Fuehrer v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp.
| Decision Date | 09 January 1986 |
| Docket Number | H-84-632 to H-84-635,H-84-641 to H-84-644,H-84-93,H-84-224,H-84-702 to H-84-704,H-83-1056 to H-83-1058,H-83-1008,H-84-497,H-84-707,H-84-49,H-84-706,H-84-548,H-83-1013,H-84-198,H-84-272 to H-84-274,H-84-597,H-84-496,Civ. No. H-83-1007 |
| Parties | John F. FUEHRER, et al., John Cwickla, et al., Mary Carusone, Administratrix of the Estate of Frank Carusone, and Individually as the Widow of Frank Carusone, Peter Vollero, et al., John L. Fiorello, et al., Richard Burness, et al., Salvatore Sessa, Tommaso Melaragno, Charles Lathrop, et al., Walter Beck, et al., James Cicarelli, et al., Nicholas P. Wasuck, et al., Edward J. Ryba, et al., Stanley J. Karkut, Francis Sommo, et al., Alcide Huard, et al., Bryce White, et al., James M. Brangi, Sr., et al., Robert Farace, et al., Nancy D'Amelio, Executrix of the Estate of Anthony D'Amelio, Robert M. Shepard, et al., Maurice J. Albert, et al., August Huta, et al., Robert Reardon, et al., Janet A. Scavetta, et al., June Baker Ryba, et al., Elizabeth Paul, Executrix of the Estate of John Paul and Individually, Frances Champagne, et al., Rudolph J. Diaz, et al., William Devoe, Jr., et al., Alfred A. Covensky, et al., Alan David, et al., Dominic Caputo, Frederick J. Weiss, William M. Beckwith, et al., Patricia Lucas, et al., Pasquale Menta, et al., Gerald Kelly, David Benard, Darrell Beaulieu, et al., Michael Santinelli, et al., John A. Rinaldi, et al., Michael Palermo, et al., Edward T. Kaminski, et al., Guido Bartomioli, Vincent Racalbuto, et al., William McMenamy, Jr., et al., Violet Kelly, et al., John J. Gabriel, et al., Dominic A. Platti, Gennaro Laurito, et al., Frank A. Ferraiolo, et al., Joseph Felner, et al., Salvatore Aurora, et al., Harold McDermott, et al. v. OWENS-CORNING FIBERGLAS CORPORATION, et al. William R. BURCHARD, et al., Saul Ahola, et al., Adelard J. Hebert, et al., William H. Egan, et al., Frank Stahecki, et al., Francis Allen, Sr., et al., Walter Kania, Sr., et al., Frederick J. Drobiak, et al., Francis M. Clements, et al., Raymond X. Sabourin, et al., Peter Ben, et al., George F. White, et al., Ronald J. Mathewson, et al., John Zadora, et al., Arthur J. Niles, et al., Joseph Stahecki, et al., Robert L. Lebeau, et al. v. SPECIAL MATERIALS, INC., et al. |
| Court | U.S. District Court — District of Connecticut |
James F. Early, Paul B. Whitman, John N. Montalbano, Sklarz & Early, New Haven, Conn., for plaintiffs.
Edward S. Pomeranz, James L. Pomeranz, Jason M. Dodge, Pomeranz, Drayton & Stabnick, Hartford, Conn., Richard S. Bartlett, McGann & Bartlett, Vernon, Conn., for intervening plaintiffs.
Frederick B. Tedford, Danaher, O'Connell, Attmore, Tedford & Flaherty, Hartford, Conn., Liaison Counsel for defendants.
Donald W. O'Brien, James M. Tanski, Lois B. Tanzer, Elizabeth Schlaff, O'Brien & Tanski, Hartford, Conn., for AC & S, Inc.
Robert L. Trowbridge, Henry Ide, Trowbridge, Ide & Greenwald, Hartford, Conn., for Ace Asbestos a/k/a/ Empire Ace Insulation Mfg. Corp.
James Ackerman, Ernest Mattei, Day, Berry & Howard, Bourke G. Spellacy, Thomas J. Shortell, Charles F. Corcoran, III, Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, Hartford, Conn., for American Asbestos Textile Corp. a/k/a Amatex.
