Fields v. Norfolk & Southern Railway Co.

924 F. Supp. 2d 702, 2012 WL 6554103, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 177211
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. West Virginia
DecidedDecember 14, 2012
DocketCivil Action No. 3:12-4046
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 924 F. Supp. 2d 702 (Fields v. Norfolk & Southern Railway Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. West Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fields v. Norfolk & Southern Railway Co., 924 F. Supp. 2d 702, 2012 WL 6554103, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 177211 (S.D.W. Va. 2012).

Opinion

[705]*705MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

ROBERT C. CHAMBERS, District Judge.

Pending is Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ claims pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12. ECF No. 4. Defendant argues that Plaintiffs’ claims must be dismissed on several grounds, including lack of personal jurisdiction, improper venue, insufficient process, insufficient service of process, and failure to state a claim. For the reasons stated below, Defendant’s motion is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART. Additionally, Plaintiffs’ Motion to Amend (ECF No. 7 at 3) is GRANTED.

I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

This case arises from a December 2008 automobile collision in Wayne, West Virginia. Plaintiffs allege that on December 2, 2008, an automobile driven by Plaintiffs’ mother, Samantha Fields, collided with a train owned and operated by Defendant. Compl. ¶ 4. Samantha Fields was killed in the collision. Plaintiff Abbie Lynn Fields, a minor at the time, was a passenger in the vehicle and suffered injuries. Id. Zachary Lyle Fields was not involved in the collision.

On March 1, 2012, Plaintiffs filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of Wayne County, West Virginia, identifying “Norfolk and Southern Railway Company d.b.a. Norfolk and Southern Corporation” as the defendant. Plaintiff Abbie Fields asserts a negligence claim for personal injuries and loss of parental consortium. Id. ¶ 7. Zachary Fields, through his guardian and next friend Ronnie Fields, asserts a negligence claim for loss of parental consortium. Id. ¶ 8. Defendant removed the case to this Court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1441, invoking the Court’s diversity jurisdiction. Notice of Removal, ECF No. 1. Plaintiffs did not contest removal.

Defendant now moves to dismiss Plaintiffs’ claims pursuant to Rule 12 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. ECF No. 4. Defendant argues that dismissal is appropriate because of lack of personal jurisdiction, improper venue, insufficient process, insufficient service of process, and failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The motion has been fully briefed and is now ripe for disposition. Accordingly, the Court turns to the parties’ arguments and applicable legal standards.

II. ANALYSIS

A. Personal Jurisdiction and Improper Venue

First, Defendant argues that Plaintiffs’ complaint should be dismissed pursuant to Rules 12(b)(2), for lack of personal jurisdiction, and 12(b)(3), for improper venue, because the Court lacks personal jurisdiction over Defendant. Defendant contends that the named entities in the caption of this case — “Norfolk and Southern Railway Company” and “Norfolk and Southern Corporation” — do not exist. As Defendant interpreted the Complaint, it appears that Plaintiffs intended to name “Norfolk Southern Railway Company” as Defendant. See Notice of Removal, ECF No. 1 at 1 n. 1 (“Plaintiffs wrongfully listed the name of Defendant Norfolk Southern Railway Company as ‘Norfolk and Southern Railway Company d.b.a. Norfolk and Southern Corporation.’ ”). The complaint was served by personal delivery upon registered agent Roger Petersen on July 16, 2012. See Summons, ECF No. 5-1 at 5. Defendant was also served via certified mail from the West Virginia Secretary of State, which service was received on July 11, 2012. ECF No. 5-1 at 2-3. Defendant does not contest that it received service (though it contends service of process was late), and subsequently filed this motion to [706]*706dismiss. Regardless of Plaintiffs’ error in identifying Defendant in the Complaint, Defendant claims that this Court lacks personal jurisdiction over it and thus the ease was brought in an improper venue.

This Court has personal jurisdiction over Defendant if: (1) Defendant falls within the terms of an applicable long-arm statute; and (2) the exercise of personal jurisdiction would be consistent with the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. See Consulting Engineers Corp. v. Geometric Ltd., 561 F.3d 273, 277 (4th Cir.2009); Mitrano v. Hawes, 377 F.3d 402, 407 (4th Cir.2004); English & Smith v. Metzger, 901 F.2d 36, 38 (4th Cir.1990). Because West Virginia’s long-arm statute is co-extensive with the constitutional reach, the two factors merge into a single inquiry — whether exercising personal jurisdiction over Defendant is consistent with the Due Process Clause. In re Celotex Corp., 124 F.3d 619, 627-28 (4th Cir.1997).

The exercise of personal jurisdiction does not offend the Due Process Clause if Defendant has sufficient “minimum contacts” with the forum such that requiring Defendant to defend its interests there does not “offend traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice.” Id. (quoting International Shoe Co. v. Washington, 326 U.S. 310, 316, 66 S.Ct. 154, 90 L.Ed. 95 (1945) (citation omitted)). Defendant’s contacts with the forum must have been purposeful; that is, Defendant must have purposely availed itself of the privilege of conducting activities within the selected forum. Id. (quoting Burger King Corp. v. Rudzewicz, 471 U.S. 462, 474, 105 S.Ct. 2174, 85 L.Ed.2d 528 (1985)). Even if a defendant lacks those contacts with the state which would support it being subject to general jurisdiction, a court may nonetheless exercise specific jurisdiction over a defendant if the defendant’s contacts with the forum provided the basis for the suit. See Mitrano, 377 F.3d at 406-07; Carefirst of Md., Inc. v. Carefirst Pregnancy Ctrs., Inc., 334 F.3d 390, 397 (4th Cir.2003).

Before the Court can determine if personal jurisdiction exists, it is first necessary to clarify whom Plaintiffs named as Defendant in this case. It appears to the Court that “Norfolk Southern Railway Company” was the intended defendant. Plaintiffs’ complaint alleges that “Norfolk and Southern Railway Company” is a company doing business as “Norfolk and Southern Corporation.” Plaintiffs have alleged, therefore, that Defendant is a single entity known by both names. Defendant argues that Plaintiffs actually intended to assert their claims against Norfolk Southern Corporation, which is a Virginia corporation with its principal place of business in Norfolk, Virginia, and it is not registered to do business in West Virginia. ECF No. 5 at 3.

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Bluebook (online)
924 F. Supp. 2d 702, 2012 WL 6554103, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 177211, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fields-v-norfolk-southern-railway-co-wvsd-2012.