IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
                           DIVISION OF ST. THOMAS AND ST. JOHN

                                                            )
         DORCHESTER INSURANCE                               )
         COMPANY and JANAK                                  )
         RAMCHANDANI,                                       )
                                                            )
                                   Plaintiffs               ) Case No. ST-2025-CV-00151
                                                            )
               vs                                           )   ACTION       FOR DAMAGES
                                                            )
         RENZO R. ODIOTT                                    )   JURY TRIAL DEMANDED
                                                           )
                                   Defendant               )
                                                           )



                                                Cite as 
2026 VI Super 35

                                         MEMORANDUM             OPINION

41         #$THIS MATTER       is before the Court on a Motion to Dismiss filed on October 30, 2025

by Defendant Renzo R. Odiott (“Defendant”).             Plaintiffs Dorchester Insurance Company and Janak

Ramchandani (“Plaintiffs”) oppose this Motion.' For the reasons set forth herein, the Court will

grant Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss

                             FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL                      HISTORY

     I       Factual History

q2        On March 22,     2021,     Plaintiff Janak Ramchandani’s 2018 Toyota RAV4                was allegedly

being driven by a family member, Sahil Ramchandani, in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands where the

vehicle was allegedly turning from Rue de Barthelemy onto Veterans Drive at or around 12:40




' Also pending before the Court is Defendant’s Motion to Stay Discovery Pending Ruling on Motion to Dismiss;
Plaintiffs Motion for Ruling; and Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment. Since the Court has now ruled on the
dispositive Motion to Dismiss, the Motion to Stay is rendered moot, the Motion for Ruling will be denied, and the
Motion for Summary Judgment need not be reached
Dorchester Ins. Co. et al. v. Odiott
Case No: ST-2025-CV-00151
Memorandum Opinion
Page 2 of 13

a.m.” It is further alleged that a 2002 Jeep Liberty owned by Defendant Odiott and driven by

Ramon Anthony ran a red light on Veterans Drive, resulting in a collision that allegedly totaled

Plaintiff Ramchandani’s vehicle.’ The investigating officer allegedly concluded that the driver of

Defendant Odiott’s vehicle was at fault for failure to obey the traffic signal at the intersection of

Veterans Drive and Rue de Barthlemy.*            It is also alleged that Plaintiff Ramchandani’s Toyota

RAV4 was insured by Plaintiff Dorchester, that the damages sustained by Plaintiff Ramchandani

were allegedly bore by Plaintiff Dorchester pursuant to the applicable insurance agreement, and

that Plaintiff Dorchester allegedly paid for those damages and, under the terms of that agreement,

is legally permitted to subrogate Ramchandani’s claims.°

     II         Procedural History

q3        Plaintiffs filed a complaint on April 23,       2025, alleging negligence against Defendant

Odiott.° The Summons and Complaint were served upon Defendant on May 21, 2025. On June 9,

2025, Defendant answered the Plaintiffs’          Complaint.   In his Answer, Defendant, submitted the

following affirmative defenses:        (1) The Complaint failed to state a claim upon which relief could

be granted; (2) Plaintiffs’ right to damages in this action was barred by the doctrine of contributory

and/or comparative negligence; (3) Plaintiffs’ right in this action was further barred by the doctrine

of accord and satisfaction, as Plaintiff Dorchester was fully aware of the situation at hand at the

time it paid the claim, and such payment resolved any alleged obligation; and (4) Plaintiffs’ right

to damages in this action was also barred by the doctrine of contributory negligence.’ A joint



  Pls’ Compl.     6
31d.47
414.48
5 
Id.
 48-11
6 fd. 412-18
7D.’s Answer at 2
Dorchester Ins. Co. et al. vy. Odiott
Case No: ST-2025-CV-00151
Memorandum Opinion
Page 3 of 13

scheduling order was submitted on July 15, 2025, and the order was signed by the Court on July

18, 2025

q4        All initial disclosures pursuant to V.I. R. Civ. P. 26(a) were to be served on the parties not

later than July 31, 2025; all dispositive motions except for motions challenging subject matter

jurisdiction or Daubert/Kuhmo motions were to be filed and served no later than January 23, 2026

Plaintiffs filed their notice of service in regard to Rule 26 disclosures on July 25, 2025, the same

day it served its Initial Discovery Disclosures on Defendant. On September 3, 2025, Plaintiffs filed

a Motion      to Compel       Initial Discovery     Disclosures.    On    October 9, 2025, the Court ordered

