Judge: John J. Kralik, Case: 23BBCV01275, Date: 2023-12-15 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 23BBCV01275    Hearing Date: December 15, 2023    Dept: NCB

Superior Court of California

County of Los Angeles

North Central District

Department B

Defendant Gayane Sharyan (“Defendant”) moves to consolidate cases 23BBCV01129 (Sharyan et al. v. Jones et al.) and 23BBCV01275 (this action).  Both cases are assigned to this Department B.

“Cases may not be consolidated unless they are in the same department. A motion to consolidate two or more cases may be noticed and heard after the cases, initially filed in different departments, have been related into a single department, or if the cases were already assigned to that department.” (Local Rule 3.3(g).) Here, the two cases have not yet been related, which is required prior to consolidating the cases.  (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.300.)  Rule 3.300(d) states that the “Notice of Related Case must be filed in all pending cases listed in the notice and must be served on all parties in those cases.”  A Notice of Related Case was filed in both actions.

CCP §1048(a) provides that the Court may order a joint trial on matters that “involv[e] a common question of law or fact.”  Both matters involve the same motor vehicle accident that occurred on June 10, 2021.  The 23BBCV01129 action was filed by Gayane Sharyan and Arsen Garibyan against Taylor Jones concerning the subject car accident.  (The 23BBCV01129 action was dismissed with prejudice as filed by Arsen Garibyan only.)  The 23BBCV01275 action was filed by Taylor Jones against Gayane Sharyan only for the same accident.  Accordingly, these matters involve common questions of law and fact such that consolidation is proper.  Thus, Defendant’s motion to consolidate is granted.

            Pursuant to CCP § 1048, case 23BBCV01129 is consolidated with 23BBCV01275. Case 23BBCV01129 is the earlier filed case and shall be deemed the lead case.  All future papers are to be filed under the lead case number.  The April 24, 2025 Final Status Conference and May 5, 2025 Jury Trial date shall now be under case number 23BBCV01129.

Defendant Gayane Sharyan is ordered to give notice of this order.

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DATED:  December 15, 2023                                    ___________________________

                                                                              John J. Kralik                                                                                                                                Judge of the Superior Court