In a recent ruling by the Georgia Court of Appeals, an appellate panel decided that an isolated transaction was insufficient to establish personal jurisdiction over an out-of-state aircraft manufacturer in Georgia. The company had been accused of performing a faulty repair on an aircraft that subsequently crashed, resulting in the deaths of Antenor and Kathleen Velazco. The plaintiffs alleged that the manufacturer simply mailed invoices to and communicated electronically with Georgia residents, which they argued should justify jurisdiction. However, Presiding Judge Stephen Dillard, speaking for the panel, disagreed, stating that such minimal contact does not warrant the imposition of personal jurisdiction.
The appellate panel’s decision on February 19 reversed a lower court’s ruling that had denied the manufacturer’s motion to dismiss the case. Detailed information on the panel’s opinion is available from the Georgia Court of Appeals in the case of Cascade Aircraft Management v. Velazco. For further analysis on this legal development, more information is accessible here.