Opinion
Civil Action 2:22-cv-00022-FL4:22-cv-00097-D-RN5:22-cv-00315-D-RN5:22-cv-00316-M-RJ5:22-cv-00317-M-RN7:22-cv-00123-FL7:22-cv-00124-BO-BM7:22-cv-00125-D-RJ7:22-cv-00126-D-BM7:22-cv-00127-BO-BM7:22-cv-00128-FL7:22-cv-00129-D-RN7:22-cv-00130-D-KS7:22-cv-00131-BO-RJ7:22-cv-00132-D-RJ7:22-cv-00133-BO-RJ7:22-cv-00135-FL7:22-cv-00136-M-RJ7:22-cv-00137-BO-RJ7:22-cv-00139-FL7:22-cv-00140-BO-KS7:22-cv-00141-D-RN7:22-cv-00145-M-KS7;22-cv-00150-M-BM7:22-cv-00153-D-KS7:22-cv-00154-M-RJ
08-26-2022
ELIZABETH GIRARD; BEULAH SLESSER; and SUZANNE MCLEOD, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Hansell B. Malone, III, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. GISELE GUTHRIE; SANDRA GORDON; BRENDA BRUNDAGE; CARLEEN BURWELL; DONNA ALTMAN; and JOANN DUNCAN, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. DAVID FANCHER; LEE FUTRELL; JOHN ORUE; CRAIG UNTERBERG; ARIEL ALVARADO; DENNIS TOLES; CAROLE CARLSON; and DENNIS MONROE, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. ISAIAH WILSON, JR., as Personal Representative of the Estate of Jerone Wilson; and THELMA S. FIGGS, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Robert A. Figgs, Sr., Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. GLANZER FLOYD JOLLY; ANTHONY TAYLOR; PETER OPTEKAR; RONNIE BROPHY; DENNIS PETERSON; SILAS ROLLINS; and DONALD STRINGFELLOW, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. CYNTHIA BLACKMER, AS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF DAVID F. BLACKMER, FELICIA BAZEMORE, AS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF ALLEN RAY HARDY, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. TIMOTHY PUGH, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. JOHN BELT, JR., JOYCE LUKEN, and BEVERLY MCCLAIN, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. THOMAS WHATLEY and FRED PALUMBO as personal representative of the estate of JOAN S. PALUMBO, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. PHOEBE LYNN HEDGES Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. SHARON MASON as the Administrator for the Estate of RITA ROSEBERRY, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. JERRY DEFORGE, JAMES FLENOURY, DAVID SHARPE, FRANCES CARTER as Administrator for the Estate of RONALD CARTER, and JOEL PEDALINE, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. JACK GONZALEZ, WILLIAM MCDOWELL and KATHRYN PIRNIA, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. JEROME M. ENSMINGER, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Jane Ensminger; ISIAH LAWSON, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Gertrude Lawson; KERRICK W. BREEN, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Christine M. Breen; DANIEL WAX; and RANDY FLOYD, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. MICHAEL SEAN PARTAIN; DARLENE BROOKS, as Personal Representative of the Estate of James Brooks, Jr.; LAWRENCE EVANS; and KRIS THOMAS, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. WILSON MERCADO Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. CLAUDIA MCCLARRIN, LINDA CRISP as representative of the Estate of Michelle Causey and PATRICIA WARREN as Representative of the estate of ROSEANNE WARREN Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. RONNIE MANNS, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. TAMMY PRISNER, EDWARD LUTHY, JR., as the Administrator for the Estate of Charlotte Luthy, Deceased, MELODY RICHARDS, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. ANDREA WEINER f/k/a ANDREA MICHELE BYRON, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. ALFRED BENSON; JOSEPHINE DELVALLE, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Raymond DelValle; THOMAS CLARK; JOHN ROY, and PATTY JESSUP, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Gary Jessup, Sr. Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. SANDRA CLINE and MARK PERRY, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. DONALD STRINGFELLOW, ON BEHALF OF HIMSELF AND ALL OTHERS SIMILARLY SITUATED, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. CATHLENE BREWER, JEFFREY HOPKINS, JAMES T. MAXWELL, SHERRY A. MILLER, GENA M. PARKHURST, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. STEPHEN ISAKSEN, as representative of the estate of PATRICIA A. ISAKSEN, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant. ELIZABETH S. AKERS as Personal Representative of the Estate of PAUL C. AKERS Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant.
