Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-alnd-2_10-cv-00493/USCOURTS-alnd-2_10-cv-00493-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 365
Nature of Suit: Personal Injury - Product Liability
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Product Liability

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

BARRY WRIGHT,

Plaintiff,

vs.

PFIZER, INC., ET AL.,

Defendants.

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CASE NO. CV 10-00451 RZ

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE WHY

ACTION SHOULD NOT BE

DISMISSED FOR LACK OF SUBJECT

MATTER JURISDICTION

Federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction, and if subject matter

jurisdiction does not affirmatively appear, federal courts are presumed to lack jurisdiction.

National Treasury Employees Union v. Federal Labor Relations Authority, 112 F.3d 402,

403 (9th Cir. 1997), citing General Atomic Co. v. United Nuclear Corp., 655 F.2d 968,

968-69 (9th Cir. 1981). Corporations have dual citizenship; they are citizens of the state

in which they are incorporated, and they also are citizens of the state in which they have

their principal place of business, 28 U.S.C. § 1332(c)(1); and both states of citizenship

must be alleged in the Complaint. Plaintiff alleges that Defendant Pfizer is “a Delaware

corporation” with its principal place of business in New York. The allegation that a

corporation is “a Delaware corporation” is not sufficient to allege the state in which the

corporation is incorporated. Fifty Associates v. Prudential, 446 F.2d 1187 (9th Cir. 1970).

Case 2:10-cv-00493-IPJ Document 4 Filed 01/25/10 Page 1 of 2
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Accordingly, the dual citizenship of this defendant does not affirmatively appear from the

pleadings.

It is therefore ordered that Plaintiff shall show cause in writing, not later than

February 3, 2010, why this action should not be dismissed for lack of subject matter

jurisdiction. The filing of an amended complaint within that time, correcting the

jurisdictional defect, shall discharge this Order to Show Cause.

DATED: January 25, 2010 

 

 RALPH ZAREFSKY

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 2:10-cv-00493-IPJ Document 4 Filed 01/25/10 Page 2 of 2