AI Case Brief
Generate an AI-powered case brief with:
đKey Facts
âïžLegal Issues
đCourt Holding
đĄReasoning
đŻSignificance
Estimated cost: $0.10â$0.50 per brief, depending on opinion length and retries
Full Opinion
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA JANET PALEK, RICHARD PALEK, ) ) ) 2:20-CV-00170-CCW Plaintiffs, ) ) v. ) ) ) STATE FARM FIRE & CASUALTY ) COMPANY, ) ) Defendant. ) MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER I. Introduction Before the Court is Defendant State Farm Fire and Casualty Companyâs Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim. ECF No. 22. On September 15, 2020, Janet and Richard Palek (âPlaintiffsâ) filed their Second Amended Complaint, ECF No. 21, asserting three state law claims: (1) equitable reformation of contract; (2) bad faith insurance practices under 42 P.S. § 8371; and (3) unfair trade practices under 73 P.S. § 201 et seq. The Courtâs jurisdiction in this case is based on diversity of citizenship. 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a); ECF No. 21 at ¶¶ 3â6. For the reasons that follow, Defendantâs Motion will be GRANTED. II. Background Plaintiffs allege that Defendant misled them about the kinds of damage to their in-ground swimming pool that a homeownerâs insurance policy (the âPolicyâ), which Plaintiffs purchased in 1999 when they bought their home and pool, would cover. See ECF No. 21. at ¶¶ 8â9, 28â29. Specifically, Plaintiffs allege that Defendantâs agent informed them at the time Plaintiffs first purchased the Policy that the Policy would âcover their in ground [sic] pool in the event the [pool] was damaged from foreseeable types of harm.â Id. at ¶ 13. However, Plaintiffs aver that they were unawareâand Defendantâs agent did not discloseâthat the Policy would not cover damage to the pool caused by subsurface water movement. See id. at ¶¶ 14, 18â19, 27. Plaintiffs claim that they relied on Defendantâs general assurance that foreseeable harm to their pool would be covered, when they decided to purchase the Policy and in renewing it annually, believing that the Policy âcovered their swimming pool.â Id. at ¶ 14. Plaintiffs allege that the damage to their pool was the result of hydrostatic pressure,1 which can cause an empty in-ground pool to âact[] as a boat which seeks to float,â forcing the pool liner up and out of the ground. Id. at ¶ 18. This kind of event, called a âpool pop,â results in costly damage to the pool. Id. at ¶¶ 17â18, 26. Plaintiffs allege that pool pops are common risks known in the insurance and swimming pool industries, and that Defendant knew of such risks, having denied claims for similar occurrences under policies like the one Plaintiffs purchased. Id. at ¶¶ 17â19. Plaintiffs allege that on June 11, 2018, during routine maintenance, their pool experienced a pool pop, resulting in over $70,000 in damage. Id. at ¶ 16â17, 26. Plaintiffs contend that they reported the damage to Defendant immediately, but Defendant denied the claim on the basis that the Policy did not cover damage caused by earth movement or subsurface water. Id. at ¶ 25. Plaintiffs claim that had they known of the risk of pool pops, and that the Policy Defendant offered did not cover damage caused by such events, they would have selected another policy, an additional rider, or sought coverage through another carrier. Id. at ¶ 29. Defendantâs Motion seeks to have Plaintiffâs claims dismissed entirely. 1 Hydrostatic pressure is defined as âpressure exerted by or existing within a liquid at rest with respect to adjacent bodies.â âHydrostatic pressure.â Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary (accessed Apr. 16, 2021). III. Procedural History In their First Amended Complaint, ECF No. 10, Plaintiffs asserted claims for breach of contract and bad faith insurance practices under 42 Pa.C.S. § 8371. See ECF No. 10. Defendants moved to dismiss, ECF No. 11, and the Honorable Joy Flowers Conti granted that motion, holding (1) that Plaintiffsâ breach of contract claim was barred by a one-year suit limitation and, furthermore, was precluded by the unambiguous text of the Policy and (2) that Plaintiffs failed to state a claim for bad faith insurance practices under 42 Pa.C.S. § 8371 because coverage was barred under the plain language of the Policy and because Plaintiffs âdid not plead sufficient facts to support a cognizable claim of bad faith for failure to conduct an adequate investigation.