Belue et al v. A.O. Smith Electrical Products Company et al

RESPONSE in Opposition re MOTION to Dismiss and/or Transfer to MDL

M.D. Ala.January 4, 2007

THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA NORTHERN DIVISION ROBERT D. BELUE, et al., Plaintiffs, vs. A. O. SMITH ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, a division of A.O. SMITH CORPORATION, et al,, Defendants. ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) CIVIL ACTION NO. 2:06-cv-1034-WKW JURY DEMAND PLAINTIFFS’ RESPONSE TO MOTION TO DISMISS OR THE ALTERNATIVE MOTION TO TRANSFER TO THE MDL Plaintiffs Robert D. Belue, et al., by and through counsel, respectfully submits this response to Defendant John Crane Inc.’s Motion to Dismiss or in the alternative Motion to Transfer to the MDL. I. PLAINTIFFS’ RESPONSE IN OPPOSITION TO MOTION TO DISMISS Pursuant to Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure the complaint filed against Defendant John Crane Inc. properly contained a “short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to Case 2:06-cv-01034-WKW-WC Document 129 Filed 01/04/2007 Page 1 of 7 relief.” F.R.C.P. 8. Thus the complaint adequately states a claim upon which relief can be granted. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Defendant John Crane Inc.’s products, including but not limited to asbestos-containing packing and gaskets, were produced and/or manufactured by Defendant and placed into the stream of commerce. The court should not grant a motion to dismiss merely because the complaint does not state with precision every element of the offense necessary for recovery. Federal Trade Commission v. Citigroup Inc., 239 F.Supp.2d 1302 (N.D. Ga. 2001). Furthermore, the complaint specifies that the products and/or materials attributed to Defendant have been identified at Plaintiffs’ workplace during their employment years there. This adds to the sufficiency of the complaint by alleging facts “from which an inference can be drawn that evidence on these material points will be introduced at trial.” 5 Wright & Miller, § 1216 at 154, 156-59. The Supreme Court has determined that a complaint should not be dismissed for failure to state a claim “unless it appears beyond a doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts” that would entitle relief. Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46, (1957). Considering that the complaint’s allegations must be accepted as true and construed in a light favorable to the Plaintiff when considering a motion to dismiss, Defendant has not met the burden of proof showing that no facts support the claim in the complaint, and thus the motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim must be denied. See Powell v. United States, 945 F.2d 374, 375 (11th Cir. 1991). II. PLAINTIFFS’ RESPONSE TO MOTION TO TRANSFER TO THE MDL Case 2:06-cv-01034-WKW-WC Document 129 Filed 01/04/2007 Page 2 of 7 Plaintiffs’ have no objection to Defendant John Crane’s Motion to Transfer Venue to the United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania for coordinated or consolidated pre-trial proceedings pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407 as a “tag along action” pursuant to the order entered on July 29, 1999 by the Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation. Venue is proper as this action could have been initially brought in that court. Requested this the 4th day of January, 2007. Respectfully submitted, s/G. Patterson Keahey, Jr. G. PATTERSON KEAHEY, JR. ASB-6357-A64G G. PATTERSON KEAHEY, P.C. One Independence Plaza, Suite 612 Birmingham, AL 35209 (205) 871-0707 (telephone) (205) 871-0801 (fax) info@mesohelp.com (e-mail) CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that on January 4, 2007, I electronically filed the foregoing with the Clerk of the Court using the CM/ECF system which will send notification to all counsel of record by e-mail, and by