Jacob H. Channin, Dennis C. Cavanaugh, Cohen & Channin, Hartford, Conn., for Armstrong World Industries, Armstrong Cork Co. a/k/a Armstrong Contracting & Supply Inc., a/k/a Armstrong C & S, a/k/a AC & S, a/k/a AC & S Inc., a/k/a AC and S Inc.
Joseph Adinolfi, Jr., Joseph A. O'Brien, Joseph P. Fasi, Joseph C. Morelli, James M. Tanski, Hartford, Conn., for Carey Canada.
Joseph Adinolfi, Jr., Joseph A. O'Brien, Joseph P. Fasi, Joseph C. Morelli, James M. Tanski, Hartford, Conn., and John Pearson, Bruce Bishop, Willcox, Savage, Dickson, Hollis & Eley, P.C., Norfolk, Va., for Celotex Corp.
Robert Oliver, Carolyn P. Gould, Kenneth Mulvey, New Haven, Conn., for Fibreboard Corp.
Howard B. Field, III, East Hartford, Conn., S. Robert Jelley, William J. Doyle, William H. Prout, Jr., Patrick M. Noonan, Alan G. Schwartz, Wiggin & Dana, New Haven, Conn., William J. Spriggs, Batzel, Nunn & Bode, Washington, D.C., for Eagle Picher.
Richard P. Sperandeo, Barry P. Beletsky, Harold C. Donegan, Sperandeo, Weinstein & Donegan, New Haven, Conn., for Forty-Eight Insulations.
Paul W. Orth, John T. Harris, Hoppin, Carey & Powell, Hartford, Conn., for G.A. F. Corp.
Stephen P. Sachner, Fred A. Hitt, Andrew D. Coleman, Hitt, Mihalakos, Sachner & Coleman, Cheshire, Conn., and George W. Ripley, Manchester, Conn., for Gale Corp.
Maurice T. FitzMaurice, Robert J. Hebron, Edward Spinella, Lawrence H. Lissitzyn, David E. Rosengren, Christopher F. Droney, Reid & Riege, P.C., Hartford, Conn., for Owens-Illinois Corp. and Owens-Illinois Glass Corp.
Vincent J. Dowling, Patrick J. Flaherty, Cooney, Scully & Dowling, Hartford, Conn., Gregory C. Willis, Willis & Holahan, Bridgeport, Conn., Joseph Adinolfi, Jr., Joseph P. Fasi, and Frederick B. Tedford, Joyce A. Lagnese, L. Wesley Nichols, Danaher, O'Connell, Attmore, Tedford & Flaherty, Hartford, Conn., for Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp. a/k/a Corning Glass Works Corp.
James A. Fulton, Mark R. Carta, Richard Lawler, Whitman & Ransom, Stamford, Conn., for Garlock Inc.
David W. Cooney, Edmund T. Curran, Regnier, Taylor, Curran & Langenback, Hartford, Conn., for H.B. Smith & Co.
John FitzGerald, James M. Moher, Birchard S. Bartlett, John Stephen Papa, Howard, Kohn, Sprague & FitzGerald, Hartford, Conn., H.K. Porter Co., Inc.
Andrew J. O'Keefe, O'Keefe, Dunn & Jackson, Hartford, Conn., for Hammermill Paper Co.
Gregory C. Willis, Willis & Holahan, Bridgeport, Conn., for J.P. Stevens Co., Inc.
Francis J. Wynne, Gould, Killian & Wynne, Hadleigh H. Howd, Winnie W. Zimberlin, Gerald S. Sack, Howd & Ludorf, Hartford, Conn., Thomas H. Cotter, John J. Cotter, Bridgeport, Conn., for Johnson Asbestos Corp.
Peter C. Schwartz, Philip J. O'Connor, Gordon, Muir & Foley, Hartford, Conn., for Johns Manville Corp., Johns Manville Products, Inc., Johns-Manville Sales Corp.
Robert Cathcart, James W. Bergenn, William O. Riiska, Pamela Dempsey, Shipman & Goodwin, Hartford, Conn., for Nicolet Industries.
