2008 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 9-10-2008 

# Ge mee n a S cru ggs v

. AIG P e rson al Lines C P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 08-2071

F o llow thi s and a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2008

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2008 D e c i sion s b y an author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " Ge me e n a S cr u ggs v

. AIG P e r s on al L ine s C " (2008). 2008 D e cisio n s . P ape r 546. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2008/546NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

___________ N o. 08- 2071

___________ G EM EEN A SCR U G G S, A ppel l ant

v. A I G P E R S O N A L L I N E S C L A I MS

____________________________________ O n A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt f o r th e E a ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( D . C . C i vi l A ct i on N o. 08- cv- 01481) D i s t r i ctJ udge: H onor abl e C ynt hi a M . R ufe

____________________________________ Subm i tt ed Pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

Sept ember10, 2008 B efor e: A M B R O , FU E N T E S and FI SH E R , C i r cui tJ udges

( Fi l ed: Sept ember10, 2008)

___________ OP I NI ON

___________ P E R C UR I AM O n M a rc h 2 7 , 2 0 0 8 , p ro se a p p e llan t, G e m e e n a S c ru g g s, su b m itt e d a c o m p lain t to t he U ni t ed St at es D i s t r i ctC our tfort he East ern D i s t r i ctof Penns y l vani a, w her ei n s he appar ent l ys oughtt o pur s ue a c l ai m agai ns tt he A I G N at i onal I ns ur ance C om pany2

( i dent i fi ed as A I G Per s onal L i nes C l ai m s byScruggs ) forpr oper t ydamage s he s us t ai ned as a r es ul tof a mot orvehi cl e ac ci dentt hatoccurr ed on A pr i l 27, 2006. I n an or der ent er ed on A pr i l 2, 2008, t he D i s t r i ctC our tgr ant ed Scruggs l eave t o pr ocee d w i t h t he a c tio n in f

o rm a p a u p e ris a n d d ism iss e d th e c o m p lain t as a re su lt o f S c ru g g s’ f

a ilu re to s a t i s f yt h e j u r i s d i c t i o n a l r e q u i r e me n t s t o b r i n g a d i v e r s i t ya c t i o n u n d e r2 8 U. S . C. § 1 3 3 2 (a )(1 ). In su p p o rt o f its d e c isio n , the D istric t C o u rt n o ted th a t S c ru g g s f a iled to a lleg e d a m a g e s in e x c e ss o f $ 7 5 ,0 0 0 , an d th a t sh e listed a P e n n sy lv a n ia a d d re ss f o r b o th her s el f and A I G N at i onal I ns ur ance C om pany . T hi s t i m el yappea l fol l ow ed. W e have j ur i s di ct i on pur s uantt o 28 U . S. C . § 1291, and exe r ci s e pl enaryr evi ew overa D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s di s m i s s al forl ack of s ubj ectm at t erj ur i s di ct i on. See B akhtr i gerv. E l w ood, 360 F. 3d 414, 417 ( 3d C i r . 2004) . W e w i l l aff i r m t he D i s t r i ctC our t ’ s or derof d ism iss a l w ith v e rylittle d isc u ss io n . S e c tio n § 1 3 3 2 (a ) p ro v id e s th a t “[ t]h e d istric t co u rts s hal l have or i gi nal j ur i s di ct i on of al l ci vi l act i ons w her e the mat t eri n contr over s yexce eds t he s um orval ue of $75, 000, excl us i ve of i nt er es tand cos t s , ” and i s betw een “ ci t i zens of d if f e re n t S tate s.” § 1 3 3 2 (a )(1 ). S c ru g g s p lea d s in h e r c o m p lain t an a m o u n t in c o n t r o v e r s y o f

$ 1 5 , 0 0 0 a n d c o n c e d e s t h a ta l l p a r t i e s a r e f r o m P e n n s yl v a n i a . A c c o r d i n g l y, th e D is tr ic t C o u rt a c te d p ro p e rl yin d is m is s in g th e c o m p la in t f o r l a c k o f

ju ri s d ic tio n . Fi nal l y , w e conc l ude thatt he D i s t r i ctC our tdi d noterrbyfai l i ng t o fi r s taff or d Scruggs t he oppor tuni t yt o amend hercompl ai nts i nce s uch an a ctw oul d s ur el yhave be en an3

ex erc ise i n fu ti li ty . S ee G ray so n v . M ay v iew S tat e H o sp . , 2 9 3 F . 3 d 1 0 3 , 1 0 8 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 2 ).