VONS COMPANIES, INC., Cross-complainant and Appellant, v. SEABEST FOODS, INC., et al., Cross-defendants and Respondents., 14 Cal. 4th 434

Summary

Appellant meat supplier was named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed in California which claimed that it had supplied contaminated food to fast food franchises, and as a result, customers of these franchises in Washington state were injured. Appellant filed a cross-complaint against respondent franchisees, alleging that their failure to properly cook the meat caused the injuries plaintiff complained of. Respondent, which was based in Washington state, filed a motion to quash the service of process upon it, claiming that the California court lacked personal jurisdiction over it. This motion was granted by the trial court, and affirmed by the appellate court. In reversing the judgment, the court found that respondent had sufficient minimum contacts with California to satisfy the first prong of the three-prong jurisdiction test. Though the contacts were not with appellant, the court found a substantial connection between them and the instant litigation, which satisfied the second prong of ...