Hefren v. Murphy Exploration & Prod. Co.,USA

34 F. Supp. 3d 651, 2014 WL 3547474, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 97526
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Louisiana
DecidedJuly 16, 2014
DocketCivil Action No. 12-1899
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 34 F. Supp. 3d 651 (Hefren v. Murphy Exploration & Prod. Co.,USA) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hefren v. Murphy Exploration & Prod. Co.,USA, 34 F. Supp. 3d 651, 2014 WL 3547474, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 97526 (W.D. La. 2014).

Opinion

[653]*653 MEMORANDUM RULING

REBECCA F. DOHERTY, District Judge.

Pending before the Court are two motions: (1) “Motion for Partial Summary Judgment” filed by McDermott, Inc. [Doc. 57]; and (2) “Motion to Certify as Final Judgment Under FRCP 54(b) filed by plaintiff James Hefren” [Doc. 59]. In its motion, McDermott seeks an order “recognizing that McDermott is entitled to indemnity from Murphy for McDermott’s costs of defense, attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred in defense of Hefren’s claims.” Cross-defendant Murphy Exploration & Production Co., USA (“Murphy”) opposes McDermott’s motion [Doc. 61].

In his motion, the plaintiff moves the Court to certify its April 9, 2014 Ruling and Order [Docs. 53, 54] as a final judgment, pursuant to Rule 54(b). The Ruling and Order for which plaintiff seeks certification granted McDermott’s, Inc.’s [“McDermott”] Motion for Summary Judgment, concluding the FRONT RUNNER Spar is an immovable and holding all claims asserted by the plaintiff against McDermott were perempted under La. Rev.Stat. § 9:2772. Plaintiffs motion is opposed by McDermott [Doc. 62],

For the following reasons, McDermott’s “Motion for Partial Summary Judgment” [Doc. 57] is GRANTED, and plaintiffs “Motion to Certify as Final Judgment Under FRCP 54(b) filed by plaintiff James Hefren” [Doc. 59] is DENIED.

I. Factual and Procedural Background

At the outset, the Court notes the parties in this matter have elected to proceed with this case in a piecemeal fashion, by filing several motions for partial summary judgment, each limited to a single issue— some addressed to the magistrate judge, some addressed to this Court — -that do not discuss the overall, comprehensive picture of the litigation. Because each motion that has been filed has included only a truncated statement of material facts that addressed solely those facts that were relevant to the issue being challenged in that particular motion, and because the responses to the motions responded in kind, the result of this fragmented approach has provided this Court with a rather disjointed picture of the relevant facts and events surrounding the central events giving rise to the litigation. The facts that appear to be relevant and material to the instant motion are as follows:

• Plaintiff worked for Murphy and exclusively on the FRONT RUNNER spar platform at all times relevant to this litigation;
• At the time of his accident, Plaintiff was working for Murphy on the FRONT RUNNER spar platform as a Lead Operator;
• Plaintiff filed suit against Murphy and McDermott for negligence. This Court has granted summary judgment in favor of Murphy, dismissing with prejudice plaintiffs tort claims against Murphy as barred by the exclusive remedy provisions of the Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act;1
• This Court has also determined the FRONT RUNNER Spar is an immovable, and that, as such, all of the plaintiffs claims against McDermott, as the contractor of the FRONT RUNNER Spar, are perempted (extinguished)— and therefore dismissed — under La. Rev.Stat. § 9:2772(A).2
[654]*654• It appears the only remaining claim in this matter is the claim of defendant McDermott against defendant Murphy for a “full and complete defense and indemnification, including payment of all costs and attorneys’ fees from Murphy for defense of the claims asserted against McDermott, Inc. by James He-fren ... [,]” notwithstanding the fact that in the instant motion, McDermott continues to identify itself as a “defendant” although a defendant as to what claims, it is unclear to this Court.

II. Law and Analysis

1. Summary Judgment Standard

A party claiming relief, or a party against whom relief is sought, may move, with or without supporting affidavits, for summary judgment on all or part of the claim. Fed. R. Civ. Proc. 56(a) and (b). Summary judgment is appropriate if “the pleadings, the discovery and disclosure materials on file, and any affidavits show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the movant is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. Proc. 56(c)(1), (2).

When a motion for summary judgment is properly made and supported, an opposing party may not rely merely on allegations or denials in its own pleading; rather, its response must — by affidavits or as otherwise provided in this rule — set out specific facts showing a genuine issue for trial. If the opposing party does not so respond, summary judgment should, if appropriate, be entered against that party.

Fed. R. Civ. Proc. 56(e). As summarized by the Fifth Circuit in Lindsey v. Sears Roebuck and Co., 16 F.3d 616, 618 (5th Cir.1994):

When seeking summary judgment, the movant bears the initial responsibility of demonstrating the absence of an issue of material fact with respect to those issues on which the movant bears the burden of proof at trial. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). However, where the non-movant bears the burden of proof at trial, the movant may merely point to an absence of evidence, thus shifting to the non-movant the burden of demonstrating by competent summary judgment proof that there is an issue of material fact warranting trial. Id. at 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548; see also, Moody v. Jefferson Parish School Board, 2 F.3d 604, 606 (5th Cir.1993); Duplantis v. Shell Offshore, Inc., 948 F.2d 187, 190 (5th Cir.1991). Only when “there is sufficient evidence favoring the nonmoving party for a jury to return a verdict for that party” is a full trial on the merits warranted. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).
The Supreme Court has instructed:
[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 [655]*655the existence of an element essential to that party’s case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial. Where no such showing is made, “[t]he moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law because the.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

La. United Bus. Ass'n Cas. Ins. Co. v. J & J Maint., Inc.
328 F. Supp. 3d 563 (W.D. Louisiana, 2018)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
34 F. Supp. 3d 651, 2014 WL 3547474, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 97526, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hefren-v-murphy-exploration-prod-cousa-lawd-2014.