Vicknair v. Phelps Dodge Industries, Inc.
Theresa Zefiretto, as personal representative
for the Estate of Liborio Zefiretto;
Robert Ulshafer; John Sehr; Ray Brunet,
individually, and as personal representative
for the Estate of Eugene P. Brunet, deceased;
Violet Cooper, individually, and as personal
representative for the Estate of William H.
Cooper, deceased; Janice Hilborn, individually,
and as personal representative for the Estate
of August Freeman, deceased; Mildred Pastva,
individually, and as personal representative
for the Estate of John G. Pastva, deceased;
Cheryl Pernell, individually, and as personal
representative for the Estate of Eddie
Pernell, Sr., deceased; Lisa Sangerman,
individually, and as personal representative
for the Estate of Richard A. Christofretti,
deceased; Margaret Swygert, individually,
and as personal representative for the Estate
of Cromwell Swygert, deceased; Ruby Todd,
individually, and as personal representative
for the Estate of David D. Todd, deceased;
Rona Pourier, individually, and as personal
representative for the Estate of Hobert
Ecoffey, deceased; and Patrick Blando,
individually, and as personal representative
for the Estate of Wendell Blando, deceased; Plaintiffs and Appellants,
v.
Phelps Dodge Industries, Inc.; A.H. Bennett
Company; A.W. Kuettel & Sons, Inc.; Border
States Industries, Inc.; Columbia Boiler Co.;
Crane Co,; Dossert Corporation; DuctSox Corporation
f/k/a Frommelt Safety Products; Superior Essex Group
(individually and as successor-in-interest to Essex
International, Inc.); Excelsior, Inc.; Foster
Wheeler, LLC; Greene, Tweed & Company;
Houston Specialty Wire & Cable Corp.; Oakfabco
f/k/a Kewanee Boiler Corporation; Rockbestos-Surprenant
Cable Corp. (f/k/a The Rockbestos Company); Riley
Stoker Corporation; Robertson Ceco Corporation, f/k/a
H. H. Roberson Company; Sprinkman Sons Corporation;
Weil McLain Company; Zurn Industries, Inc.; American
Standard, Inc.; The Trane Company (a division of
American Standard Inc.); United Conveyor
Corporation; S.O.S. Products Company, Inc.;
Foseco, Inc.; Fuel Economy Engineering, Co.;
J.H. France Refractories Company; Smith-Sharpe Company;
Burnham LLC, f/k/a Burnham Corporation;
Bryan Steam Corporation; Certain-Teed Corporation;
Foster Products Corporation (as successor-in-interest
to Foster Products Division of H.P. Fuller
Company and to the Benjamin Foster Division
of AmChem Products, Inc.); Graybar Electric;
H.P. Fuller Company; Henry Vogt Machine Company;
Hobart Brothers Co.; Inductotherm Industries, Inc.;
The Jamar Company (individually and as
sucessor-in-interest and liability to the
Walker-Jamar Company); Kelsey-Hayes
Group (a division of Varity Corporation); Linde,
Inc., f/k/a BOC Group and/or Airco, Inc.;
Lincoln Electric Co.; Praxair Distribution,
Inc.; RCH Newco II; Rhone-Poulenc, Inc. (as
successor-in-interest to Benjamin Foster,
a division of AmChem Products Company);
Union Carbide Corporation; Uniroyal, Inc.;
and The Jamar Co., individually and as
successor-in-interest to Walker Jamar Company, Defendants and Appellees
and
999 Quebec, Inc. (a/k/a International Boiler Works
Company); ACandS, Inc. (individually and as
successor-in-interest to Armstrong Contracting &
Supply, Inc. and Keasby & Mattison Company); A.L.
Crump and Company, Inc.; A.P.I., Inc. (a/k/a A.P.I.
Company of Minnesota); A.W. Chesterton Company;
Anchor Packing Company; Apollo Piping &
Supply; Asbestos Corporation, Ltd.; Atlas Turner, Inc.;
Australian Blue Asbestos, Pty.; Bell & Gosset; Bell
Asbestos Mines, Ltd.; Building Sprinkler Company,
Inc.; CBS Corporation (f/k/a Westinghouse
Electric Corporation); Chromalox (a division of
Emerson Electric Company);Cleaver-Brooks, Division
of Aqua-Chem, Inc.; Combustion Engineering, Inc.
(successor-in-interest to M.H. Detrick Company,
Walsh Refractory Corporation and Refractory and
Insulation Corporation); Crown Cork & Seal Company,
Inc. (successor-in-interest to Mundet Cork Corporation);
CSR, Ltd. (a/k/a Colonial Sugar Refining Company, Ltd.)
individually and as an alter-ego of Australian Blue
Asbestos, Pty.; Dakota Welding Supply; Deltak, L.L.C.
(a Unit of Jason Inc.); Detroit Stoker; Draxton Sales;
Dresser Industries, Inc.; Durabla Manufacturing Company;
E.J. Lavino and Company, Inc.; Electric Supply Corp.;
Emerson Electric Co.; Ericsson, Inc. (f/k/a Cablec Corp.)
