If you have been injured in an accident by an out of state driver, then you may wonder if and where you can file suit against the person responsible for the accident. In order to be able to file suit against a person, the court that you are seeking to file in must have personal jurisdiction over the opposing party. Personal jurisdiction means, “[a] court’s power to bring a person into its adjudicative process.” Black’s Law Dictionary 930 (9th ed. 2009).
Essentially, personal jurisdiction is required because a person cannot be sued just anywhere. The court has to have some power over the person in order for it to enforce a judgment against him or her. The rules of jurisdiction can be quite complicated and an experienced attorney will be able to assist you and make sure you file you lawsuit in the appropriate court.