â See ECF No. 19 at 7, 12, 14â15. The Court granted Plaintiffs leave to amend to attempt to cure the deficiencies identified with respect to their bad faith insurance practices claim, only. See id. at 15. In their Second Amended Complaint, Plaintiffs seek to have the Court reform the Policy on equitable grounds so that the Policy would cover damage for pool pops. See ECF No. 22 at ¶ 39. Plaintiffs also claim that Defendant committed bad faith insurance practices under 42 Pa.C.S. §âŻ8371 by failing to inform Plaintiffs about either the foreseeability of pool pops or about the Policyâs lack of coverage for these events. Id. at ¶ 44. Finally, Plaintiffs allege that Defendant's failure to inform them about these same facts constitutes unfair trade practices under Pennsylvania's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (âUTPCPLâ), 73 P.S. § 201 et seq. Defendant moved to dismiss the Second Amended Complaint. See ECF No. 22. Subsequently, the case was transferred to the undersigned, see ECF No. 26, and Defendantâs Motion is now ripe for disposition. IV. Standard of Review A motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) tests the legal sufficiency of a claim. In reviewing a motion to dismiss, the court accepts as true a complaintâs factual allegations and views them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. See Phillips v. Cty. of Allegheny, 515 F.3d 224, 228 (3d. Cir. 2008). Although a complaint need not contain detailed factual allegations to survive a motion to dismiss, it cannot rest on mere labels and conclusions. Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007). That is, âa formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.â Id. Accordingly, â[f]actual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level,â id., and be âsufficient to state a claim for relief that is plausible on its face.â Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570). âThe plausibility standard is not akin to a âprobability requirement,â but it asks for more than the sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully.â Id. (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556). The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has established a three-step process for district courts to follow in analyzing a Rule 12(b)(6) motion: First, the court must âtak[e] note of the elements a plaintiff must plead to state a claim.â Second, the court should identify allegations that, âbecause they are no more than conclusions, are not entitled to the assumption of truth.â Finally, âwhere there are well-pleaded allegations, a court should assume their veracity and then determine whether they plausibly give rise to an entitlement for relief.â Burtch v. Milberg Factors, Inc., 662 F.3d 212, 221 (3d Cir. 2011) (quoting Santiago v. Warminster Twp., 629 F.3d 121, 130 (3d Cir. 2010)). V. Discussion Federal jurisdiction in this case is based on diversity of citizenship under 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a). See ECF No. 21 at ¶¶ 3â6. Accordingly, the Court will apply the substantive law of the forum state, Pennsylvania, in resolving Defendantâs Motion. See Spence v. ESAB Group, 623 F.3d 212, 216 (3d Cir. 2010) (noting that âas a federal court sitting in diversity, we are required to apply the substantive law of the state whose law governs the action.â) (citing Erie R.R. Co. v. Tompkins, 304 U.S. 64, 78 (1938)). A. The Second Amended Complaint Fails to State a Claim for Equitable Reformation Defendant argues that Plaintiffsâ claim in Count I, for equitable reformation of the Policy, should be dismissed for failure to plead mutual mistake or fraud in contract formation. The Court agrees. Reformation is âan equitable remedy that is sparingly granted.â Twin City Fire Ins. Co. v. Pittsburgh Corning Corp., 813 F.Supp. 1147, 1149 (W.D. Pa. 1992). Reformation of a written instrument is available when the instrument is âat variance with the terms of the partiesâ original agreementâ in order to give effect to âthe true agreement of the parties.â 1 Corbin on Pennsylvania Contracts § 28.11 (2020). Accordingly, equitable reformation is available where there was mutual mistake by both parties or where one party wrongfully exploits the other partyâs unilateral mistake. Easton v. Washington Cty. Ins. Co., 137 A.2d 332, 337 (Pa. 1957). Mutual mistake exists where there is âa mistake in which each party misunderstands the otherâs intent,â or âa mistake that is shared and relied on by both parties to a contract.