Wayne E. Matteson v. The Travelers Insurance Company

BREYER, Circuit Judge.

Francis Condon negligently crashed his small airplane into a tractor driven by Wayne Matteson, the appellant. Matteson, who was injured, received about $70,000 in workmen’s compensation from Travelers, his employer’s insurance carrier. Matteson also sued Condon, eventually settling the case for about $30,000. Matteson and Travelers disagreed about which of them was entitled to the $30,000 — which is now in escrow. Matteson, invoking the federal court’s diversity jurisdiction, sought a declaratory judgment that the money was his. The district court, however, entered…