In Re Air Crash at Madrid, Spain on Aug. 20 , 672 F. Supp. 2d 1378 ( 2010 )

672 F. Supp. 2d 1378 (2010)

In re: AIR CRASH AT MADRID, SPAIN, ON AUGUST 20, 2008.

MDL No. 2135.

United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.

February 12, 2010.

Before ROBERT L. MILLER, JR., Acting Chairman, JOHN G. HEYBURN II, Chairman,^[*] KATHRYN H. VRATIL, DAVID R. HANSEN,^[*] W. ROYAL FURGESON, JR., FRANK C. DAMRELL, JR. and DAVID G. TRAGER, Judges of the Panel.

TRANSFER ORDER

ROBERT L. MILLER, JR., Acting Chairman.

Before the entire Panel^[*]: Defendants in this litigation—The Boeing Co., McDonnell Douglas Corp. (McDonnell Douglas), Esterline Technologies Corp., Leach International, Inc., Honeywell International Inc., Eaton Corp., and Ametek Inc.— move, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, for coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings of the 44 actions listed on Schedule A in the Central District of California. The defendants' motion encompasses 41 actions in the Middle District of Florida, which are consolidated into one action, two actions in the Northern District of Illinois and one action in the Central District of California.

Plaintiffs in the two Northern District of Illinois actions, the Central District of California action, and one of the consolidated Middle District of Florida actions support the motion. Plaintiffs in the remaining Middle District of Florida actions did not respond to the motion.

After considering the argument of counsel, we find that these 44 actions involve common questions of fact, and that centralization under Section 1407 in the Central District of California will serve the convenience of the parties and witnesses and promote the just and efficient conduct of this litigation. All actions concern the cause or causes of the crash of a McDonnell Douglas model MD-82 aircraft operated by Spanair as Flight JK 5022 on August 20, 2008; the flight crashed after takeoff from Madrid Barajas International Airport in Madrid, Spain. Centralization under Section 1407 will eliminate duplicative discovery, prevent inconsistent pretrial rulings, and conserve the resources of the parties, their counsel and the judiciary.

The Central District of California stands out as an appropriate transferee district. Moving defendants and all responding plaintiffs support centralization in this district, and the presence of some defendants in the Central District of California provides a connection to the actions. Centralization in this district also permits the Panel to effect the Section 1407 assignment to an experienced transferee judge who has not recently received such an assignment and who can steer this litigation on an expeditious course.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, the actions listed on Schedule A and pending outside the Central District of California are transferred to the Central District of California and, with the consent of that court, assigned to the Honorable Gary Feess for coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings with the action listed on Schedule A and pending in that district.

SCHEDULE A

MDL No. 2135 — IN RE: AIR CRASH AT MADRID, SPAIN, ON AUGUST 20, 2008

Central District of California

Kim Ivonne Tate Perez, et al. v. The Boeing Co., et al., C.A. No. 2:09-7285

Middle District of Florida

Maria Del Carmen Hernandez, et al. v. McDonnel Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1553

Leandro Ortega Pena v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1641

Angeles Carpintero Ruiz, et al. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1642

Gloria Ester Diepa Martin, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1643

Gloria Ester Diepa Martin, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1644

Higinio Ibanez Fraca, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1645

Eugenio Nunez Pavillard, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1646

Shirley Mani, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1647

Vicenta Guerreo, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1648

Josefa Ortiz Perea, etc v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1649

Carmelo Alvardo Castro, et al. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1650

Juan Diepa Hernanda, et al. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1651

Maria Dolores Florez Rodriguez, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1655

Sonia Maria Castillo Martinez, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1656

Daniel Estevez Ruiz, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1657

Maria Loreto Gonzalez Cabanas, et al. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1658

Zaida Rodriguez Ramirez, et al. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1659

Juan de Dios Font Marin, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1661

Jose Jesus Placeres Perez, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1662

Maximo Diaz Delgado, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1663

Maria Candelaria Perez Mateo, et al. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1664

Tereza Suarez Quebedo, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1665

Rafael Moreno Perez, et al. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1666

Maria Estrella Cigala Marrero, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1667

Maria De La Paz Soto Lloves Concepcion, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1668

Maria Estrella Cigala Marrero, et al. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1669

Maria Estrella Cigala Marrero, et al. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A No. 8:09-1670

Yolanda Villanueva Martin, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1671

Manfred Mrotzek, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1673

Manfred Mrotzek, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1680

Manfred Mrotzek, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1683

Eugenio Nunez Pavillard, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1684

Angel Francisco Santa Castillo, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1685

Yolanda Villanueva Martin, et al. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1687

Yolanda Villanueva Martin, et al. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1689

Maria Jesus Melian Perez, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1690

Yolanda Villanueva Martin, et al. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1691

Maria Jesus Melian Perez, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1692

Irina Hult, etc. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1693

Johan L. Rondonuwu, et al. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1694

Anna Maria Sanchez Diez, et al. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., et al., C.A. No. 8:09-1707

Northern District of Illinois

Elena Celia Fortaner, et al. v. The Boeing Co., et al., C.A. No. 1:09-5808

Antonio Garcia Martin, etc. v. The Boeing Co., et al., C.A. No. 1:09-5810

NOTES

[*] Judges Heyburn and Hansen took no part in the decision of this matter.