A slip-and-fall lawsuit against Target Corporation and a store manager, Miriam Albrecht, will return to state court following a federal judge’s ruling. The decision was made by U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger for the Northern District of Illinois, who found that there was a lack of diversity of citizenship in the case as both the plaintiff, Jenny Chan, and the store manager, Albrecht, are Illinois residents. This determination led to the case being moved from federal to state jurisdiction.
Judge Seeger pointed out that the allegations against Albrecht may not ultimately hold up, but emphasized, “At this early stage, the question is simply whether the complaint alleges that Albrecht was an active tortfeasor. And it does.” This case highlights the nuances of diversity jurisdiction where federal courts require complete diversity between plaintiffs and defendants to hear a case. More details about the ruling can be found through the original report.