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Haines v. Selendang Ayu M/V

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Nov 8, 2010
403 F. App'x 194 (9th Cir. 2010)

Opinion

No. 09-36074.

Argued and Submitted November 1, 2010.

Filed November 8, 2010.

Horton Smith, Esquire, Horton Smith, P.S., Seattle, WA, Marja Starczewski, Law Office of Marja Starczewski, Wenatchee, WA, Anthony Martin Urie, I, Esquire, Law Office of Anthony Urie, PLLC, Shoreline, WA, for Plaintiff-Appellant.

Robert J. Bocko, Esquire, Molly J. Henry, Esquire, Nicolas J. Vikstrom, Esquire, Keesal Young Logan, Seattle, WA, Robert J. Bocko, Esquire, Molly J. Henry, Esquire, Nicolas J. Vikstrom, Esquire, for Defendants-Appellees.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, Ricardo S. Martinez, District Judge, Presiding. D.C. No. 2:07-cv-01963-RSM.

Before: B. FLETCHER, FERNANDEZ and BYBEE, Circuit Judges.


MEMORANDUM

This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.

On December 8, 2004, the M/V Selendang Ayu ran aground on one of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, spilling its bunker fuel and its cargo of soybeans into the Bering Sea. Almost three years later, plaintiff David Haines sued the owner and the operator of the vessel in Washington, alleging he was damaged when the resulting oil spill created a market panic and caused the price of crab to decline. The district court dismissed for lack of personal jurisdiction and we affirm.

Haines argues there is (1) general jurisdiction; (2) specific jurisdiction; and (3) nationwide jurisdiction over the defendants in Washington. We disagree. First, there is no general jurisdiction in Washington because defendants' contacts with Washington have not been substantial or continuous and systematic. See Bancroft Masters, Inc. v. Augusta Nat'l, Inc., 223 F.3d 1082, 1086 (9th Cir. 2000). Second, there is no specific jurisdiction in Washington because Haines's claims did not arise from and are unrelated to the defendants' Washington activities. See Scott v. Breeland, 792 F.2d 925, 928-29 (9th Cir. 1986). Third, defendants are not subject to nationwide jurisdiction under Fed.R.Civ.P. 4(k)(2) because they concede jurisdiction is proper in Alaska. See Holland Am. Line Inc. v. Wartsila N. Am. Inc., 485 F.3d 450, 461 (9th Cir. 2007).

Haines argues for the first time on appeal that his claims result from defendants' activities in Washington because the defendants failed to properly inspect the vessel's engine prior to the vessel's departing Seattle. Because this argument was not presented to the district court, it has been waived. See Gribben v. United Parcel Serv., Inc., 528 F.3d 1166, 1171 (9th Cir. 2008).

AFFIRMED.


Summaries of

Haines v. Selendang Ayu M/V

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Nov 8, 2010
403 F. App'x 194 (9th Cir. 2010)
Case details for

Haines v. Selendang Ayu M/V

Case Details

Full title:David Carson HAINES, and crab fishermen affected in the crew lists of the…

Court:United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Date published: Nov 8, 2010

Citations

403 F. App'x 194 (9th Cir. 2010)