Judge: Anne Hwang, Case: 22STCV25362, Date: 2024-06-26 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 22STCV25362    Hearing Date: June 26, 2024    Dept: 32

PLEASE NOTE:   Parties are encouraged to meet and confer concerning this tentative ruling to determine if a resolution may be reached.  If the parties are unable to reach a resolution and a party intends to submit on this tentative ruling, the party must send an email to the Court at sscdept32@lacourt.org indicating that party’s intention to submit.  The email shall include the case number, date and time of the hearing, counsel’s contact information (if applicable), and the identity of the party submitting on this tentative ruling.  If the Court does not receive an email indicating the parties are submitting on this tentative ruling and there are no appearances at the hearing, the Court may place the motion off calendar or adopt the tentative ruling as the order of the Court.  If all parties do not submit on this tentative ruling, they should arrange to appear in-person or remotely.  Further, after the Court has posted/issued a tentative ruling, the Court has the inherent authority to prohibit the withdrawal of the subject motion and adopt the tentative ruling as the order of the Court. 

TENTATIVE RULING

BACKGROUND

On August 5, 2022, Plaintiff Jesse Vieyra (“Plaintiff”) filed a complaint against Defendant Anning-Johnson Company (“Defendant”) alleging injuries while working at a construction site. Plaintiff alleges he was struck by a scissor lift that was operated by Defendant’s employee.

On November 21, 2022, Insurance Company of the West filed a complaint in intervention as a subrogation action to recover workers’ compensation benefits paid to Plaintiff.  

Defendant now moves for leave to file a cross complaint against Hawkeye Equipment Rental. Plaintiff Insurance Company of the West does not oppose.

LEGAL STANDARD

A cross-complaint against any of the parties who filed the initial complaint or cross-complaint against the cross-complainant must be filed before or at the same time as the answer to the initial complaint or cross-complaint, which answer must be filed within 30 days of service of the complaint or cross-complaint.  (Code Civ. Proc. §§ 412.20(a)(3), 428.50(a), 432.10.)  Any other cross-complaint may be filed at any time before the court has set a trial date.  (Code Civ. Proc. §428.50(b).)   

If a party fails to file a cross-complaint within the time limits described above, he or she must obtain permission from the court to file the cross-complaint.  (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 426.50, 428.50(c).)  Leave to file a mandatory cross-complaint must be granted absent bad faith. (Silver Organizations, Ltd. v. Frank (1990) 217 Cal.App.3d 94, 99.)  Leave to file a permissive cross-complaint need only be granted in the interest of justice. (Code Civ. Proc., § 428.50(c).) The court must grant leave to file a mandatory cross-complaint so long as the defendant is acting in good faith.  (Code Civ. Proc., § 426.50.) 

A party against whom a cause of action has been asserted in a complaint may file a cross complaint setting forth “[a]ny cause of action he has against a person alleged to be liable thereon, whether or not such person is already a party to the action, if the cause of action asserted in his cross-complaint (1) arises out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences as the cause brought against him or (2) asserts a claim, right, or interest in the property or controversy which is the subject of the cause brought against him.” (Code Civ. Proc. § 428.10(b).)

DISCUSSION

The proposed cross-complaint asserts the following causes of action against Hawkeye Equipment Rental: implied indemnity, equitable apportionment, contribution, and declaratory relief. (D’Oyen Decl. ¶ 2, Exh. A.) The cross complaint is based on Plaintiff’s underlying worksite injury in this case. Defendant alleges that the scissor lift that was leased by Hawkeye Equipment Rental failed to have working warning lights and sounds. Due to this, Plaintiff was unaware that the basket attached to lift was being lowered and was struck as a result.

Therefore, since the cross-complaint arises out of the same occurrence in this action, the Court finds that granting leave to file the cross-complaint would be in the interest of justice. Therefore, the motion for leave is granted.

CONCLUSION AND ORDER

Accordingly, the Court GRANTS the Motion for Leave to File a Cross-Complaint. Defendant is ordered to file and serve its proposed cross-complaint within ten (10) days of the date of this Order.

Moving party shall provide notice of the Court’s order and file a proof of service of such.