(as successor-in-interest to Anaconda Wire & Cable
Company); F.R.P. Products, Ltd.; F & C Supply, Inc.;
Fargo-Moorhead Insulation Company; Firebrick
Supply Co.; Fisher Governor Co.; Flintkote Company
(individually and as successor-in-interest to
Flintkote Mines, Ltd.); Flintkote Mines, Ltd.; Garlock, Inc.;
General Electric Company; George T. Walker & Co., Inc.;
Georgia-Pacific Corp.; Hercules Chemical Company,
Inc.; Hickory Insulation Co.; Honeywell, Inc.; Hopeman
Brothers, Inc.; Illinois Insulation Contracting
Company, Inc. (f/k/a Illinois Roofing & Insulation
Company); Ingersoll-Rand Company; Insulation Services,
Inc.; International Vermiculite Co.; Jerguson Gage & Valve;
John Crane, Inc. (successor-in-interest to John
Crane-Houdaille, Inc. and Crane Packing Company);
Johnston Boiler Co.; Lac d'Amiante du Quebec, Ltee.
(f/k/a Lake Asbestos of Quebec); Lochinvar; M.W.
Kellogg Company; MacArthur Company; Mandan
Electric Supply; Marmon Corporation; McMaster
Carr Supply Company; McNeil Refactories, Inc.;
Mellema Company; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company;
Mine Safety Appliance Company; Minnesota Mining &
Manufacturing; Northern Plumbing Supply, Inc.;
The Okonite Company, Inc.; Owens-Illinois, Inc.;
Parker Boiler Co.; Paul A. Douden; Pfizer, Inc.; Pipe,
Valve & Fittings Company; Power Process Equipment, Inc.;
Quigley Co., Inc.; Quin-T Corporation; Rapid-American
Corporation; Research Cottrell, Inc.;
Rockwell International Corporation; Rome Cable
Corp.(a subsidiary of Rome Group Inc.); Roughrider Supply;
Ryall Electric Supply Co.; Samuel Moore & Co.; SEPCO
Corporation; Stemmerich Supply Co.; Superior Boiler Works, Inc.;
Sussman Electric Boilers; Thermo Electric Co.; U.S. Filter Co.;
Union Boiler Co.; and Victor H. Leeby Company, Defendants
Judge Robert O. Wefald
| Appellant: | David C. Thompson, P.C. | |
| Appellant: | Boechler Law Firm | |
| Appellee: | Lawyer not licensed in N.D. | |
| Appellee: | Serkland Law Firm | |
| Appellee: | Pearce & Durick | |
| Appellee: | Lawyer not licensed in N.D. | |
| Appellee: | Storslee Law Firm, P.C. | |
| Appellee: | Kyle Brown Mansfield | |
| Appellee: | David Thomas Schach | |
| Appellee: | Vogel Law Firm | |
| Appellee: | Lawyer not licensed in N.D. | |
| Appellee: | Zuger Kirmis & Smith | |
| Appellee: | Nicholas John O'Connell | |
| Appellee: | Oppegard, Wolf & Quinton | |
| Appellee: | Richard John Leighton | |
| Appellee: | Thomas Dice Jensen | |
| Appellee: | Kent Benedict Gravelle | |
| Appellee: | Solberg Stewart Miller | |
| Appellee: | John Christopher Hughes |
Listen to recording of oral argument
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A.The District Court committed error by dismissing the plaintiffs'/appellants' claims, while completely disregarding the essential threshold requirement that the doctrine of forum non conveniens may only be applied in those instances in which "an alternative forum" actually does exist.
B.The District Court committed error by failing to even consider the established doctrine of forum non conveniens which presupposes that the putative alternative forum is available, where "all defendants" may be joined in that alternative forum.
C.The District Court committed error by its failure to find that the defendants' motions for dismissal on purported forum non conveniens grounds were untimely - because they were not filed by the defendants until three (3) to five (5) years after the commencement of the plaintiffs' asbestos-related product liability actions.
D.The District Court committed error by its failure to recognize that where North Dakota corporations remained in the instant cases as co-defendants of the above-referenced several moving defendants, application of the "venue-giving" defendant principle, whereby "once venue is proper for one defendant, it is proper for all other defendants subject to process", served to bar dismissal of this action on forum non conveniens grounds.
E.The Privileges and Immunities Clause of the United States Constitution (Article IV, Section 2, Paragraph 1) prevents application of the doctrine of forum non-conveniens in favor of the moving defendants or any other defendant in the above-captioned case, and this federal constitutional provision thus requires denial of these defendants' motions for dismissal on forum non conveniens grounds.
Appellee's Statement of the Issues:
1. Whether the plaintiffs' missing the limitation periods of the appropriate forums saves their claims from forum non conveniens dismissal.
A. Whether an adequate alternative forum is a requirement of North Dakota forum non conveniens analysis, or simply a factor to be considered.
B. Whether a plaintiff's missing the limitation period in the appropriate forum before suing here makes that forum inadequate.
C. Whether a plaintiff's missing the limitation period in the appropriate forum after suing here makes that forum inadequate.
2. Whether a forum non conveniens dismissal requires that the alternative forums have personal jurisdiction over the defendants when the plaintiffs cannot sue there anyway because they missed the limitation periods.
3. Whether the district court judge properly exercised his discretion in granting forum non conveniens motions made before trial in this complex litigation.
4. Whether the plaintiffs' suing North Dakota companies precludes forum non conveniens analysis.
5. Whether forum non conveniens violates the privileges and immunities clause of the federal constitution when it applies to both North Dakota citizens and non-citizens alike.
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