â Regions Mortg., Inc. v. Muthler, 889 A.2d 39, 41 (Pa. 2005) (citing Blackâs Law Dictionary 1023 (8th ed. 2004)). Unilateral mistake, on the other hand, requires that the non-mistaken party acted with sufficient knowledge of the other partyâs mistake as to permit an inference of fraud or bad faith. Regions Mortg., 889 A.2d at 41 (citing Dudash v. Dudash, 460 A.2d 323 (Pa. Super. 1983)). However, âwhere the contested policy provisions are clear and unambiguous,â Pennsylvania law does not impose a general duty on insurance agents to ââanticipate and then counsel their insured on the hypothetical, collateral consequences of the coverage chosen.ââ Kilmore v. Erie. Ins. Co., 595 A.2d 623, 626 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1991) (quoting Banker v. Vall. Forge Ins. Co., 526 A.2d 434, 438 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1987)). On the other hand, under certain circumstances, Pennsylvania courts will apply the so- called reasonable expectations doctrine as grounds for judicial reformation of an insurance contract. âAn analysis of the reasonable expectation of the insured is rightly employed when a claimant alleges that the insurer engaged in deceptive practices toward the insured . . . to issue a policy different from the one requested.â West v. Lincoln Ben. Life Co., 509 F.3d 160, 169 (3d Cir. 2007). Pennsylvania courts draw a crucial distinction, however, between situations where the insurerâs unilateral changes âresult[] in a policy quite different from what the insured requestedâ and those where the insured âreceived precisely the coverage that he requested but failed to read the policy to discover clauses that are the usual incident of the coverage applied for.â Tonkovic v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 521 A.2d 920, 925 (Pa. 1987). In the latter case, the clear text of the policy must prevail. See Standard Venetian Blind Co. v. American Empire Ins. Co., 469 A..2d 563, 566 (Pa. 1983) (â[I]n the absence of proof of fraud, âfailure to read [the contract] is an unavailing excuse or defense and cannot justify an avoidance, modification or nullification of the contract or any provision thereof.ââ) (citation omitted). Plaintiffs do not appear to ground their equitable reformation claim on mutual mistake. Rather, Plaintiffs appear to be proceeding on a theory of unilateral mistake, as the Second Amended Complaint alleges that Defendant had superior knowledge about pool pops and had denied such claims under policies like the one Plaintiffs held. ECF No. 21 at ¶¶ 19, 34. Thus, to survive Defendantâs Motion, the Second Amended Complaint must plead facts sufficient to show that Defendant knew of Plaintiffsâ mistaken beliefs about the Policy and exploited this mistake to sell the Policy. Plaintiffs assert that they requested insurance for âall reasonably foreseeable types of harmâ to the home and included structures. ECF No. 21 at ¶ 31. They allege that Defendant informed them that the Policy âwould provide them protection for the same.â Id. at ¶ 32. Defendant allegedly made this representation despite knowing of the common risk of pool pops. Id. at ¶¶ 19, 33. Plaintiffs assert that they were unaware of the possibility of pool pops or the resulting repair costs when they purchased the Policy. Id. at ¶¶ 18, 19, 33. These allegations are insufficient, however, because they do not allege that the Defendant had any knowledge of Plaintiffsâ mistaken belief about the scope of coverage under the Policy, let alone knowledge sufficient to infer fraud or bad faith. Plaintiffs do not allege that Defendant knew of their specific unawareness of pool pops, or of their alleged inexperience in the common costs and risks associated with owning an in-ground swimming pool. Plaintiffs also do not plead facts sufficient to show that Defendants unilaterally limited the policy beyond clauses that are the âusual incidentâ of coverage for swimming pools. Tonkovic, 521 A.2d at 925. Thus, because Plaintiffs do not allege that Defendant knew of Plaintiffsâ mistake, and because Pennsylvania law imposes no affirmative duty on insurers to investigate potential sources of customerâs confusion about express policy terms, the Complaint does not sufficiently plead an equitable reformation claim based on unilateral mistake. See West, 509 F.3d at 168 (discussing Pennsylvania law and noting â[t]o allow the insured âto avoid application of the clear and unambiguous policy limitations in these circumstances would [have required the Supreme Court] to rewrite the parties' written contract,â which the court would not do.