ADMIRALTY-VENUE OF ACTION BROUGHT IN STATE COURT UNDER JONES ACT

Authors

Abstract

The plaintiff brought suit in a county court of Pennsylvania to to recover damages for injuries sustained by her while a member of the steamship crew of the defendant. The action was based on the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 which provided: "Jurisdiction in such actions shall be under the court of the district in which the defendant employer resides or in which his principal office is located." Defendant corporation moved to dismiss the action on the ground that the court had no jurisdiction since defendant's principal office was in Baltimore. The motion was granted and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirmed the decision. On certiorari the United States Supreme Court held that the above quoted section had no effect on the venue of such an action when brought in a state court, and accordingly remanded the case with directions to determine venue in accordance with Pennsylvania law. Bainbridge v. Merchants' & Miners' Transportation Co., 287 U.S. 278, 53 Sup. Ct. 159 (1932).

Recommended Citation

ADMIRALTY-VENUE OF ACTION BROUGHT IN STATE COURT UNDER JONES ACT, 31 Mich. L. Rev. 1148 (1933).
Available at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mlr/vol31/iss8/9