Defendant to file and serve their Rule 26 disclosures within fifteen (15) days of entry of the order,

which would have been October 25, 2025

qs       On October 30, 2025, Defendant filed               a Motion to Dismiss pursuant to V.I.            R. Civ.      P

12(b)(6) in which Defendant claims that Plaintiffs failed to state a claim upon which relief can be

granted because the claim’s statute of limitations has expired.® The Defendant claims a two-year

statute of limitation applies pursuant to 5 V.I.C.           §31(5)(A),     and that when the case was filed it

had been four years and 29 days from the accident.              Plaintiffs filed their response to the Motion to

Dismiss on November 14, 2025, where Plaintiffs claim the action is not time barred because they

are proceeding via a contractual right rather than a claim sounding in tort.'° Therefore, Plaintiffs

claim a six-year statute of limitations applies.'!



8 1D.’s Mot. to Dismiss at 2. The Court notes that Defendant’s substantive “Motion to Dismiss” was filed after the
Defendant had already answered; therefore, the Court will treat the Motion to Dismiss as a motion for judgment on
the pleadings pursuant to V.I. R. Civ. P. 12(c). See Bryan v. Fawkes, 61 V.1. 416, 467 n.30 (V.L. 2014) (noting that
  the substance of a motion, and not its caption, shall determine under which rule that motion is construed” {internal
citations omitted)); see also Infra €7
° Id
 '0 Pls’ Opp’n to Mot. to Dismiss at 2
Wid
Dorchester Ins. Co. et al. v. Odiott
Case No:    ST-2025-CV-00151
Memorandum Opinion
Page 4 of 13

46          On December 3, 2025, Plaintiffs filed a Motion for Ruling where they requested the Court

issue an order awarding attorney fees to Plaintiffs for Defendant’s failure to comply with the initial

disclosure order.'? That same day Plaintiffs also filed a Motion for Summary Judgment.            Then on

December 9, 2025, Defendant filed a Motion for Protective Order and to Stay Discovery Pending

a Ruling by the Court on Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss and Incorporated Opposition to Plaintiffs’

Request for Attorney’s Fees and Expenses.            Plaintiffs responded to this motion on December 30,

2025.      On March 16, 2026, the Court ordered a Post Mediation Status Conference and hearing on

all outstanding Motions on Monday,           April    13, 2026.   Plaintiffs filed   a Motion for Grant of

Summary Judgment on March 20, 2026. Defendant filed their Opposition to Plaintiffs’ Motion for

Summary Judgment on April 28, 2026. Plaintiffs filed their Reply to Defendant’s Opposition on

April 29, 2026

                                           LEGAL STANDARDS

       i        Failure to State a Claim

q7          V. I. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) allows dismissal for failure to state a claim upon which relief can

be granted. The Virgin Islands is a notice pleading jurisdiction for purposes of stating a claim. V.I

R. Civ. P. 8 (a)(2). The purpose of the notice pleading standard is to avoid “dismissals of cases

based on failure to allege specific facts which, if established, plausibly entitle the pleader to relief.”

V.I. R. Civ. P. 8 Reporter's Note; Mills-Williams v. Mapp,        
67 V.I. 574, 585
 (V.1. 2017). Statute of

limitations is an affirmative defense under V.I. R. Civ. P. 8(c){1), so it should be raised under Rule

12(b)(6) in a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, rather

than one under Rule 12(b)(1) for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction. Palton v. V.I. Gov’t Hosp.        &




     Pls’ Mot. for Ruling at 1
Dorchester Ins. Co. et al. v. Odiott
Case No: ST-2025-CV-00151
Memorandum Opinion
Page 5 of 13


Health Facilities Corp.,      2026 V14, J 19, No. S.CT.CIV. 2023-0029, 
2026 WL 810941
, at *6 (Mar.

