Opinion

Jen D. Cubbage v. Michael Merchent, S.W. Meyer, Parker Community Hospital

  • 744 F.2d 665
  • 1984 U.S. App. LEXIS 18013
Court
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Filed
Oct 3, 1984
Status
Published
Author
Hug
On the bench
Kilkenny, Hug, Boocheyer
Cited by
95 cases
Authority
More cited than 25.4%

holding that although during a four (4) month period approximately twenty-six percent (26%) of an Arizona hospital's patients were from California and an Arizona doctor saw roughly one-hundred twenty (120) patients per week, of whom about twelve percent (12%) were California residents, no general personal jurisdiction existed over hospital or doctor in California the court

How later courts described this case

  • holding that although during a four (4) month period approximately twenty-six percent (26%) of an Arizona hospital's patients were from California and an Arizona doctor saw roughly one-hundred twenty (120) patients per week, of whom about twelve percent (12%) were California residents, no general personal jurisdiction existed over hospital or doctor in California the court
  • holding that California had jurisdiction over Arizona hospital and its doctors where they recruited business in California and participated in California's Medi-Cal program
  • holding forum state did not have general jurisdiction over doctors although they had a significant number of patients in the forum, used the forum’s state medical insurance system, and were listed in a telephone directory that reached forum
  • holding that plaintiffs malpractice claim arose out of defendant’s solicitation of patients from California

Written by the judges who cited it.

The opinion

HUG, Circuit Judge,

dissenting:

I respectfully dissent. The treatment of which appellant complains was rendered entirely in Arizona. For the reasons stated in Wright v. Yackley, 459 F.2d 287 (9th Cir.1972), I would affirm the dismissal by the district court.

There was an insufficient showing, in my view, that the forum-related activities justified the assertion of personal jurisdiction in California. The telephone listings in the local Parker, Arizona telephone directory and the obtaining of a Medi-Cal number for billing purposes do not constitute a sufficient interjection by appellees into the state of California to warrant personal jurisdiction for a claim arising out of the medical treatment in Arizona. See World-Wide Volkswagen Corp. v. Woodson, 444 U.S. 286 , 100 S.Ct. 559 , 62 L.Ed.2d 490 (1980), or Data Disc, Inc. v. Systems Tech. Assoc., Inc., 557 F.2d 1280 (9th Cir.1977).

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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