Daimler Ruling Could Mean Fewer DefendantsShoulder Greater Risk in Asbestos Cases

A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on extraterritorial jurisdiction in a human rights suit may mean a diminished number of defendants facing a higher proportion of risk in asbestos cases, a defense attorney told attendees at an American Bar Association conference April 4.

The Supreme Court held in January that the 14th Amendment’s due process clause barred a California trial court from exercising general personal jurisdiction over DaimlerChrysler AG, a foreign corporation, in a case alleging torture and other rights violations by its subsidiary Mercedes-Benz Argentina outside of the U.S. (Daimler AG v. Bauman, 134 S. Ct. 746 ...