Tom Pender and Bill Cremer Secure Dismissal of Chinese Manufacturer of Custom Wheels in Multi-Victim Rollover Lawsuit

 

Tom Pender and Bill Cremer have successfully convinced three levels of Illinois courts to dismiss their Chinese manufacturing client from a catastrophic vehicle rollover based upon personal jurisdiction. The Illinois Supreme Court recently refused to review a unanimous three-judge opinion of the Fourth District Court of Appeals which affirmed the trial court’s dismissal of the firm’s Chinese client.  The trial and appellate courts both concluded that, despite the fact that the Chinese manufacturer shipped custom wheels to the Port of Chicago, the manufacturer lacked minimum contacts with the State of Illinois sufficient to support the imposition of the court’s jurisdiction.  All plaintiffs, as well as several co-defendants, had opposed the motion and appeal.  The Supreme Court’s ruling effectively ends the case against the firm’s client.  The case is now proceeding against the remaining defendants, including the manufacturer of the vehicle.