Tietz v. Blackner

157 F.R.D. 510, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18201, 1994 WL 487843
CourtDistrict Court, D. Utah
DecidedSeptember 7, 1994
DocketNo. 93-C-880 W
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 157 F.R.D. 510 (Tietz v. Blackner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Utah primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tietz v. Blackner, 157 F.R.D. 510, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18201, 1994 WL 487843 (D. Utah 1994).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM & ORDER

BOYCE, United States Magistrate Judge.

Defendant Orson J. Blackner has made a motion for leave to file and serve a “Third Party Complaint” on Michael James Geiger (File Entry # 24). Plaintiff Wendy Tietz is the representative of Bradley Tietz, deceased, who was a passenger in the vehicle operated by Geiger whom defendant Black-ner seeks to join in the suit. Wendy Tietz sued only Blackner, the driver of the other vehicle in a motor vehicle accident in which Bradley Tietz was killed. The accident occurred on August 16,1992. The vehicle driven by Blackner was struck from behind by the vehicle driven by Geiger and in which Bradley Tietz was a passenger. Blaekner’s motion for a third party complaint under Rule 14, F.R.C.P. seeks the joinder of Geiger for two purposes. First, to apportion the fault of Geiger under the Utah Liability Reform Act, Utah Code Ann. § 78-27-37, 41 (1994 Supp.); Laws of Utah Ch. 221 § 2. Second, Blackner seeks to recover from Geiger for Blackner’s injuries and losses resulting from the collision.

The plaintiff opposes the third party complaint contending Rule 14, F.R.C.P. cannot be used for the purpose for which defendant Blackner seeks the impleader. Plaintiff contends Rule 14 does not sanction joinder of a third party defendant for the purposes of apportionment or Blackner’s independent injuries.

The substantive issues in the case are determined by Utah law since the jurisdiction of this court is based on diversity of citizenship. 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a); Erie R. Co. v. Tompkins, 304 U.S. 64, 58 S.Ct. 817, 82 L.Ed. 1188 (1938). Of course, matters of procedure are to be determined by federal law. Hanna v. Plumer, 380 U.S. 460, 85 S.Ct. 1136, 14 L.Ed.2d 8 (1965); Provident Tradesmens Bank & Trust Co. v. Patterson, 390 U.S. 102, 88 S.Ct. 733, 19 L.Ed.2d 936 (1968). A determination of how to apply the comparative fault aspects of the Utah Liability Reform Act is a matter of substantive law and this court, in that context, must apply Utah law.

The Utah Supreme Court has held that under the Utah Liability Reform Act, Utah Code Ann. § 78-27-37 et seq., which is a comparative fault statute, that the negligence of persons who are immune from liability or against whom liability is not otherwise applicable is to be compared for the purposes of determining total fault. All those persons whose fault could be a causative factor to a plaintiffs injury may be considered in determining the percentage of attribution of fault. Sullivan v. Scoular Grain Co., 853 P.2d 877 (Utah, 1993); Dahl v. Kerbs Const. Corp., 853 P.2d 887 (Utah, 1993); Brown v. Boyer-Washington Blvd., 856 P.2d 352 (Utah, 1993); Ericksen v. Salt Lake City Corp., 858 P.2d 995 (Utah, 1993). Under this construction, Michael Geiger’s negligence or fault, if any, is properly considered in determining whether the plaintiff may recover against Blackner and in what proportion. Applying the Utah decisions, the judges of this court have allowed comparison of fault between a party and a non-party on the verdict form. Under this practice, defendant Blackner would be able to have the fault of Geiger considered even if he were not joined as a party. The procedure seemed to be approved in Erick-sen v. Salt Lake City Corp., supra. Absent' a decision from the Utah Supreme Court, that is substantive in nature, holding that a person whose fault is at issue must be joined, this court could employ the verdict form allowing the jury to consider the fault of a “phantom” party. However, recently the Utah Supreme Court had presented to it an argument that under Utah Code Ann. § 78-[512]*51227-39, 41 a person who is not immune from suit, where liability is to be compared, should be joined as a party. Turner v. Nelson, 872 P.2d 1021 (Utah, 1994). In regard to the need to join a person whose fault is to be compared as a party, the court said “we do not reach it.” It found the practice was harmless under circumstances of the case.1

The issue of required joinder is not the only issue to be decided in this case because Blackner does not seek to add Geiger just for apportionment purposes, but also for the purpose of Blackner obtaining compensation from Geiger for Blackner’s injury. If im-pleader under Rule 14, F.R.C.P. is proper the joinder would of course allow for apportionment of fault.

Blackner seeks to add Geiger as a third party defendant under Rule 14, F.R.C.P. That rule provides:

“(a) At any time after commencement of the action a defending party, as a third-party plaintiff, may cause a summons and complaint to be served upon a person not a party to the action who is or may be liable to the third-party plaintiff for all or part of the plaintiffs claim against the third-party plaintiff ...” (Emphasis added.)

The rule only provides for joinder if the reason for bringing in the new party (third party defendant) is that that person will be liable over to the defendant/third party plaintiff. The rule does not allow joinder of independent claims or simple joint tortfeasors. The Rule was first adopted in 1937 when comparative fault was not a prevalent concept in the United States, and apparently the impleader was intended for the primary purpose of indemnification or contribution. In Marshall v. Pointon, 88 F.R.D. 566 (D.W.D.Okla., 1980) the court said that “a third party claim may be asserted under Rule 14 only when the third party’s liability is in some way dependent on the outcome of the main claim or the third party is secondarily liable to the defendant.” Id. p. 567. This is consistent with the language of Rule 14, F.R.C.P.

Rule 18, F.R.C.P. complements Rule 14. Rule 18(a), F.R.C.P. provides:

“A party asserting a claim to relief as an original claim, counterclaim, cross-claim, or third-party claim, may join, either as independent or as alternate claims, as many claims, legal, equitable, or maritime, as the party has against an opposing party.”

Rule 18 does not allow joinder of parties but allows a party who has been properly joined to plead and assert all ancillary or other claims against other parties. First Golden Bancorporation v. Weiszmann, 942 F.2d 726 (10th Cir., 1991). Schwab v. Erie Lackawanna R. Co., 438 F.2d 62 (3d Cir., 1971); see also Kaminsky v. Abrams, 41 F.R.D.

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Bluebook (online)
157 F.R.D. 510, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18201, 1994 WL 487843, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tietz-v-blackner-utd-1994.