Potter v. Crane Co.

CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedMay 26, 2022
Docket2:20-cv-00276
StatusUnknown

This text of Potter v. Crane Co. (Potter v. Crane Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Potter v. Crane Co., (D. Nev. 2022).

Opinion

1 C. William Margrabe New York Bar No. 5017710, Admitted Pro Hac Vice 2 Lorrette Fisher New York Bar No. 5263934, Admitted Pro Hac Vice 3 MAUNE RAICHLE HARTLEY FRENCH & MUDD LLC 1015 Locust Street, Suite 1200 4 St. Louis, MO 63101 wmargrabe@mrhfmlaw.com 5 lfisher@mrhfmlaw.com Phone: (800) 358-5922 / Fax: (314) 241-4838 6 Attorneys for Jordan J. Potter

7 Lawrence E. Mittin, Esq. Nevada Bar No. 005428 8 CRAIG P. KENNY & ASSOCIATES 501 S. 8th Street 9 Las Vegas, NV 89101 Phone: (702) 380-2800 / Fax: (702) 380-2833 10 lmittin@cpklaw.com

11 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEVADA 12 JORDAN J. POTTER, CASE NO.: 2:20-CV-00276-RFB-VCF 13 Plaintiff, PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO EXTEND 14 THE TIME TO FILE A MOTION FOR v. SUBSTITUTION OF PARTY 15 (First Request) CRANE CO., et al., 16 Defendants. 17

18 JAMES POTTER, as an anticipated administrator and legal representative of the Estate of 19 Jordan Potter, by and through undersigned counsel1 and pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(b)(1)(A) and 20 LR 7-2, respectfully submits this motion so as to extend the time within which Plaintiff(s) must 21 22

23 1 This motion is also filed by counsel on behalf of the decedent Jordan Potter. As explained more fully below, it is anticipated that James Potters’ wife and the decedent’s mother, June Potter, may also be appointed as a legal representative of the decedent’s estate. 1 file a motion under Fed. R. Civ. P. 25(a)(1) to substitute a party for the now-deceased Plaintiff 2 Jordan Potter. In support, it is hereby stated as follows: 3 1. Plaintiff, Jordan Potter, passed away suddenly on February 26, 2022. See Plaintiff’s 4 Statement of Death, Dkt. 442. 5 2. Jordan, who died intestate, was unmarried at the time of his passing and leaves behind a

6 minor child. 7 3. Probate proceedings are anticipated to be initiated by the decedent’s parents, James and 8 June Potter, and it is anticipated that they will be appointed as Administrators of the Estate. 9 4. Counsel for the decedent, Jordan Potter, informed the Court and the remaining Defendants 10 in this case of Jordan’s passing both by the filing of the Statement of Death on March 22, 11 2022, and at a hearing and conference held by the Court on April 26, 2022. See Minutes of 12 Proceedings, Dkt. 445. 13 5. This Motion is being filed in an abundance of caution before the expiration of the 90-day 14 period following the filing of a Notice of Death within which a party can move to substitute

15 the now-deceased Plaintiff with a proper legal representative; and Movant’s Counsel will 16 supplement this Motion with copies of the Letter of Administration upon receipt. 17 6. Pursuant to the Court’s directive to the parties during the April 26, 2022 hearing and 18 conference, Plaintiff’s counsel has conferred with counsel for Defendants on this Motion 19 and shows that certain Defendants are opposed to some portions of the relief sought.2 20 7. A proposed Order granting the relief requested is attached. 21 MEMORANDUM OF LAW 22

23 2 Counsel for Defendants Industrial Manufacturing Company and Arrowhead Products consented to the extension of time within which to substitute the plaintiff in principle, but did not agree to an extension of time until October 10, 2022. 1 FRCP 25(a)(1) provides as follows: 2 (a) Death. 3 (1) Substitution if the Claim Is Not Extinguished. If a party dies and the claim is not 4 extinguished, the court may order substitution of the proper party. A motion for substitution may 5 be made by any party or by the decedent's successor or representative. If the motion is not made

