Manuel Blanco v. Carigulf Lines, a Division of Carigulf Ltd., a Corporation John Doe I, Etc., and the M/v Carigulf Express

Plaintiff, a Honduran seaman, brought suit against a Panamanian flag vessel and corporate and individual defendants, with unknown citizenship, for injuries received aboard the vessel in the waters off Belize, British Honduras. The district court dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. Based upon procedural error, we reverse.

The question presented is whether the district court’s dismissal for lack of jurisdiction is proper when the court relied exclusively upon defendants’ affidavits, although defendants’ answers to interrogatories directed at requisite jurisdictional factors were outstanding and…