Barry Schirm Succeeds on Motion to Quash for Lack of Personal Jurisdiction for Global Manufacturer of School Buses
June 16, 2020 (Los Angeles, CA) – Hawkins Parnell & Young senior partner Barry Schirm succeeded on a motion to quash service of process on Blue Bird Body Company, a global manufacturer of school buses. Blue Bird Body Company manufactured a school bus for an Illinois school district in 1999. The bus was manufactured at Blue Bird’s Iowa facility and shipped to Illinois. Many years later, the bus ended up in California, was being used to transport migrant workers, and was involved in an accident in El Centro, in Imperial County. The plaintiff was a passenger on the bus at the time of the accident and sustained a paralysis injury. The court agreed it lacked general or specific jurisdiction over Blue Bird Body Company under the circumstances. The court also declined plaintiff’s request to allow limited jurisdictional discovery, as the facts presented in the motion made clear nothing would be gained by allowing such discovery.