VINCENT L. BRICCETTI, District Judge.
Plaintiff Domingo Ojeda brings this action under the Federal Employers' Liability Act, 45 U.S.C. § 51 ("FELA"), against defendant Metropolitan Transportation Authority ("MTA"), alleging defendant negligently injured plaintiff.
Before the Court is defendant's motion to dismiss the complaint pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). (Doc. #11).
For the reasons set forth below, the motion is GRANTED, and plaintiff's request for leave to file an amended complaint is also GRANTED.
The Court has subject matter jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1331.
At all relevant times, plaintiff was a police officer employed by defendant. He alleges that on or about October 2, 2013, he was injured in the performance of his duties at the "West side parking lot" of the Metro-North Commuter Railroad Station in Harrison, New York. Plaintiff alleges "he sustain[ed] severe and disabling injuries" resulting from the "negligence, carelessness, recklessness" of the MTA. (Compl. ¶ 6). In particular, and among a long list of alleged "failures" by defendant, plaintiff alleges the MTA "fail[ed] to provide plaintiff with an appropriate and timely backup," and "fail[ed] to equip and/or provide plaintiff with a suitable, appropriate and/or timely transport for his arrestee." (
Defendant argues the complaint should be dismissed because it fails to meet the pleading requirements required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 8, as interpreted by
Plaintiff does not contend the complaint meets these requirements. Instead, he argues that Rule 8,
In deciding this issue, this Court has the benefit of a well-reasoned, albeit non-binding, decision recently reached by Judge Broderick in
The Court adopts the rationale set forth in
Accordingly, plaintiff's complaint must be evaluated under the pleading standards articulated in Rule 8,
Applying those standards, the Court finds the complaint fails to state a claim under FELA and must be dismissed.
In deciding a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, the Court evaluates the sufficiency of the operative complaint under the "two-pronged approach" articulated in
To survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion, the allegations in the complaint must meet a standard of "plausibility."
"While it is true that, consistent with Rule 8, a properly plead FELA `complaint is not required to have detailed factual allegations,' it must contain `more than an unadorned, the defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.'"
Here, plaintiff's complaint states merely that he "sustain[ed] severe and disabling injuries by the reason of the negligence, carelessness, recklessness of the defendant." (Compl. at ¶ 6). Plaintiff then lists a litany of ways in which defendant was allegedly negligent, including "in failing to provide plaintiff with an appropriate and timely backup," and "failing to equip and/or provide plaintiff with a suitable, appropriate and/or timely transport for his arrestee." (
As a result, even assuming the veracity of plaintiff's allegations and drawing all reasonable inferences in plaintiff's favor, the Court concludes plaintiff's complaint falls short of the pleading requirements of Rule 8,
Accordingly, plaintiff's complaint must be dismissed for failure to state a claim under Rule 12(b)(6).
Shortly after the motion to dismiss was filed, the Court issued an Order in which it "
In response, plaintiff's counsel submitted a letter in which he stated, "plaintiff intends to rely on the complaint that is the subject of the defendant's motion to dismiss." (Doc. #16). However, plaintiff also "request[ed]" that the Court "permit the granting of the cross-motion set forth in [plaintiff's opposition to the motion to dismiss] for the alternative relief of amending the complaint, if necessary." (
Plaintiff's counsel improperly filed the purported motion for leave to amend without a notice of motion. Local Civil Rule 7.1(a)(1).
Nevertheless, for the same reasons Judge Broderick articulated in
Accordingly, by October 31, 2016, plaintiff shall notify the Court by letter whether he intends to file an amended complaint. If he chooses to do so, his amended complaint is due November 7, 2016. If plaintiff elects not to file an amended complaint, the Court will promptly enter judgment in accordance with this Opinion and Order.
Defendant's motion to dismiss is GRANTED.
Plaintiff's request for leave to file an amended complaint is GRANTED.
The Clerk is instructed to terminate the motion. (Doc. #11).
SO ORDERED.
1). These documents were not attached to or incorporated by reference in the complaint. The Court thus need not consider them in deciding this motion.