Larry Lizotte v. Praxair Inc. ( 2010 )

FILED
NOT FOR PUBLICATION MAR 18 2010
MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS U .S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS
FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
LARRY A. LIZOTTE, a single person, No. 09-35332
Plaintiff - Appellant, D.C. No. 2:07-cv-01868-RSL
v.
MEMORANDUM *
PRAXAIR INC., a Washington
corporation,
Defendant - Appellee.
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Western District of Washington
Robert S. Lasnik, Chief District Judge, Presiding
Submitted March 8, 2010 **
Seattle, Washington
Before: TASHIMA, FISHER and BERZON, Circuit Judges.
Larry A. Lizotte appeals (1) the district court’s entry of summary judgment
for Praxair, Inc., (2) the district court’s grant of Praxair’s motion to strike an expert
report, (3) the district court’s denial of his motion for extension of the discovery
*
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent
except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.
**
The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision
without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).
deadline, and (4) the district court’s denial of his request for a continuance under
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(f). We review de novo a district court’s order
granting summary judgment, Avista Corp., Inc. v. Wolfe, 549 F.3d 1239, 1246 (9th
Cir. 2008), and for an abuse of discretion its orders denying an extension of the
discovery deadline, Nascimento v. Dummer, 508 F.3d 905, 909 (9th Cir. 2007),
denying a continuance under Rule 56(f), Nidds v. Schindler Elevator Corp., 113
F.3d 912, 920 (9th Cir. 1996), and granting a motion to strike in the context of
summary judgment, Ballen v. City of Redmond, 466 F.3d 736, 745 (9th Cir. 2006).
We affirm.
1. The district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Lizotte’s untimely
motion for an extension of the discovery deadline as Lizotte failed diligently to
pursue discovery. See Brae Transp., Inc. v. Coopers & Lybrand, 790 F.2d 1439,
1443 (9th Cir. 1986). Additionally, a party seeking a Rule 56(f) continuance to
conduct further discovery must “make clear what information is sought and how it
would preclude summary judgment.” Garrett v. City & County of S.F., 818 F.2d
1515, 1518 (9th Cir. 1987); see also Laub v. U.S. Dep't of Interior, 342 F.3d 1080,
1093 (9th Cir. 2003). Here, Lizotte fails to identify facts, either discovered or
likely to be discovered, that would support his claims, or explain how the
discovery sought would have defeated summary judgment. Moreover, the district
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court permitted the parties to take the depositions of individuals, including James
Woodbridge, the President of Pacific CA Systems, Inc., after the close of
discovery, as long as they had been properly noticed before the close of discovery.
The district court therefore did not abuse its discretion in denying Lizotte’s Rule
56(f) request for a continuance. See Margolis v. Ryan, 140 F.3d 850, 853-54 (9th
Cir. 1998).
2. We do not need to decide whether the district court abused its discretion in
granting Praxair’s motion to strike a Report of Findings concerning the cause of
the accident that was prepared for non-party St. Paul Travelers Insurance Co. by
the Rimkus Consulting Group, Inc. “[W]e must affirm the district court unless its
evidentiary ruling was manifestly erroneous and prejudicial.” Orr v. Bank of
America, NT & SA, 285 F.3d 764, 773 (emphasis in original). The Report posits a
cause for the accident other than the failure of the rusty weld and states that the
failure of the weld was a result of rather than a cause of the accident. Thus, the
Report does not support Lizotte’s positions on the issues dispositive on summary
judgment, that is, whether the rust on the fractured weld, or the length of the weld,
caused the accident or made it foreseeable. The Report’s exclusion was therefore
harmless.
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3. The district court properly granted summary judgment to Praxair because
Lizotte failed to raise a genuine issue of material fact regarding whether Praxair
breached its duty of reasonable care or whether any breach proximately caused the
accident. See Braithwaite v. West Valley City Corp., 921 P.2d 997, 999 (Utah
1996). Lizotte presented no expert evidence regarding the cause of the accident or
the standard of care in the industry regarding inspection for defective welds. See
White v. Pinney, 108 P.2d 249, 253 (Utah 1940); Wycalis v. Guardian Title of
Utah, 780 P.2d 821, 826 & n.8 (Utah App. 1989). Consequently, even if the
presence of rust on the fractured weld supported a reasonable inference that the
weld was also rusty when Amko Services, Inc., and Praxair inspected the trailer
after it had been refurbished, there is no evidence to suggest that the rust on the
weld caused the accident or that the weld should have been replaced. Lizotte’s
conclusory and speculative assertions to the contrary cannot defeat summary
judgment. See Soremekun v. Thrifty Payless, Inc., 509 F.3d 978, 984 (9th Cir.
2007). Moreover, Lizotte himself was the last representative of Praxair to inspect
the trailer for defects, and he did not indicate that he noticed any problem with the
welds.
Lizotte’s contention that the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur applies here is
unavailing, as “the real question at issue is whether the inspections and other
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actions performed by [Praxair] were such that they constituted a breach of
[Praxair’s] duty of care, and the res ipsa loquitur doctrine has no application to
such a question.” Matheson v. Marbec Inv., LLC, 173 P.3d 199, 204 (Utah App.
2007). We decline to consider Lizotte’s strict products liability claim, as he did not
raise it before the district court. See Weber v. Dep’t of Veterans Affairs, 521 F.3d
1061, 1068 (9th Cir. 2008).
AFFIRMED.
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