Lucine Khachatryan v. Costco Wholesale Corporation

I. INTRODUCTION

On April 5, 2023, Lucine Khachatryan (‘Plaintiff’) filed a Complaint in state court against Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco WA”) and DOES 1-30. Plaintiff asserts two causes of action: (1) negligence; and (2) premises liability. On December 18, 2023, Costco WA filed a Notice of Removal on the basis of diversity jurisdiction. On December 26, 2023, Plaintiff filed an amendment in state court, substituting Costco Wholesale Membership, Inc., a California Corporation (“Costco Membership”) for DOE 2. On January 16, 2024, Plaintiff filed the present motion to remand, arguing that the addition of Costco Membership destroys diversity jurisdiction. For the following reasons, this Court DENIES Plaintiffs motion. Il. FACTUAL BACKGROUND According to Plaintiff, on April 21, 2021, a dangerous condition existed within a Costco Wholesale in Los Angeles, California. The operators of the store failed to warn customers of, or cure, the dangerous condition. As a result, Plaintiff slipped and fell while shopping, sustaining injuries. Il. JUDICIAL STANDARD An action originally filed in state court may be removed to district court if that court would have original…