U.S. Mail, postage prepaid as follows: Cyrus C Barger, III tresbarger@judelawfirm.com, amyers@judelawfirm.com Nathan A. Bosio nbosio@doganwilkinson.com, smason@doganwilkinson.com C. Paul Cavender pcavende@burr.com, jmcmicha@burr.com Case 2:06-cv-01034-WKW-WC Document 129 Filed 01/04/2007 Page 3 of 7 Timothy A. Clarke tclarke@vickersriis.com, cmiller@vickersriis.com, llods@vickersriis.com, ajackson@vickersriis.com Stephen Christopher Collier ccollier@hplegal.com, vberrong@hplegal.com Richard M. Crump crumprm@fpwk.com, annaw@fpwk.com, gwatkins@fpwk.com David Patrick Donahue ddonahue@mcglaw.com, emburt@maynardcooper.com Helen Kathryn Downs hkdowns@jbpp.com, aap@jbpp.com Melody Hurdle Eagan meagan@lfwlaw.com Jenelle Rae Evans jevans@balch.com, Laura DeVaughn Goodson goodsonld@fpwk.com, aleservice@fpwk.com James Addison Harris, III jamey@harris-harris.com, jameyharris2003@hotmail.com Glen Steven Henry shenry@bakerdonelson.com William Donald Jones, III wjones@jbpp.com Lucy Westover Jordan ljordan@clarkdolan.com, lucyjoy1975@yahoo.com Timothy Wade Knight tk@keeselby.com, analley@keeselby.com Frank E. Lankford, Jr fel@hfsllp.com, tdc@hfsllp.com David Whittington McDowell dmcdowell@bakerdonelson.com Edward B. Mcdonough, Jr ebm@emcdonoughlaw.com, mjm@emcdonoughlaw.com William T. Mills, II phm@phm-law.com Randi Peresich Mueller rmueller@pmp.org, Trish.Harbour@pmp.org Vincent A. Noletto, Jr van@carrallison.com, ars@carrallison.com, lls@carrallison.com Brandy Reshaun Owens bowens@lfwlaw.com, amyhe@lfwlaw.com Case 2:06-cv-01034-WKW-WC Document 129 Filed 01/04/2007 Page 4 of 7 Donald C. Partridge partridgedc@fpwk.com, annaw@fpwk.com, gwatkins@fpwk.com James Laurens Pattillo jpattillo@nwkt.com Keith James Pflaum cec@phm-law.com Caroline T. Pryor ctp@carrallison.com, kcv@carrallison.com William Larkin Radney , IV lradney@lfwlaw.com F. Grey Redditt , Jr gredditt@vickersriis.com, lsanford@vickersriis.com; llods@vickersriis.com Tom Steven Roper tsr@carrallison.com, Chadwick L Shook cshook@aultmantyner.com Gregory M. Taube greg.taube@nelsonmullins.com, jeff.mapen@nelsonmullins.com Michael Anthony Vercher mavercher@csattorneys.com William L. Waudby bwaudby@bakerdonelson.com, callen@bakerdonelson.com H. Thomas Wells, Jr twells@mcglaw.com Mary Brunson Whatley mbw@jbpp.com, mbwhatley@hotmail.com Allan R. Wheeler awheeler@burr.com Natasha Lynke Wilson nwilson@lfwlaw.com Dan R. Alexander Carr Allison 100 Vestavia Parkway, Suite 200 Birmingham, AL 35216 Bayer Cropscience, Inc. C. T. Corporation System 1201 Peachtree Street Atlanta, GA 30361 Clark-Reliance Corporation Case 2:06-cv-01034-WKW-WC Document 129 Filed 01/04/2007 Page 5 of 7 16633 Foltz Industrial Parkway Strongsville, OH 44136 Crane Pumps Systems 420 Third Street Piqua, OH 45356 Gary W. Fillingim Burns Cunningham Mackey & Fillingim, PC PO Box 1583 Mobile, AL 36633-1583 Foseco, Inc. 1209 N. Orange Street Wilmington, DE 19801 Foster-Wheeler Corporation 830 Bear Tavern Road Trenton, NJ 08628 IMO Industries, Inc. The Corporation Trust Company 1209 Orange Street Wilmington, DE 19801 Clifton Wayne Jefferis Forman Perry Watkins Krutz & Tardy PLLC 1200 One Jackson Place 188 East Capitol Street Jackson, MS 39201-2131 Jeffrey L. Mapen Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP 999 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30309 Metropolitan Life Insurance Company One MetLife Plaza 27-01 Queens Plaza North Long Island City, NY 11101 Sara S. Turnipseed Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP 999 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30309 Case 2:06-cv-01034-WKW-WC Document 129 Filed 01/04/2007 Page 6 of 7 Union Carbide Corporation 30600 Telegraph Road Bingham Farms, MI 48025 Uniroyal Fiber and Textile & Division of Uniroyal, Inc. 830 Bear Tavern Road West Trenton, NJ 08608 s/G. Patterson Keahey, Jr. G. PATTERSON KEAHEY, JR. Case 2:06-cv-01034-WKW-WC Document 129 Filed 01/04/2007 Page 7 of 7