23, 2026).     Pursuant to V.I. R. Civ.       P. 12(h)(2),   a party who did not initially file a Rule 12(b)(6)

motion at the outset of the litigation can still raise a failure to state a claim defense later in the

litigation and have it styled as a V.I. R. Civ. P. 12(c) motion for judgment on the pleadings. In this

scenario,     Rule |2(c) serves as an auxiliary procedural device to test the legal sufficiency of a case

in its early stages and conserve judicial resources. See Bruni v. Alger, 2019 VI SUPER 90, 45 (V.1

Super. 2019) (internal citations omitted).          In this scenario, essentially,   “the Court reviews a motion

for judgment on the pleadings for failure to state a claim under the same standard that applies to a

motion to dismiss under V.I. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6).” /d. (internal citations omitted)

                                                   DISCUSSION

     I         Plaintiffs have failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted because
               Plaintiffs’ claim is time barred by the applicable statute of limitations

     1.     Subrogation Banks Analysis

q8          Since the creation of the Virgin Islands Supreme Court, there has not been a full review of

the doctrine of subrogation.           However, the Virgin Islands Supreme Court did briefly describe the

doctrine in Joseph y. Inter-Ocean Ins. Agency Inc., in which The Virgin Islands Supreme Court

noted that “[s]ubrogation is an equitable right.             By definition, subrogation can arise only with

respect to the rights of an insured against third persons to whom the insurer owes no duty.” 59 V.1

820, 826 (2013). This understanding of subrogation is consistent with general understanding of

subrogation

                   Subrogation” is the substitution of another person in place of the
                   creditor to whose rights he or she succeeds in relation to the debt,
                   and gives to the substitute all the rights, priorities, remedies, liens,
                   and securities of the person for whom he or she is substituted
Dorchester Ins. Co. et al. v. Odiott
Case No: ST-2025-CV-00151
Memorandum Opinion
Page 6 of 13


16    Couch      on    Ins.   §   222:5;   SUBROGATION,      Black's   Law   Dictionary    (12th   ed.   2024)

(“subrogation (sab-ra-gay-shon) n. (15c) 1. The substitution of one party for another whose debt

the party pays, entitling the paying party to rights, remedies, or securities that would otherwise

belong to the debtor.         * For example, a surety who has paid a debt is, by subrogation, entitled to

any security for the debt held by the creditor and the benefit of any judgment the creditor has

against the debtor, and may proceed against the debtor as the creditor would.”)

q9          Subrogation by its very nature is purely derivative.       “A subrogated insurer stands in the

shoes of an insured and has no greater rights than the insured, or one cannot acquire by subrogation

what another, whose rights he or she claims, did not have.” 16 Couch on Ins. § 222:5

qi0         A Banks Analysis requires that

                      [when] addressing issues of Virgin Islands common law, this Court
                      and courts addressing issues of Virgin Islands common law that this
                      Court has yet to address—must engage in a three-factor [Banks]
                      analysis:   first examining which common law rule Virgin Islands
                      courts have applied in the past; next identifying the rule adopted by
                      a majority of courts of other jurisdictions; and then finally—but
                      most importantly—determining which common law rule is soundest
                      for the Virgin Islands

Better Bldg. Maint. of the Virgin Islands, Inc. v. Lee,      60   V.1. 740, 757 (V.1. 2014) (internal citations

omitted)

      A.    Common law rule applied by Virgin Islands courts in the past.

li         | Asnoted above, since the Virgin Islands Supreme Court was established there has not been

a thorough review of the doctrine of subrogation. However, in Joseph, the Virgin Islands Supreme

Court did briefly discuss subrogation and did not disapprove of the right. 59 V.I at 826. Similarly,

prior to the establishment of the Virgin Islands Supreme Court many of the prior Virgin Islands

courts recognized the doctrine of subrogation and its derivative nature.            In Guardian Ins.     Co. v.
Dorchester Ins. Co. et al. v. Odiott
Case No: ST-2025-CV-00151
Memorandum Opinion
Page 7 of 13

Sebastien, the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands pointed out that “(s]ubrogation is the right of

the insurer to be put in the position of the insured in order to pursue recovery from third parties

legally responsible to the insured for a loss paid by the insurer.”            
2006 WL 8462933
, at *1 (V.I

Super.    Feb.     10, 2006) (citing Prime Hospitality Corp.           v. General Star Indem.     Co.,   
1999 WL 293865, *4
 (D.V.I1.     1999);     Guardian Insurance Co.    v, Hussein,   
2002 WL 31017161
,          *2 (D.V.1

2002) (quoting 16 Couch On Insurance 3d § 222:5 (1995)).                 Likewise, prior Virgin Islands Courts

have recognized the purely derivative nature of subrogation.              In Magras v. Puerto Rican Am. Ins

Co, the Territorial Court of the Virgin Islands noted that the “rights of the judgment creditor of the

insured are no greater than those of the insured, in whose shoes he stands.” 
551 F. Supp. 427, 428

