Judge: Lee S. Arian, Case: 23STCV22213, Date: 2025-01-31 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 23STCV22213    Hearing Date: January 31, 2025    Dept: 27

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES - CENTRAL DISTRICT

On September 14, 2023, Plaintiff filed the present case. On January 19, 2024, Defendants filed an Answer to Plaintiff’s Complaint along with a Cross-Complaint against Roes 1-25 for indemnity, contribution, and declaratory relief. On April 15, 2024, Defendants amended the Cross-Complaint to substitute New RS Transportation, Inc. (“New RS”) as Roe 1. On June 10, 2024, New RS filed an Answer to the Cross-Complaint. The trial is currently set for March 13, 2025.

Defendants now move for additional time to conduct discovery, citing Plaintiff’s claims of serious orthopedic injuries and a traumatic brain injury. Defendants’ orthopedic expert, Dr. Michael Weinstein, is unavailable to conduct an examination until March 31, 2025, which falls after the current trial date. Additionally, Defendants are still awaiting discovery responses from Cross-Defendant New RS and have yet to conduct depositions of this party.

The parties have agreed to mediate the case with Mitchell M. Tarighati, Esq. on May 22, 2025, and have all stipulated to continue trial. Defendants request a continuance to December 4, 2025.

Although this case was filed on September 14, 2023, and pursuant to CRC 3.714, motor vehicle accident cases such as this should be resolved within two years, the Court will grant the requested continuance.  However, in light of CRC 3.714, the parties should consider the December 4 date firm.

The new Trial Date is set for December 4, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. The Final Status Conference is continued to November 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. All case-related deadlines will follow the new trial date. 

Parties who intend to submit on this tentative must send an email to the Court at SSCDEPT27@lacourt.org indicating intention to submit on the tentative as directed by the instructions provided on the court’s website at www.lacourt.org.  Please be advised that if you submit on the tentative and elect not to appear at the hearing, the opposing party may nevertheless appear at the hearing and argue the matter.  Unless you receive a submission from all other parties in the matter, you should assume that others might appear at the hearing to argue.  If the Court does not receive emails from the parties indicating submission on this tentative ruling and there are no appearances at the hearing, the Court may, at its discretion, adopt the tentative as the final order or place the motion off calendar.