Petroleum Helicopters, Inc. v. Avco Corporation

A Louisiana company sued a California manufacturer for property damage sustained when its helicopter sank in the coastal waters off Louisiana shores. It alleged that the accident was caused at least in part by a defect in the helicopter float that had been made by the manufacturer and sold by it in New Jersey to a Texas company. The district court dismissed the action for lack of personal jurisdiction over the manufacturer under Louisiana’s long-arm statute. 1 In our earlier opinion, we decided to certify to the Louisiana Supreme Court the question of the long-arm statute’s applicability. 2

In…