Dennis v. Jones

In this personal injury action arising from a motor vehicle collision, we review the trial court’s refusal to set aside a default judgment entered in favor of the plaintiff. The judgment was based on service of process upon the defendant as a nonresident through the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The dispositive question on appeal is whether the judgment was void for failure to obtain personal jurisdiction over defendant, a resident of the Commonwealth.

On January 16, 1986, motor vehicles operated by appellant Ellen Dennis and appellee Terry Jones collided on U.S.…