Judge Elaine Lu, Case Number: 24STCV33403, Date: 2025-05-13 Tentative Ruling

Judge: Elaine Lu, Case: 24STCV33403, Date: 2025-05-13 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 24STCV33403 Hearing Date: May 13, 2025 Dept: 9

The Court hereby distributes a tentative ruling for the Case Management Order. The parties are welcome to provide input and propose modification(s) to any aspect of the CMO at the Initial Status Conference. If all parties submit on the tentative CMO prior to the commencement of the May 12,2025 ISC, the Court will adopt the tentative CMO, and the parties need not appear. However, if there is any matter not addressed in the CMO that any party would like to discuss, that party should not submit on this tentative but instead appear at the ISC to raise the issue.

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY on behalf of ARROWHEAD REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER vs HEALTH NET OF CALIFORNIA, INC., et al,

24STCV33403

[TENTATIVE] CASE MANAGEMENT ORDER

This action has been designated as complex pursuant to CRC 3.400(a), and thus requires exceptional judicial management. All provisions of this CMO are deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of Rule 3.400(a), and to promote effective decision-making by the Court. They are based upon individual consideration of this complex action, including the Status Conference Reports previously filed by the parties.

1. The Parties are unaware of any relevant arbitration agreements.

2. The Parties indicate that they are amenable to private mediation after conducting some discovery. The parties are ordered to meet and confer and attempt to schedule a mediation. The parties are further ordered to file a Joint Status Report Re: Mediation Efforts, including whether the Parties have agreed to mediate, the identity of any mediator they may have selected, and the date of any mediation they may have scheduled, by no later than September 12, 2025. A Status Conference Re Mediation Efforts is set for September 19, 2025 at 10:00 AM, Department 9.

3. Discovery. Plaintiff provided an initial list of 931 claims to Defendants on January 28, 2025 containing information regarding each claim and Defendants have begun researching Plaintiff’s claim list. The parties are meeting and conferring on a process for validating the data and “bucketing” the claims at issue in order to expedite the litigation. The parties agree that claim specific discovery should be deferred at this stage. The parties are ordered to meet and confer and file a joint discovery plan and proposed order thereon by no later than July 14, 2025. A Non-Appearance Case Review Re Joint Discovery Plan is set for July 21, 2025 at 8:30 AM, Department 9.

4. Protective Order. Parties are alerted that model protective orders may be found at Los Angeles Superior Court website at http://www.lacourt.org/division/civil/CI0043.aspx. The parties are encouraged to use these model orders as shown, or if modified, as a template for the modified order. A redlined courtesy copy must be posted on the e-service bulletin board and lodged with the court at the time of filing. The parties must use the redlined version to identify any changes proposed to the model order.

5. E-service & E-filing. Electronic service is not the same as electronic filing. The parties have agreed, and the Court has signed an order authorizing Case Anywhere as the e-service to be used in this case. Argument must not be posted on the bulletin board. For information on electronic filing in the Complex Courts, please refer to https://www.lacourt.org/division/efiling/efiling2.aspx and http://www.lacourt.org/division/efiling/pdf/ComplexefilingFAQs.pdf.

6. Trial Setting Conference. The parties are ordered to meet and confer, then file a Joint Statement by September 12, 2025 advising which party/parties are demanding jury, proposing at least three different trial dates, and providing the parties’ respective time estimate for all phases of trial, including jury selection, opening statements, closing arguments, and final instructions. The parties’ time estimate will play a significant role in the Court’s review of its calendar for availability of trial dates and in the Court’s setting of the trial date. Any party demanding jury must post jury fees by May 20, 2025 or be deemed to have waived jury. (CCP 631(c).) A trial setting conference is set for September 19, 2025 at 10 AM, Department 9.

7. Telephonic conferences. The Court handles discovery motions informally, using telephonic conferences and LA CourtConnect. Counsel must post a message via their Electronic Service Provider to request any informal discovery conference or other conference. The Court will either reply to the message or issue a Minute Order setting the conference. The telephonic conference will automatically be taken off calendar if all relevant parties have not scheduled the telephonic conference with LA CourtConnect. Parties must file and serve a 5-page joint brief two days before the conference. Since these conferences are informal, no court reporter or audio recording is permitted.

8. Potential Related Cases. Counsel are ordered to file and serve a Notice of Related Case for any potentially related cases pursuant California Rule of court Rule 3.300, including any PAGA case involving the same representative plaintiff. This is a continuing obligation on both plaintiffs and defendants while this case is pending.

Plaintiff is ordered to download (1) the instant signed order from the Court’s website, (2) the minute order for today, and (3) the signed order authorizing electronic service provider, to give formal notice of each of these to all other parties, and to file proof of service of such within five (5) days.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: May 12,2025

__________________________

ELAINE LU

Judge of the Superior Court

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