6 within 90 days after service of a statement noting the death, the action by or against the decedent 7 must be dismissed. 8 Plaintiff filed a Statement of Death on March 22, 2022 wherein the Court and the parties 9 were formally notified of the original plaintiff Jordan Potter’s death. Jordan Potter’s claims were 10 not extinguished by his death. (See e.g. NRS § 41.100 which provides that “no cause of action is 11 lost by reason of the death of any person, but may be maintained by or against the person's executor 12 or administrator;” see also NRS § 41.085, which provides that the official representatives and heirs 13 of a decedent have a right to bring a wrongful death cause of action). 14 Thus, pursuant to FRCP 25, the action will be dismissed unless a motion for substitution

15 of plaintiff is filed on or before June 22, 2022 (i.e. 90 days following the filing of the statement of 16 death). When the Statement of Death was filed, no administrator or other legally recognized 17 representative of the decedent Jordan Potter’s estate had been appointed, and it was uncertain who 18 would be appointed. The same remains true to date but as per the decedent’s adoptive father, James 19 Potter, the decedent’s parents are seeking to commence a legal action on the appropriate probate 20 court to have an administrator appointed. Upon that legal representative’s appointment, that person 21 is to be substituted in as plaintiff so that Jordan’s claims and the interests of his estate, and his 22 heirs (which include a minor child), can be properly and fully represented. 23 1 FRCP 6 is the appropriate vehicle through which to seek an extension of the FRCP 25 2 deadlines. See e.g. Zanowick v. Baxter Healthcare Corp., 850 F.3d 1090, 1094 (9th Cir. 2017) 3 (Rule 25’s “90-day deadline may be extended by Rule 6(b) ... Rule 6(b) ‘works in conjunction 4 with Rule 25(a)(1) to provide the intended flexibility in enlarging the time for substitution.’” 5 [internal citations omitted]. Thus, the motion herein is proper.

6 WHEREFORE, movant respectfully moves this Court for an Order extending the time 7 within which to file a motion to substitute the decedent Jordan Potter as plaintiff until October 10, 8 2022. 9 MAUNE RAICHLE HARTLEY FRENCH 10 & MUDD LLC

11 By: C. William Margrabe C. William Margrabe 12 New York Bar No. 5017710, Admitted Pro Hac Vice Lorrette Fisher 13 New York Bar No. 5263934, Admitted Pro Hac Vice 1015 Locust Street, Suite 1200 14 St. Louis, MO 63101 wmargrabe@mrhfmlaw.com 15 lfisher@mrhfmlaw.com Phone: (800) 358-5922 / Fax: (314) 241-4838 16 Attorneys for Plaintiff

17 And

18 CRAIG P. KENNY & ASSOCIATES

19 Lawrence E. Mittin, Esq. Nevada Bar No. 005428 20 501 S. 8th Street Las Vegas, NV 89101 21 (702) 380-2800 Fax: (702) 380-2833 22 lmittin@cpklaw.com Attorneys for Plaintiff 23 1 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEVADA 2 3 JORDAN J. POTTER, CASE NO.:: 2:20-CV-00276-RFB-VCF 4 Plaintiff, [PROPOSED] STIPULATED ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION 5 Vv. TO EXTEND THE TIME TO FILE A MOTION FOR SUBSTITUTION OF 6 CRANE CoO., et al., PARTY (First Request) 7 Defendants. 8 9 THIS MATTER comes before the Court on Plaintiff's Motion to Extend the Time to File

10 || 2 Motion for Substitution of Party pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 6

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

Related

Richard Zanowick v. Baxter Healthcare Corp.
850 F.3d 1090 (Ninth Circuit, 2017)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Potter v. Crane Co., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/potter-v-crane-co-nvd-2022.