(D.V.I.    1982) (citing Fidelity Casualty Company of New York v. McConnaughy,                     
179 A.2d 117 120
 (Md.         1962)).   Moreover,      the Third   Circuit, which    the Virgin   Islands    falls within,   has

recognized the derivative nature of subrogation. The Third Circuit, in /n re Frescati Shipping Co

Lid., pointed out that “[subrogation is] a procedural mechanism to allow an insurer (the subrogee)

to step into the shoes of its insured (the subrogor) after it has compensated the insured for harm

caused by a third party.”           
886 F.3d 291, 309
 (3d Cir. 2018). The Third Circuit went on to further

explain that

                     the third party—now defending an action brought by the subrogee
                     is entitled to assert every defense it otherwise could have raised
                     against the subrogor. In that vein, the third party's liability to a
                     subrogee cannot be greater than it would have been to the subrogor

Id, at 309 (citing Restatement (Third) of Restitution           & Unjust Enrichment § 24)

412       Accordingly, based on the above cited cases, it is clear that subrogation has been accepted

by other Virgin Islands courts and that these courts have recognized the purely derivative nature

of subrogation
Dorchester Ins. Co. et al. v. Odiott
Case No: ST-2025-CV-00151
Memorandum Opinion
Page 8 of 13

       B.     Majority rule adopted by a majority of courts of other jurisdictions

{13           The Court, based on its research, has not found a jurisdiction that does not support the time

tested concept of subrogation.                Further, based on the Court’s research the doctrine of subrogation

in virtually every jurisdiction is derivative in nature. Subrogation simply means substitution of one

person for another; that is, one person is allowed to stand in the shoes of another and assert that

person's rights against a third party.” US Airways, Inc. v. McCutchen, 
569 U.S. 88
, 106 n.5 (2013);

Emps. Mut. Cas. Co. v. Mosby, 
943 P.2d 593, 595
 (Okla. 1997)                       (“The subrogee steps into the shoes

of its claimant and takes the claim subject to defenses based on the date of accrual to the claimant

Insurer's claim          in the present matter         is based   upon   an automobile       accident,    an action   for

negligence.”); Church Mut. Ins. Co.,                S.I. v. GuideOne Specialty Mut. Ins. Co., 
287 Cal. Rptr. 3d 809
,        828 (Cal.   Ct.   App.   2021),     as modified on denial of reh'g (Jan.       11,   2022) (“The right of

subrogation is purely derivative. An insurer entitled to subrogation is in the same position as an

assignee of the insured's claim, and succeeds only to the rights of the insured.                         The subrogated

insurer is said to “stand in the shoes”            of its insured, because it has no greater rights than the insured

and is subject to the same defenses assertable against the insured. Thus, an insurer cannot acquire

by subrogation anything to which the insured has no rights, and may claim no rights which the

insured does not have.”) (internal citations omitted); Nimmick v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co.,

89t P.2d 1154,           1159 (Mont.     1995) (“The right of subrogation is purely derivative as the insurer

succeeds only to the rights of the insured, and no new cause of action is created.                       In other words,

the concept of subrogation merely gives the insurer the right to prosecute the cause of action which

the insured possessed against anyone legally responsible for the latter's harm[.]”) (internal citations

omitted); Preferred Pro. Ins. Co. v. The Drs. Co.,                
419 P.3d 1020, 1024
 (Colo. App. 2018) (“In the

insurance context, regardless of how an insurer obtains ownership of subrogation rights (viz.,
Dorchester Ins. Co. et al. v. Odiott
Case No: ST-2025-CV-00151
Memorandum Opinion
Page 9 of 13

under contract with the insured or through principles of equity), they are derivative of the rights of

the insured.    “Once an insurance company enjoys those rights, [it] ‘stand[s] in the shoes of the

insured’    for all legal purposes and may pursue any rights held by the insured subrogor.”) (internal

citations omitted); Am. Standard Ins. Co. of Wisconsin y. Cleveland, 
369 N.W.2d 168, 171
 (Wis

Ct. App.     1985) (“Subrogation is derivative of the plaintiff's right to recover from the tortfeasor

The original right of the plaintiff measures the extent of the subrogated party's right.”) (internal

citations omitted); Mendez v. Allstate Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co.,        231 8.W.3d 581,      585 (Tex. App