R. Cornelius Danaher, Jr., Frederick B. Tedford, Joyce A. Lagnese, L. Wesley Nichols, John K. Henderson, Jr., Danaher, O'Connell, Attmore, Tedford & Flaherty, Hartford, Conn., Henry Simon, Newark, N.J., for Pittsburgh-Corning Corp.
Richard S. Bartlett, John R. FitzGerald, James T. Haviland, II, John Stephen Papa, James M. Moher, Howard, Kohn, Sprague & FitzGerald, Hartford, Conn., for Southern Textile Corp., f/k/a Southern Asbestos Corp.
Ernest J. Mattei, Edward M. Richters, Sharon Webb, Day, Berry & Howard, Hartford, Conn., for Standard Insulations, Inc.
L. Douglas Shrader, Zeldes, Needle & Cooper, Bridgeport, Conn., for Special Materials, Inc.
Louis A. Highmark, Jr., Everett F. Fink, West Hartford, Conn., Frederick B. Tedford, Joyce A. Lagnese, Danaher, O'Connell, Attmore, Tedford & Flaherty, Hartford, Conn., for Spraycraft Corp.
Thomas J. Hagarty, Halloran, Sage, Phelon & Hagarty, Hartford, Conn., for Sun Chemical Corp. Shaun M. Slocum, Edward N. Shay, Shay & Thompson, New Haven, Conn., for U.S. Gypsum Co. a/k/a United States Gypsum Co.
John R. McGrail, Bruce M. Killion, Gillooly, McGrail & Carroll, New Haven, Conn., for U.S. Mineral Products Co.
Thomas D. Clifford, Joel J. Rottner, James G. Geanuracos, Skelley, Clifford, Vinkels, Williams & Rottner, Hartford, Conn., for National Gypsum Co.
George E. McGoldrick, McGoldrick & Cohen, New Haven, Conn., for North American Asbestos Corp.
RULING ON DEFENDANT STANDARD ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING AND INSULATING COMPANY'S MOTION TO DISMISS
Standard Asbestos Manufacturing and Insulating Company (Standard), which has been named as a defendant in all of the cases designated as C.M.L. Groups No. 3 and No. 9, has moved the court pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(2) to dismiss those actions against it for lack of personal jurisdiction. Standard, a Missouri corporation with its principal place of business in Kansas City, Missouri, claims that it lacks the contacts with the state of Connecticut necessary to make it subject to the jurisdiction of this court. Oral argument on the motion was heard on August 5, 1985. The court withheld decision at the parties' request in order to permit them to attempt to resolve the matter. Having been unable to reach an agreement, the parties have now asked the court to decide the motion.
In order to assert in personam jurisdiction over a foreign corporation, a court must determine that two conditions are met. Shaw v. American Cyanamid Co., 534 F.Supp. 527, 528 (D.Conn.1982). First, there must be a jurisdictional statute that reaches the conduct of the defendant. Shaw, at 528. A district court in a diversity action must look to the law of the state in which it sits in determining its jurisdiction. Arrowsmith v. United Press International, 320 F.2d 219, 231 (2d Cir.1963); Shaw, at 529. Second, even where a statute purports to grant jurisdiction, the exercise of that jurisdiction under the circumstances must not exceed constitutional due process limitations, which require that the defendant have "minimum contacts" with the state sufficient that it would reasonably anticipate being haled into court there. World-Wide Volkswagen Corporation v. Woodson, 444 U.S. 286, 297, 100 S.Ct. 559, 567, 62 L.Ed.2d 490 (1980); International Shoe v. Washington, 326 U.S. 310, 316, 66 S.Ct. 154, 158, 90 L.Ed. 95 (1945); Shaw, at 529-30.
A motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(2) for lack of jurisdiction is a test of plaintiff's actual proof. See Land v. Dollar, 330 U.S. 731, 735 n. 4, 67 S.Ct. 1009, 1011 n. 4, 91 L.Ed. 1209 (1947); Marine Midland Bank, N.A. v. Miller, 664 F.2d 899, 904 (2d Cir.1981); Bowman v. Grolsche Bierbrouwerij B.V., ...
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