August 14, 2014 — Los Angeles, California —Lawyers handling the Orland crash litigation against FedEx and Silverado Stages on behalf of surviving passengers and families of those who died, filed a petition in June asking the court to coordinate all of the cases into one courtroom in Los Angeles. A judge will rule on the petition at a hearing on August 25.
What Can be Expected From the August 25 Hearing?
- A ruling will be delivered on whether all of the truck accident lawsuits stemming from the Orland crash will be coordinated in what is called a “Judicial Council Coordinated Proceeding.” When several cases involving a common issue of fact or law are filed in more than one county, the cases can be coordinated in a single court under certain procedures governed by the Judicial Council of California. This avoids conflicting rulings on cases that are, in large part, the same and provides for more efficient use of State Court resources. These coordinated cases are Judicial Council Coordinated Proceedings.
- The judge will also rule on which court will be assigned to supervise these cases.
- Baum Hedlund truck accident attorneys will argue that the petition should be granted and are hopeful that the judge will approve the request to have cases assigned in Los Angeles, where the vast majority of witnesses to the aftermath of the tragedy are located and where the court resources are sufficient to handle such a large and complex matter.
In related news, Silverado Stages has filed a motion to change the venue from Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo, where their business office is located. The date for this motion will not be set until after the August 25 hearing, when the appropriate judge who will rule on this motion has been determined.