2007) (“An insurer’s right to subrogation originates from an insured's cause of action against a

third party.”); Nat'l Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh,    Pa. v. Silberman,    
628 N.Y.S.2d 126, 127

(N.Y. App. Div. 1995) (“[T]he doctrine of subrogation is derivative in nature. Thus, if the insured

has no right of action to transfer to the carrier, then the carrier cannot be subrogated to the insured's

right[.]””) (internal citations omitted); Universal Underwriters Ins. Co. v. A. Richard Kacin,         Inc.,

916 A.2d 686, 693-94
 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2007) (“[S] subrogation is a contingent and derivative right

and a subrogee stands in the shoes of the subrogor and “‘can only recover damages when his

subrogor has a legally cognizable cause of action against a third party.””’) (internal citations

omitted); Benevenga v. Digregorio,       
737 A.2d 696, 699
 (N.J.    Super.   Ct. App.   Div.   1999)   (‘The

right to subrogation is a derivative one and inures “only the rights of the insured against the

tortfeasor subject to defenses of the wrongdoer against the insured.”’) (internal citations omitted)

414        Accordingly, the majority rule factor weighs in favor of recognizing subrogation and its

purely derivative nature


      C.   The soundest rule for the Virgin Islands
Dorchester Ins. Co. et al. v. Odiott
Case No: ST-2025-CV-0015!
Memorandum Opinion
Page 10 of 13

415        Prior Virgin Islands courts, and based on the Court’s research, virtually every other

jurisdiction recognizes subrogation and its purely derivative nature.             Given that subrogation in

essence means that one person is allowed to stand in the shoes of another and assert that person's

rights against a third party it is tautological that subrogation is purely derivative. The Court has

found no reason as to why subrogation and its purely derivative operation should not be adopted

in the Virgin Islands


{16        Therefore, the Court finds that subrogation and its purely derivative operation is the

soundest rule of the Virgin Islands, and the Court will adopt the principle of subrogation and its

purely derivative operation


      2.   Applicable Statute of limitations


417        The   Court     will   assess   each   Count   for   violation   of   the   applicable   statute   of

limitations.     Statutes of limitation are governed by 5 V.I.C. § 31, which states in pertinent part that,

“ajn action for           any injury to the person or rights of another not arising on contract and not

herein especially enumerated”          garners a two (2)-year statute of limitations. 5 V.I.C. § 31(a)(S)(A)

Typically, the statute of limitations on any cause of action “begins to run when the conduct that

gives rise to the claim occurs.” Finley v. Gov't of Virgin Islands, 2019 VI SUPER 78U, q 7 (citing

Burton vy, First Bank of Puerto Rico, 49 V.1. 16, 20 (V.L. Super. Ct. 2007))

418        Defendant argues that this action arises out of a tortious injury and therefore the general

two-year statute of limitations should apply. Plaintiffs, in reply, argue, that the contractual right of

subrogation between themselves (the subrogee) and their insured (the subrogor), should also create

a contractual relationship between Plaintiffs and Defendant which would allow their claim to arise

out of contract and extend the statute of limitations to six years pursuant to 5 V.I.C. § 31(a)(3)(A)
Dorchester Ins. Co. et al. y. Odiott
Case No: ST-2025-CV-00151
Memorandum Opinion
Page 11 of 13

419      Given the Court’s above Banks analysis, the Court finds Defendant’s argument is more

persuasive.    Further, in the interest of thoroughness the Court will detail a couple of cases that

mirror the case before the Court

q20      In Lincoln Nat. Health & Cas. Ins. Co. v. Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Am.,                    Inc., the District

Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District, explained that insurer subrogation rights against third

party tortfeasors are grounded in tort rather than contract law. 
666 So. 2d 159, 162
 (Fla. Dist. Ct

App.   1995). Lincoln National Health stemmed from a car accident in which the insured Skowronek

received over $500,000 in medical benefits from the insurer Lincoln and later settled his personal

injury claim     for about $2 million with the third-party tortfeasor.               Jd. at 160.      The settlement

attempted     to prevent     Lincoln      from   recovering those payments,        prompting       Lincoln    to file a

subrogation claim against the alleged tortfeasors. /d. at 160-61.             The central issue was which state’s

law governed that claim:           defendants argued for Connecticut law under contract choice-of-law

principles,   while Lincoln argued for Florida law under tort principles.              /d, at 161.    The trial court

applied contract principles and ruled against Lincoln which led to the appeal. /d

G21      The appellate court in Lincoln National Health reiterated the basic principle that the insurer

as the subrogee stands in the shoes of its insured.              /d. (internal citations omitted).           The court

explained that the insurer’s rights are dependent on the insured’s             rights in tort against a third-party

tortfeasor. /d. (internal citations omitted). The court pointed out that there was no contract between

the third-party tortfeasor and the insurance company for medical benefits paid to the insured. /d.

