National Union Fire Insurance of Pittsburgh, PA. v. Aerohawk Aviation, Inc.

259 F. Supp. 2d 1096, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7561, 2003 WL 1989585
CourtDistrict Court, D. Idaho
DecidedApril 18, 2003
DocketCIV. 02-0520-E-BLW
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 259 F. Supp. 2d 1096 (National Union Fire Insurance of Pittsburgh, PA. v. Aerohawk Aviation, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Idaho primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
National Union Fire Insurance of Pittsburgh, PA. v. Aerohawk Aviation, Inc., 259 F. Supp. 2d 1096, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7561, 2003 WL 1989585 (D. Idaho 2003).

Opinion

ORDER

EDWARD C. REED, Jr., District Judge, Sitting by Designation.

Before the Court are two motions. Defendant Aerospace Control Products, Inc., (“ACP”) has moved the Court (# 8/9) under Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(g) for a more definite statement under Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(e) or in the alternative, to dismiss plaintiff National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, PA’s (“National Union”) complaint for lack of personal jurisdiction under Fed. R.Civ.P. 12(b)(2). National Union opposed the motion and additionally moved the Court (# 10/11) for a stay on its decision on ACP’s motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(2) for lack of personal jurisdiction. ACP did not file an opposition to National Union’s motion for stay.

In ACP’s reply (# 19) in support of its motion to dismiss under Rule 12(g), it conceded that the Rule 12(e) was moot because National Union provided the information sought in its opposition. ACP subsequently filed a brief (#20) in support of its Rule 12(b)(2) motion. National Union filed a response (# 25) to that brief and ACP replied (# 37).

Background

This action arises out of the crash of a Cessna 425 aircraft that occurred on November 10, 2000 near Idaho Falls, Idaho. The pilot and one passenger were killed in the crash and the aircraft was destroyed. The owner of the Cessna, Fred Hibberd, had obtained insurance coverage of $1,003,500.00 from National Union. National Union paid Hibberd the policy proceeds and brought this action.

According to the complaint, the crash occurred during a maintenance test flight, which was being conducted to determine whether the aircraft’s autofeathering system was operating properly. National Union brought claims of strict liability and negligence against ACP, among others, alleging that ACP’s switches were defectively manufactured and were the cause of the accident.

ACP manufactures autofeathering pressure switches and distributes them exclusively to the Cessna Aircraft Corporation *1100 (“Cessna”), which is headquartered in Kansas. ACP’s principal place of business in Iowa. ACP asserts it has no business contacts with the state of Idaho. National Union believes that ACP holds itself out as a leading manufacturer and supplier of “flow calibration systems,” and that its products are distributed worldwide.

ACP challenges personal jurisdiction, asserting, among other things, that it did not do anything tortious and that it lacks sufficient contacts with the state of Idaho such that the exercise of jurisdiction over it would be unreasonable. National Union counters that jurisdiction is appropriate based on the allegations contained in its complaint. Should the court disagree, however, National Union moves for a stay of our decision while the parties conduct discovery on the matter of jurisdiction.

For the reasons set forth below, we deny ACP’s motion for a more definite statement as moot and grant National Union’s motion for stay of our decision on ACP’s motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction.

Analysis

I. Motion for More Definite Statement

ACP moved for a more definite statement on the basis that the jurisdictional allegations were too vague and ambiguous for ACP to be able to prepare an adequate response. Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(e). National Union premised jurisdiction in the complaint on Idaho Code § 5-514, which provides six ways to invoke personal jurisdiction. Because National Union did not allege under which subsection it sought to assert jurisdiction over ACP, ACP argues it was not able to determine how to properly prepare its challenge to jurisdiction.

In its response to ACP’s motion, National Union states that of the six subsections, only two could plausibly be read to apply to this lawsuit: subsection (a), which involves transacting business in the state; or subsection (b), which covers tortious acts occurring in the state. National Union asserts that the tortious act provision applies here.

Because even National Union concedes that either of these two bases could apply, however, we find that ACP’s motion was not frivolous. In fact, National Union specified subsection (a) as the jurisdictional basis for a companion case involving the same parties and the same causes of action in Idaho state court. It is more than plausible that ACP would be unclear as to which of these two provisions, subsection (a) or (b), were at issue here. ACP would have suffered prejudice had it been required to defend jurisdiction on grounds that were not applicable since it would have to gather separate evidence to support each defense.

Notwithstanding that either subsection (a) or (b) could apply, ACP read National Union’s response as asserting that the basis for jurisdiction over ACP is under subsection (b), for tortious acts committed in Idaho. We agree that National Union has committed itself to premising jurisdiction on the tortious act subsection of Idaho Code § 5-514.

In its reply, ACP stated that because it now has a more definite statement on the basis of jurisdiction, its Rule 12(e) motion requesting the same is moot. We decline ACP’s invitation to compel National Union to amend its complaint to reflect the more specific jurisdictional basis. As the parties now are clear that jurisdiction under subsection (b) is being asserted, it would be a mere exercise to force National Union to amend its complaint. Accordingly, we deny ACP’s Rule 12(e) motion as moot.

II. Propriety of ACP’s Rule 12(g) Motion

Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(g) requires a party moving to dismiss under Rule 12 to join all *1101 of its Rule 12 challenges and objections together. Defenses not included in the consolidated motion are deemed waived. Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(g). National Union argues that ACP did not preserve its right to assert a challenge to personal jurisdiction under Rule 12(b)(2) because its Rule 12(g) motion did not contain ACP’s entire argument on the issue. We disagree.

Although ACP did not include its full argument supporting its challenge to personal jurisdiction in its Rule 12(g) motion, it preserved its rights to raise the defense by including the objection in that motion. ACP moved for a more definite statement to obtain sufficient direction to prepare its motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction. As stated above, we do not find that ACP’s motion was frivolous. Instead, it was appropriate to seek a specific allegation of jurisdiction prior to preparing its Rule 12(b)(2) motion.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
259 F. Supp. 2d 1096, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7561, 2003 WL 1989585, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-union-fire-insurance-of-pittsburgh-pa-v-aerohawk-aviation-inc-idd-2003.