Car Dealership Dismissed from Mesothelioma Case in Los Angeles

January 20, 2023 (Los Angeles, CA) – Hawkins Parnell & Young won a motion to quash for lack of personal jurisdiction for client Girard Motors, Inc. in a mesothelioma products liability case in the Superior Court of California for Los Angeles County. Plaintiffs Elaine and Jacob Herman, Sr. filed the lawsuit alleging Elaine Herman developed mesothelioma due to take-home exposure from asbestos from her father's work at a facility in Connecticut.

Macy Chan, the lead attorney for Girard Motors and deputy partner-in-charge of Hawkins Parnell's Los Angeles office, stated, "We are pleased with the court's decision to dismiss our client. This victory reaffirms the importance of ensuring that defendants are not subject to lawsuits in California or any other jurisdiction where they have no meaningful connection."

Girard Motors, Inc., a Connecticut-based company that sells and repairs automobiles, filed a motion to quash service of summons for lack of personal jurisdiction. The plaintiffs were unable to provide specific facts showing minimum contacts with California, and Girard Motors was able to demonstrate that the exercise of jurisdiction would be unreasonable. The plaintiffs did not present any evidence that Girard Motors has any location in California or is subject to California's general jurisdiction. Additionally, the plaintiffs live in Connecticut, and Elaine Herman was allegedly exposed to asbestos when her father worked at the company's business in Connecticut.