Hatton v. Chrysler Canada, Inc.

937 F. Supp. 2d 1356, 2013 WL 1296081, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 46895
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedMarch 30, 2013
DocketCase No. 2:12-cv-186-FtM-29SPC
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 937 F. Supp. 2d 1356 (Hatton v. Chrysler Canada, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hatton v. Chrysler Canada, Inc., 937 F. Supp. 2d 1356, 2013 WL 1296081, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 46895 (M.D. Fla. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

JOHN E. STEELE, District Judge.

This matter comes before the Court on Chrysler Canada, Inc.’s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs Second Amended Complaint for Lack of Personal Jurisdiction and as Fall[1360]*1360íng Outside the Statute of Limitations and Incorporated Memorandum of Law (Doc. # 40) filed on August 22, 2012. Plaintiffs filed a response on September 5, 2012. (Doc. #45.) With leave of Court (Doc. # 54), defendant filed a response in support of its motion (Doc. # 55) to which plaintiffs filed a sur-reply (Doc. # 56). For the reasons set forth below, the motion is denied.

I.

The Second Amended Complaint alleges that on or about January 2, 2009, Christopher Sheldon was driving a 1999 Chrysler 300 M in which plaintiff Carolina Hatton was a restrained rear seat passenger. The vehicle was involved in an accident on Interstate 75 in Lee County, Florida. At the time of the impact, several components of the 1999 Chrysler M failed, causing severe injury to Carolina Hatton. As a result, Carolina Hatton and her minor son, C.H., initiated this action against Chrysler Canada, Inc. asserting causes of action for negligence (Count I) and strict products liability (Count II). Chrysler Canada, Inc. is alleged to have manufactured the Chrysler 300 M vehicle.

This matter was removed from state court on the basis of diversity jurisdiction. In its motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction, defendant asserts that the Florida Long-Arm Statute does not apply to this case and that exercising personal jurisdiction does not comport with Constitutional Due Process. In the alternative, defendant asserts that the plaintiffs’ claims are barred by the applicable statute of limitations. Plaintiffs argue to the contrary.

II.

“Jurisdiction to resolve cases on the merits requires both authority over the category of claim in suit (subject-matter jurisdiction) and authority over the parties (personal jurisdiction), so that the court’s decision will bind them” Ruhrgas AG v. Marathon Oil Co., 526 U.S. 574, 577, 119 S.Ct. 1563, 143 L.Ed.2d 760 (1999); see also Sinochem Int’l Co. Ltd. v. Malay. Int’l Shipping Corp., 549 U.S. 422, 430-31, 127 S.Ct. 1184, 167 L.Ed.2d 15 (2007). The Court previously found that it has subject matter jurisdiction based upon complete diversity of citizenship. (Doc. #59.)

Personal jurisdiction is a restriction on judicial power as a matter of individual liberty, and “a party may insist that the limitation be observed, or he may forgo that right, effectively consenting to the court’s exercise of adjudicatory authority.” Ruhrgas AG, 526 U.S. at 584, 119 S.Ct. 1563. Unless waived or forfeited1, personal jurisdiction is “an essential element of the jurisdiction of a district court, without which the court is powerless to proceed to an adjudication.” Id. at 584, 119 S.Ct. 1563 (citation and internal quotation marks omitted).

The existence of personal jurisdiction is a question of law. Diamond Crystal Brands, Inc. v. Food Movers Int’l, Inc., 593 F.3d 1249, 1257 (11th Cir.2010); Oldfield v. Pueblo De Bahia Lora, S.A., 558 F.3d 1210, 1217 (11th Cir.2009). “A federal district court in Florida may exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant to the same extent that a Florida court may, so long as the exercise is consistent with federal due process re[1361]*1361quirements.” Licciardello v. Lovelady, 544 F.3d 1280, 1283 (11th Cir.2008).

Plaintiff “bears the initial burden of alleging in the complaint sufficient facts to make out a prima facie case of jurisdiction.” United Techs. Corp. v. Mazer, 556 F.3d 1260, 1274 (11th Cir.2009). A prima facie case is established if plaintiff alleges enough facts to withstand a motion for directed verdict or judgment as a matter of law. PVC Windoors, Inc. v. Babbitbay Beach Constr., N.V., 598 F.3d 802, 810 (11th Cir.2010); SEC v. Carrillo, 115 F.3d 1540, 1542 (11th Cir.1997). If defendant challenges jurisdiction by submitting affidavit evidence making a specific factual denial based on personal knowledge, the burden shifts back to the plaintiff to produce evidence supporting jurisdiction. Mazer, 556 F.3d at 1274. Plaintiff bears the ultimate burden of establishing that personal jurisdiction is present. Oldfield, 558 F.3d at 1217. “Where the plaintiffs complaint and supporting evidence conflict with the defendant’s affidavits, the court must construe all reasonable inferences in favor of the plaintiff.” Meier v. Sun Int’l Hotels, Ltd., 288 F.3d 1264, 1269 (11th Cir.2002). “If such inferences are sufficient to defeat a motion for judgment as a matter of law, the court must rule for the plaintiff, finding that jurisdiction exists.” PVC Windoors, 598 F.3d at 810.

“A federal court sitting in diversity undertakes a two-step inquiry in determining whether personal jurisdiction exists: the exercise of jurisdiction must (1) be appropriate under the state long-arm statute and (2) not violate the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. When a federal court uses a state long-arm statute, because the extent of the statute is governed by state law, the federal court is required to construe it as would the state’s supreme court.” Diamond Crystal Brands, 593 F.3d at 1257-58 (internal citations and quotation marks omitted). The Court must determine the first step before proceeding to the second. PVC Windoors, 598 F.3d at 807-08.

The reach of the Florida long arm statute is a question of Florida law. Mazer, 556 F.3d at 1274. “A Florida court conducts a two-step inquiry when determining' whether jurisdiction under Florida’s long-arm statute is proper in a given case. Initially, it must determine whether the complaint alleges jurisdictional facts sufficient to invoke the statute. If so, the court must then examine whether the defendant has sufficient ‘minimum contacts’ with Florida in order to satisfy due process requirements.” Canale v. Rubin, 20 So.3d 463, 465 (Fla. 2d DCA 2009) (citing Execu-Tech Bus. Sys., Inc. v. New Oji Paper Co., 752 So.2d 582, 584 (Fla.2000)). The due process analysis itself involves a two-part inquiry in which the Court first considers' whether defendant engaged in minimum contacts with the state of Florida, then considers whether the exercise of personal jurisdiction over defendant would offend traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice. Madara v. Hall, 916 F.2d 1510, 1515-16 (11th Cir.1990).

III.

A. Florida Long Arm Statute

(1) General Jurisdiction

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
937 F. Supp. 2d 1356, 2013 WL 1296081, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 46895, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hatton-v-chrysler-canada-inc-flmd-2013.