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Civil Procedure Keyed to Babcock
Piper Aircraft Co. v. Reyno
Citation:
454 U.S. 235 (1981)ProfessorTodd Berman
CaseCast™ – "What you need to know"
Facts
A commercial aircraft crashed in Scotland killing the six people, all Scottish citizens and residents. Plaintiff Reyno, the administrix of the estates of the decedents brought suit in California state court against Defendants Piper and Hartzell alleging negligence and strict liability, admitting that this forum had more favorable laws. Defendants removed the case to federal court and then sought transfer to the Middle District of Pennsylvania, which the California district court granted. Once in Pennsylvania, Defendants sought to dismiss the case based on forum non conveniens. The Pennsylvania district court granted the motion, citing the discretion that courts have to dismiss the case if a different forum that has jurisdiction and if defending in the forum would be burdensome to the defendant. The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reversed, holding that forum non conveniens was inappropriate if the law of the alternate forum was less favorable to the plaintiff. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.
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