In Personam Jurisdiction Over Nonresident Manufacturers in Product Liability Actions

Authors

Harry B. Cummins, University of Michigan Law School

Abstract

A wide divergence of opinion exists regarding the wisdom as well as the constitutionality of extensive jurisdiction through the use of liberally drafted and construed "long-arm" statutes. Hesitance may result from a fear of burdening a defendant with the inconvenience and expense of a foreign suit brought against him solely for the purpose of harassment. While this comment does not advocate the extent to which a court should assert the jurisdictional powers conferred on it by a given "long-arm" provision, it examines the scope of jurisdiction constitutionally permissible over nonresident manufacturers in product liability cases with a view toward formulating administrable standards that a court may utilize to reconcile the varieties of commercial activity with the now-frequently-frustrated legislative goal of providing injured plaintiffs with a convenient forum.

Recommended Citation

Harry B. Cummins, In Personam Jurisdiction Over Nonresident Manufacturers in Product Liability Actions, 63 Mich. L. Rev. 1028 (1965).
Available at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mlr/vol63/iss6/5