BELL LEGAL GROUP, LLC Eric W. Flynn ( N.C. Bar No.: 57615) J. Edward Bell, III (to make special appearance) KELLER POSTMAN LLC Zina Bash THE DOWLING FIRM PLLC W. Michael Dowling State Bar No. 42790 LR 83.1(d) Counsel for Plaintiff (in association with Keller Postman LLC) WAGSTAFF LAW FIRM Aimee H. Wagstaff, Esq. Colorado Bar No. 36819 Kristen Alkire, Esq. (NCSB 44168) WAGSTAFF LAW FIRM MOTLEY RICE LLC Kevin R. Dean, Esq. S.C. Fed. Bar No. 70347 Admitted GA, MS, SC Bar John D. Hurst, Esq. N.C. Bar No.: 37680 W. Christopher Swett, Esq. QUINN EMANUEL URQUHART & SULLIVAN, LLP John F. Bash Texas Bar No. 24067504 Adam Wolfson, California Bar No. 262125 ONDER LAW, LLC James G. Onder Missouri State Bar No. 38049 Michael C. Pagan Missouri State Bar No. 54827 LIEFF CABRASER HEIMANN & BERNSTEIN, LLP Elizabeth J. Cabraser Lexi J. Hazam LEVIN PAPANTONIO RAFFERTY PROCTOR BUCHANAN O'BRIEN BARR & MOUGEY, P.A. Brian Barr Sara Papantonio THE NATIONS LAW FIRM Howard L. Nations Texas State Bar No. 14823000 WATTS GUERRA LLC Mikal Watts Texas State Bar No. 20981820 PARKER WAICHMAN LLP Jerrold S. Parker Raymond C. Silverman MARCARI RUSSOTTO SPENCER & BALABAN David W. Spencer NC State Bar No.: 21053 Donald W. Marcari NC State Bar No.: 13029 ROMANO LAW GROUP John F. Romano Florida Bar No. 175700 Marjorie Levine Florida Bar No. 96413 LEWIS & ROBERTS, PLLC James A. Roberts, III ( N.C. Bar No. 10495) Matthew D. Quinn ( N.C. Bar No. 40004) WARD AND SMITH, P.A. A Charles Ellis N.C. State Bar ID No.: 010865 COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENDANT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BRIAN BOYNTON Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Civil Division J. PATRICK GLYNN Director, Torts Branch BRIDGET BAILEY LIPSCOMB Assistant Director ADAM BAIN Senior Trial Counsel IN Bar No. 11134-49
BELL LEGAL GROUP, LLC Eric W. Flynn (N.C. Bar No.: 57615) J. Edward Bell, III (to make special appearance)
KELLER POSTMAN LLC Zina Bash THE DOWLING FIRM PLLC W. Michael Dowling State Bar No. 42790 LR 83.1(d) Counsel for Plaintiff (in association with Keller Postman LLC)
WAGSTAFF LAW FIRM Aimee H. Wagstaff, Esq. Colorado Bar No. 36819 Kristen Alkire, Esq. (NCSB 44168) WAGSTAFF LAW FIRM
MOTLEY RICE LLC Kevin R. Dean, Esq. S.C. Fed. Bar No. 70347 Admitted GA, MS, SC Bar John D. Hurst, Esq. N.C. Bar No.: 37680 W. Christopher Swett, Esq.
QUINN EMANUEL URQUHART & SULLIVAN, LLP John F. Bash Texas Bar No. 24067504 Adam Wolfson, California Bar No. 262125
ONDER LAW, LLC James G. Onder Missouri State Bar No. 38049 Michael C. Pagan Missouri State Bar No. 54827
LIEFF CABRASER HEIMANN & BERNSTEIN, LLP Elizabeth J. Cabraser Lexi J. Hazam
LEVIN PAPANTONIO RAFFERTY PROCTOR BUCHANAN O'BRIEN BARR & MOUGEY, P.A. Brian Barr Sara Papantonio
THE NATIONS LAW FIRM Howard L. Nations Texas State Bar No. 14823000
WATTS GUERRA LLC Mikal Watts Texas State Bar No. 20981820
PARKER WAICHMAN LLP Jerrold S. Parker Raymond C. Silverman
MARCARI RUSSOTTO SPENCER & BALABAN David W. Spencer NC State Bar No.: 21053 Donald W. Marcari NC State Bar No.: 13029
ROMANO LAW GROUP John F. Romano Florida Bar No. 175700 Marjorie Levine Florida Bar No. 96413
LEWIS & ROBERTS, PLLC James A. Roberts, III (N.C. Bar No. 10495) Matthew D. Quinn (N.C. Bar No. 40004)
WARD AND SMITH, P.A. A Charles Ellis N.C. State Bar ID No.: 010865
COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENDANT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BRIAN BOYNTON Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Civil Division J. PATRICK GLYNN Director, Torts Branch BRIDGET BAILEY LIPSCOMB Assistant Director ADAM BAIN Senior Trial Counsel IN Bar No. 11134-49
PLAINTIFFS' AND DEFENDANT'S JOINT MOTION FOR CONSOLIDATION
Plaintiffs in the above-captioned cases (“Plaintiffs”), together with the Defendant United States of America (the “government”), hereby submit the following Joint Motion for Consolidation regarding current and future cases brought under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 (the “CLJA”), pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 42(a).
The Motion
1. Plaintiffs have filed suit under the CLJA.
2. The government has previously stated that over one million Marines and their families were potentially affected by the toxic drinking water at Camp Lejeune. Plaintiffs believe that hundreds of thousands of additional individuals have claims and may ultimately file suit against the government asserting a cause of action under the CLJA.
3. The CLJA creates a new and unique cause of action for exposure to toxic water supplied by the government at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
4. Cases under the CLJA, including Plaintiffs' cases, will involve numerous common issues of law and fact.
5. Consolidation will not prejudice any party, including the government. To the contrary, consolidation will save the Court and the parties considerable time and expense and will limit the risk of duplication and inconsistent rulings.
For the reasons stated herein and in the accompanying Memorandum, the Plaintiffs, together with the United States, jointly request that the Court adopt and enter the proposed order, attached as Exhibit A, consolidating cases brought under the CLJA, which is filed simultaneously herewith.
The United States maintains that Plaintiffs have not yet complied with section 2675 of title 28 of the United States Code, as required by the CLJA. Plaintiffs disagree and maintain that they have already presented their claims to the Department of the Navy once and are therefore not required to present them a second time. Nevertheless, Plaintiffs and the government jointly ask the Court to consolidate all CLJA cases in anticipation of such disputes, to expedite proceedings and save the parties and the Court significant time and expense.
Respectfully submitted by each Plaintiff's counsel, as docketed in their respective cases, and by the United States.