Opinion
05CV1193.
March 22, 2006
ORDER OF COURT
Before the Court is defendant Westfield Insurance Company's motion to dismiss CIM's cross-claim against Westfield and motion to strike CIM's amended answer and cross-claim to cross-claim for declaratory judgment filed by Westfield. As to Westfield's motion to dismiss CIM's cross-claim against Westfield and motion to strike CIM's amended answer and cross-claim to cross-claim for declaratory judgment filed by Westfield (Document No. 59).
In deciding a motion to dismiss pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. Rule 12(b)(6), the Court accepts the well-pleaded factual allegations of the complaint [or cross-claim] as true, and draws all reasonable inferences therefrom in favor of the plaintiff. Armstrong Surgical Center, Inc. v. Armstrong County Memorial Hospital, 185 F.3d 154, 155 (3d Cir. 1999). A claim should not be dismissed for failure to state a claim unless it appears beyond a doubt that the non-moving party can prove no set of facts in support of its allegations which would entitle it to relief. Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46 (1957); Marshall-Silver Construction Co. v. Mendel, 894 F.2d 593, 595 (3d Cir. 1990).
In making this determination, the court must construe the pleading in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Budinsky v. Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Resources, 819 F.2d 418, 421 (3d Cir. 1987). Further, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure require notice pleading, not fact pleading, so to withstand a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, the plaintiff "need only make out a claim upon which relief can be granted. If more facts are necessary to resolve or clarify the disputed issues, the parties may avail themselves of the civil discovery mechanisms under the Federal Rules." Alston v. Parker, 363 F.3d 229, 233 n. 6 (3d Cir. 2004), quoting Swierkiewicz v. Sorema, N.A., 534 U.S. 506, 512 (2002) ("This simplified notice pleading standard relies on liberal discovery rules . . . to define facts and issues and to dispose of unmeritorious claims.").
Viewed in light of the forgoing liberal pleading standards, this Court simply cannot say, at this early stage of the proceedings, that CIM will be able to state no set of facts in support of its cross-claim against Westfield on its cross-claim against CIM.
On the motion to strike, the Court agrees with CIM's response and will deny said motion.
Accordingly, Westfield's motion to dismiss CIM's cross-claim against Westfield and motion to strike CIM's amended answer and cross-claim to cross-claim for declaratory judgment filed by Westfield Insurance Co. (Document No. 59) is DENIED.