â) (quoting Standard Venetian Blind, 469 A.2d at 566). Furthermore, we reach a similar conclusion applying an analysis of the insuredâs reasonable expectations. Plaintiffs allege that they requested coverage for their swimming pool for foreseeable types of harm. ECF No. 21 at ¶¶ 11, 13, 31â32. The Defendant provided swimming pool coverage in the Policy, including the water damage exclusion that prevented recovery for the pool pop event. See id. at ¶¶ 15, 25. Under Tonkovic, the crucial question is whether the water damage exclusion was a usual incident of coverage, or a clause that created a policy quite different from what Plaintiffs requested. The Second Amended Complaint does not allege that a water damage exclusion is unusual in a policy covering swimming pools, or that one specific type of exclusion changed the basic nature of the homeownersâ policy, or that Plaintiffs specifically requested coverage for pool pops which Defendant then unilaterally excluded. See Frederick Mut. Ins. Co. v. Hall, 752 Fed.Appx. 115, 118â19 (3d Cir. 2018) (overturning district courtâs application of reasonable expectations doctrine where plaintiff âdid not apply for the specific type of insurance coverage he now claims that he expected as he asked in general terms for âsoup to nutsâ coverage through a broad term that was not specific.â). In other words, Plaintiffs offer no facts to distinguish the water damage exclusion from any other usual exclusion clause that appears in any other homeownersâ insurance policy. For these reasons, Plaintiffsâ claim for equitable reformation in Count I of the Second Amended Complaint will be dismissed. However, because Plaintiffsâ equitable reformation claim was not raised before this case was transferred to the undersigned and, therefore, the Court has not previously ruled on said claim, Plaintiffs will be granted leave to amend to attempt to cure the deficiencies identified above. B. The Second Amended Complaint Fails to State a Claim for Bad Faith Insurance Practices under 42 Pa.C.S. § 8371, et seq. Next, Defendant argues that Plaintiffsâ claim in Count II, for bad faith insurance practices under 42 Pa.C.S. § 8371, et seq., should be dismissed because the statute does not permit a claim based on representations made by the insurer before or during the sale of an insurance contract.2 The Court agrees. Pennsylvania law allows policyholders to collect interest on unpaid claims, punitive damages, court costs, and attorney fees if âthe insurer has acted in bad faith toward the insured.â 42 Pa. C.S. § 8371. The statuteâs scope is limited, however, to âactions an insurer took when called upon to perform its contractual obligations of defense and indemnification of a loss.â Toy v. Metro. Life Ins. Co., 928 A.2d 186, 199 (Pa. 2007). The statute does not create a cause of action for a policyholder âwho alleges that his insurer engaged in unfair or deceptive practices in soliciting the purchase of a policy.â Id. at 200. In other words, § 8371 âencompasses a variety of insurer conduct, but such conduct must be related to the denial of benefits,â not ââ[mere] disputes over contract terms.ââ Velazquez v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 55854 at *26 (E.D. Pa. March 27, 2020) (citing UPMC Health Sys. v. Metro. Life Ins. Co., 391 F.3d 497, 506 (3d Cir. 2004)). Plaintiffs allege that the Defendant acted in bad faith when it made representations about the scope of coverage under the Policy. Id. ¶¶ 41â44. Plaintiffs assert that they relied on these representations before purchasing the Policy. Id. at ¶ 14. They contend that Defendant also acted in bad faith by continuing to collect premiums from 1999 to 2018, despite allegedly misrepresenting the coverage provided under the Policy. ECF No. 21 at ¶¶ 45â46. These allegations do not fall within the scope of 42 Pa. C.S. § 8371, because they allege bad faith only in soliciting the purchase and renewal of the Policy. Because the legislature âintended not to give 2 Plaintiffs brought a claim for bad faith insurance practices in Count II of the First Amended Complaint. ECF No. 10. At that time, Plaintiffs alleged that Defendant committed bad faith insurance practices when it denied Plaintiffsâ 2018 insurance claim after conducting only a cursory investigation of the property. Id. at ¶¶ 14â15, 17, 26. Judge Conti dismissed the claim because Plaintiffs did not plead facts sufficient to support their claim that Defendant lacked a reasonable basis for denying the claim. ECF No. 19 at 14â15. Judge Conti granted Plaintiffs leave to amend the complaint to offer more specific facts, but Plaintiffs have abandoned their âinsufficient investigationâ claim in the Second Amended Complaint and now pursue a new theory of Defendantâs alleged bad faith practices. relief under the bad faith statute to an insured who alleges that his insurer engaged in unfair or deceptive practices in soliciting the purchase a policy,â Toy, 928 A.2d at 198, Plaintiffsâ bad faith claims under § 8371 fail as a matter of law. For these reasons, Count II of the Second Amended Complaint will be dismissed. Furthermore, because the theory of liability asserted by Plaintiffs here is not cognizable under 42 Pa. C.S. § 8371, see Toy, 928 A.2d at 198, amendment of this claim would be futile and no leave to amend will be granted. C. The Second Amended Complaint Fails to State a Claim under Pennsylvaniaâs Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law Finally, Defendant argues that Plaintiffâs claim in Count III, for deceptive practices under Pennsylvaniaâs UTPCPL, 73 P.S. § 201 et seq., should be dismissed for failure to plead facts showing justifiable reliance on Defendantâs conduct. The Court agrees. The UTPCPL creates a cause of action for consumers who suffer loss as a result of unfair or deceptive acts or practices. 73 P.S. § 201-9.2(a). The statute enumerates several specific unfair acts or practices and also contains a âcatch-allâ provision, 73 P.S. § 201-2(4)(xxi), which includes âany other fraudulent or deceptive conduct which creates a likelihood of confusion or of misunderstanding.â A plaintiff alleging deceptive conduct under the catch-all provision need only allege conduct with âthe potential to deceive and which creates a likelihood of confusion or misunderstanding.â Gregg v. Ameriprise Fin., Inc., 245 A.3d 637, 649 (Pa. 2021). That said, a plaintiff must establish that he justifiably relied on the defendantâs conduct to satisfy the causation requirement under § 201-9.2(a), regardless of the type of unfair conduct alleged. Id. at 646. Importantly, UTPCPL plaintiffs do not enjoy a presumption of justifiable reliance. See, e.g., Hunt v. U.S. Tobacco, 538 F.3d 217 (3d. Cir. 2008) (rejecting plaintiffâs assertion that reliance is presumed under UTPCPL as contrary to Pennsylvania law); see also Toy, 928 A.2d at 202 (âa plaintiff alleging violations of the Consumer Protection Law must prove justifiable relianceâ). Although justifiable reliance is âtypically a question of fact for the fact-finder to decide, and requires a consideration of the parties, their relationship, and the circumstances surrounding their transaction,â Toy, 928 A.2d at 208, âa court may determine, even at the motion to dismiss stage, that a plaintiffâs allegations of justifiable reliance fail as a matter of law.â Plumberâs Local Union No. 690 Health Care Plan v. Apotex Corp., Civil Action No. 16-665, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 156443, at *22 (E.D. Pa. Sep. 25, 2017) (citing Hunt, 538 F.3d at 227). Furthermore, Pennsylvania courts âhesitate to find reliance justified where the party claiming reliance had an adequate opportunity to verifyâ allegedly deceptive statements. Porreco v. Porreco, 811 A.2d 566 (Pa. 2002) (affirming judgment for defendant accused of fraudulent misrepresentations). Finally, â[t]o be justifiable, reliance on the representation of another must be reasonable.â Id. at 571. In the context of insurance, justifiable reliance raises the question of whether policyholders have a duty to read and understand their policies. Because insurance companies often have superior knowledge during negotiations, courts do not impose a duty on policyholders to pore over their written policies to discover fraudulent misrepresentations. See, e.g., Toy, 928 A.2d at 207 (âthe recipient of an allegedly fraudulent misrepresentation is under no duty to investigate its falsity in order to justifiably relyâ); Tran v. Metro. Life Ins. Co., 408 F.3d 130, 136â37 (3d Cir. 2005) (âPennsylvania does not impose a duty to read insurance policies when insureds allege fraudâ). Where there is no allegation of fraud, however, whether a policyholder has a duty to read the policy depends on whether, under the circumstances, it is unreasonable not to read it. Rempel v. Nationwide Life Ins. Co., 370 A.2d 366, 369 (Pa. 1977). Plaintiffsâ claim under the UTPCPL fails because, viewed in the light most favorable to Plaintiffs, the facts as alleged in the Second Amended Complaint cannot support justifiable reliance. Plaintiffs allege that they âspecifically informed State Farm that they had an in-ground swimming pool and that they desired coverage of the same.