominance element of M.R. Civ. P. 23(b)(3) "is closely

related to the commonality requirement in subdivision (a)(2) in that both require

an inquiry into whether there are questions of law or fact common to the class ...

the predominance requirement is 'far more demanding' than the commonality

requirement." Millett, 2000 Me. Super. LEXIS at *37-*38 (quoting Amchem Product,

Inc. v. Windsor, 521 U.s. 591, 623-24 (1997)). This is so because to satisfy the

predominance element, Plaintiff must show that common questions of law or II

fact predominate . .. [in that] 'common questions [are] central to all the claims.'"

9 Id. at *38 (quoting Puerto Rico v. M/V Emily S, 158 F.RD. 9, 15 (D.P.R 1994)).

"'Implicit in the satisfaction of the predominance test is the notion that the

adjudication of common issues will help achieve judicial economy.'" [d. at *39

(quoting Valentino v. Carter-Wallace, Inc., 97 F.3d 1227, 1234 (9th Cir. 1996)).

In deciding this issue, it is important to recognize that Plaintiff does not

pursue his cause of action under a products liability or common law fraud

theory. Rather, Plaintiff's complaint states a cause of action for violations of

Maine's Unfair Trade Practices Act ("UTPA"), 5 M.RS.A. §§ 205-A to 214, and for

unjust enrichment. In order to determine whether common questions will

predominate over individual ones, it is necessary to understand what Plaintiff

will be required to prove at trial.

Under UTPA, "unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any

trade or commerce" are declared illegal. 5 M.R.S.A. § 207. UTPA does not contain

a definition of "unfair" or "deceptive," but the Law Court has stated that "[t]o

justify a finding of unfairness, the act or practice: (1) must cause, or be likely to

cause, substantial injury to consumers; (2) that is not reasonably avoidable by

consumers; and (3) that is not outweighed by any countervailing benefits to

consumers or competition." State v. Weinschenk, 20051v1E 28,

206.

In addition to his UTPA claim, Plaintiff proceeds under an unjust

enrichment theory. To prevail on this claim, a complaining party must

demonstrate that "(1) it conferred a benefit on the other party; (2) the other party

had appreciation or knowledge of the benefit; and (3) the acceptance or retention

10 of the benefit was under such circumstances as to make it inequitable for it to

retain the benefit without payment of its value." Me. Eye Care Assocs. P.A. v.

Gorman, 2006 NIB 15, ~ 26, 890 A.2d 707,712 (quoting Tucci v. City of Biddeford,

2005 ME 7, ~ 14,864 A.2d 185, 189).

Based on an application of the elements listed above to the facts of the case

as pled by Plaintiff, it is apparent that while there are many questions of law and

fact common to all potential class members, those do not predominate over the

individual issues.

One factor that complicates this case is that, at least for the most commonly

sold receptacles at issue here, the person installing the Leviton receptacle had the

option of using either the "push in" method, or the traditional "side wire"

connection method. There is no allegation by Plaintiff that any problems result

from installation using the side wire connection method. Therefore, a purchaser

who bought Leviton's product with the intention of connecting by the side wire

method would not have had any injury caused to him under UTPA, nor would

he have conferred any benefit to Leviton under an unjust enrichment theory. See

Millett, 2000 Super. LEXIS at *50 (noting that "[c]ausation is an individual issue

which will have to be tried separately for each plaintiff in order for him or her to

prevail .. , [under] the Unfair Trade Practices Act.")

Similarly, reliance is an element under both UTPA and unjust enrichment,2

2 Under UTPA, a consumer must show that his injury was not "reasonably avoidable," while under an unjust enrichment theory a plaintiff must demonstrate that the defendant's acceptance of a benefit was under circumstances that make it inequitable for it to retain the benefit without compensating the plaintiff. In order to satisfY either element in the present case, each class member would need show that he relied on Leviton's alleged misrepresentations in deciding to purchase the Leviton receptacle. In the absence of such reliance, for example in a case where a class member bought the Leviton receptacle with full knowledge of

11 For each class member, it is necessary to determine what he or she knew at the

time of purchase regarding the alleged defect in Leviton's product. Knowledge of

the alleged dangers inherent in the product would necessarily defeat any claim

under UTPA or under an unjust enrichment theory. This analysis, similar to that

conducted in determining comparative negligence, is "an individual issue which

will have to be addressed separately for each class member." See id. at *54 & n.30.

Because Plaintiff has failed to satisfy the predominance element of M.R.

Civ. P. 23(b)(3), class certification is inappropriate.

2. Superiority and Convenient Administration

Even if Plaintiff could demonstrate predominance, his class certification

would fail due to his inability to show "that a class action is superior to other

available methods for the fair and efficient adjudication of the controversy." M.R.

Civ. P. 23(b)(3). Under this element, the Court must "balance, in terms of fairness

and efficiency, the merits of a class action against those of'alternative available

methods' of adjudication" Millett, 2000 Me. Super. LEXIS at *66 (quoting Georgine

v. Amchem Products, Inc., 83 F.3d 610,627-28 (3rd Gr. 1996), af!'d sub nom. Amchem

Products, Inc. v. Windsor, 521 U.s. 591, (1997)). Although a court "'should not

decline to certify a class because it fears that insurmountable problems may later

appear,' if the court finds' that there are serious problems now appearing, it

should not certify the class merely on the assurance of counsel that some solution

will be found.'" Id. at *66-*67 (quoting Windham v. American Brands, Inc., 565 F.2d

59, 70 (4th Gr. 1977)).

its alleged defect, any injury resulting from this purchase would have been "reasonably avoidable" and there would be nothing inequitable in Leviton's retention of benefits.

12 As in Millett, one of the "most persuasive reason[s] why the proposed class

action is not the superior method for adjudication of this controversy is the same

reason why this action cannot meet the predominance requirement. There are too

many individualized issues .... " Id. at *67. The prospect of a series of mini-trials

on the issues of reliance and causation among others, would prevent this case

from being adjudicated in an efficient manner.

In addition, there is a significant difficulty presented in discovering who the

members of the proposed class are. Importantly, there is no way in most cases to

determine on brief inspection whether a Leviton receptacle is one that is the

subject of this lawsuit or whether it is another model of receptacle. This is so

because the only way to determine whether an individual owns a model of

Leviton receptacle at issue in this case is to locate every Leviton receptacle in an

individual's residence, unscrew it from the wall and look on the inside. Further,

even if an individual knew which receptacles in his home were potentially

covered by this suit, only those wired through the "push in" method, as opposed

to the "side wire" method, are included within the class definition. Again, the

only way to determine which method was used is to unscrew the receptacle from

the wall and examine it.

By Plaintiff's own estimation, there are thousands of potential class member

and each class member wi1llikely have multiple Leviton outlets. Quite simply,

the management of this litigation by the Court would be a monumental

undertaking. While this fact alone may not warrant denying certification,

together with the above listed complications, Plaintiff has failed to meet his

13 burden of demonstrating that a class action is superior to other methods of , adjudication.

The entry is:

Plaintiff's motion to certify class is DENIED.

The clerk shall incorporate this Order into the docket by reference pursuant to M.R. Civ. P. 79(a).

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