Massachusetts Federal Court Holds No Personal Jurisdiction Over Foreign Manufacturer Which, Although It Used A Nationwide United States Distributor, Did Not Specifically Target Massachusetts For Sales -

In Preferred Mut. Ins. Co. v. Stadler Form Aktiengesellschaft, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 55475 (Mar. 30, 2018), a homeowners’ insurer as subrogee sued the retailer, U.S. distributor and Swiss manufacturer of an air purifier that allegedly caused a fire in the insured’s Massachusetts home in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, alleging negligence and breach of warranty. The Maine-based retailer and Ohio-based distributor in turn filed cross-claims against the manufacturer, which moved to dismiss all claims, arguing the court lacked personal jurisdiction.