â ECF No. 21 at ¶ 11. According to Plaintiffs, Defendantâs agent informed them âthat the insurance they were purchasing would in fact cover their in-ground pool in the event the same was damaged from foreseeable types of harm.â Id. at ¶ 13. Plaintiffs allege that this statement by Defendantâs agent was misleading because the Policy did not cover pool pops, which Plaintiffs aver is a common and foreseeable type of damage to in-ground swimming pools. See id. at ¶¶ 19â20. But, despite receiving only vague assurances about the coverage provided under the Policy, Plaintiffs appear to have made no effort whatsoever to ascertain the actual scope of coverage under the Policy. See ECF No. 21 at ¶âŻ55. As alleged, Defendantâs representation is too vague for reliance on it to be reasonable. See Porreco, 811 A.2d at 571 (âTo be justifiable, reliance on the representation of another must be reasonable.â). There is no allegation here that Defendant ever made any affirmative representations about coverage under the Policy for pool pops, or subsurface earth or water movement, or any other kind of damage. Indeed, as alleged, Defendant did not even represent that the Policy would provide coverage for âallâ foreseeable harms or even âreasonablyâ foreseeable harms. As such, it is objectively unreasonable for a consumer in Plaintiffsâ position to rely, without further inquiry, on an unadorned representation that an insurance policy will provide coverage for âforeseeableâ types of harm for the simple reason that such a representation says nothing about what is or is not âforeseeable.â Furthermore, this case is readily distinguishable from cases where courts have found that a fact-finder could determine, or a fact-finder has indeed concluded, that an insuredâs reliance on an insurerâs representations about a policy was justifiable. For example, in Toy, plaintiff allegedly relied on an insurance agentâs representation that a policy would accrue a cash value of $100,000 by the time plaintiff turned 65, when, in fact, the policy itself stated it would only have a cash value of $11,008.86. See 928 A.2d at 189â190. Likewise, in Gregg, defendantâs agent made specific representations that âif the Greggs purchased the new Policy and made annual payments, the Policy would accrue significant cash value that they could use to fund their retirement.â 2021 Pa. LEXIS 608, at *4. Unbeknownst to plaintiffs, however, defendantâs agent was not making contributions to plaintiffsâ savings accounts as promised. Id. at *5. In both cases, the defendant made specific representations about the features or benefits of the policy at issue, making the plaintiffsâ reliance on those representations reasonable. Here, Defendantâs alleged representations told Plaintiffs almost nothing about the coverages provided by the Policy. As such, and given the lack of specific description of the coverages provided, it cannot be reasonable for Plaintiffs to have relied on Defendantâs alleged vague representation that the Policy covered âforeseeableâ damage, without more. Accordingly, Count III of the Second Amended Complaint will be dismissed. However, as with Count I, because Plaintiffsâ UTPCPL claim was not raised before this case was transferred to the undersigned and, therefore, the Court has not previously ruled on said claim, Plaintiffs will be granted the leave to amend to attempt to cure the deficiencies identified above. VI. Conclusion For the foregoing reasons, Defendantâs Motion to Dismiss is hereby GRANTED as follows: 1. Count I for equitable reformation is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE; 2. Count II for bad faith practices under 42 Pa.C.S. § 8371 is DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE; 3. Count III for violation of 73 P.S. § 201 et seq. is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE. On or before May 5, 2021, Plaintiffs may file a Third Amended Complaint to attempt to cure the deficiencies identified above with respect to Counts I and III of the Second Amended Complaint, only. In light of the fact that, before this case was transferred to the undersigned, Plaintiffs had two prior opportunities to amend their pleadings, any Third Amended Complaint should be Plaintiffsâ last, best effort, as no further leave to amend will be granted. DATED this 21st day of April, 2021. BY THE COURT: /s/ Christy Criswell Wiegand CHRISTY CRISWELL WIEGAND United States District Judge cc (via ECF email notification): All Counsel of Record
Case Information
- Court
- W.D. Pa.
- Decision Date
- April 21, 2021
- Status
- Precedential