Moreover, the court pointed out that the action was a “creature of equity that does not depend on

contract, but which follows as a legal consequence of the acts and relationships of the parties.” /d.

(internal citations omitted). Accordingly, the court reversed the trial court’s application of contract

law principles     and     found   that    “[g]iven   that Lincoln   stands     in Skowronek's       shoes    and that
Dorchester Ins. Co. et al. v. Odiott
Case No: ST-2025-CV-00151
Memorandum Opinion
Page 12 of 13

Skowronek's underlying claim sounds in tort, tort choice of law principles apply.” /d. at 162

(internal citations omitted);          see Safeco Ins. Co. v. Jelen,   
886 N.E.2d 555, 560
 (Ill. App. Ct. 2008)

(finding that subrogation does not create a dispute over an insurance contract but instead allows

an insurer to pursue claims against third parties for tortious conduct due to the fact that the insurer

stands in the insured’s shoes to enforce the insured’s rights); State Farm Fire & Cas. Co. v. Pac

Rent-All, Inc.,    
978 P.2d 753
,        767 n.9 (Haw.     1999) (noting that because the insurer stands in the

shoes of the insured through subrogation, the statute of limitations for a subrogation claim based

on an underlying tort action is the same as the tort statute of limitations that applies to the injured

party); Nationwide Mut.         Ins.     Co.   v. Schwartz,   
660 N.Y.S.2d 623, 624
 (N.Y App.   Term   1997)

(finding that “plaintiffs subrogation rights are subject to the same three-year tort Statute of

Limitations, measured from the date of the accident, as though the cause of action had been brought

by its insured[,]’’)

22       The concept of subrogation is axiomatic, the governing principles flow from logic and are

well-established.      Here, as recognized in Lincoln National Health, an insurer’s subrogation rights

against a third-party tortfeasor are grounded in tort law because the insurer merely steps into the

shoes of its insured and asserts the same claim the insured could have brought. Here, there is no

contract between the insurer or the insured and the tortfeasor, and the action arises entirely from

the tortious conduct that caused harm to the insured. Courts in numerous other jurisdictions have

noted that subrogation does not create a new contractual obligation in regard to the underlying

conduct but instead allows the insurer to enforce the insured’s tort rights against the wrongdoer,

 423      Plaintiffs argue that dismissing their claim would result in unjust enrichment.             However,

the right of subrogation is not absolute, and equitable principles dictate that a subrogee exercise
Dorchester Ins. Co. et al. v. Odiott
Case No: ST-2025-CV-00151
Memorandum Opinion
Page 13 of 13

reasonable      diligence    to protect       its subrogation   rights and    an insurer’s   failure    to assert   its

subrogation rights will result in relinquishment. See State Farm Fire, 
978 P.2d at 771

424      Accordingly, it follows axiomatically and consistent with the above Banks analysis that the

negligence claim here retains its grounding in tort. Therefore, because the underlying action sounds

in tort, the applicable statute of limitations is two (2) years rather than six (6) years and as a result,

Plaintiffs’ claim is time-barred, and dismissal under Rule 12(c) is appropriate

                                                    CONCLUSION

q25      For the foregoing reasons, the Court concludes that Plaintiffs have failed to state a claim

upon which relief can be granted because the negligence claim is barred by the applicable two

year statute of limitations and must be dismissed pursuant to Rule 12(c). Also pending before the

Court is Defendant’s Motion to Stay Discovery Pending Ruling on the Motion to Dismiss and

Plaintiffs’ Opposition thereto. In light of the Court’s ruling on the Motion to Dismiss, the Motion

to Stay is rendered moot. Finally, because the Court’s dismissal is dispositive, Defendant’s Motion

for Summary Judgment need not be reached

426      ~=©An order consistent herewith will immediately follow



DATED: July £7, 2026                                                    \e-Zacha,.
                                                                         HON.     PEDRO      K. WILLIAMS
                                                                             Judge of the Superior Court
ATTEST                                                                          of the Virgin Islands
TAMARA          CHARLES
Clerk of the Court


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