Opinion ID: 1194701
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: saskatchewan wrongful death act statute of limitations as barring johnsons' claim against cessna

Text: The trial court determined that Johnsons' wrongful death claim against Cessna was also barred by the Saskatchewan Fatal Accidents Act statute of limitations. On this issue we disagree and reverse the trial court's holding. The trial court concluded that Idaho's only significant contact was as the place of the accident and resulting injury, a factor other courts have characterized as fortuitous. It also observed that with regard to public policy, it was difficult to determine what interest Idaho would have in subjecting Cessna, a Kansas corporation, to liability for a longer period than is available under the law of Saskatchewan, the domicile of appellants and the other defendants here. Finally the trial court stated that if Pischke were protected by the one-year statute of limitations, and Cessna were not, then Cessna, as a joint tortfeasor, could end up bearing the full financial responsibility for the death of Donald Johnson. Allowing Cessna to seek contribution from Pischke's estate under Idaho's comparative negligence law would allow plaintiffs to avoid the one-year limitation indirectly and thus thwart Canada's policy of cutting off wrongful death claims one year from the victim's death. The Restatement (2d) of Conflicts of Laws, § 175 provides: In an action for wrongful death, the local law of the state where the injury occurred determine the rights and liabilities of the parties unless with respect to the particular issue, some other state has a more significant relationship... . (Emphasis added). As the state where the injury occurred, Idaho's law, according to the Restatement, should apply unless there is another state with a more significant relationship. We will therefore examine the other contacts in the context of the Restatement criteria for most significant relationship. The place of injury was, of course, Idaho. Following the crash, it was the Idaho Department of Aeronautics which coordinated and conducted one of the most extensive, lengthy and costly aerial searches in recent years for the downed aircraft, the funds for the search coming from the fees paid by Idaho pilots and taxpayers. Cessna designed and manufactured the plane in Kansas; therefore, if the aircraft were defective, Kansas was the place of the conduct which allegedly caused the injury. The place of the domicile of plaintiffs is Saskatchewan, while the place of business of defendant Cessna is Kansas. The place where the relationship of the parties was centered has several facets: The parties' journey originated in Saskatchewan, but their destination was Boise, Idaho. They flew over North Dakota and Montana, landing in both states during the trip. The Cessna plane was registered in Saskatchewan. As between the Johnsons and Cessna, the relationship could in fact be centered in any place where the parties occupied the plane. Cessna's corporate accountability did not cease at the Kansas border. Cessna would continue to have responsibility for any faulty design and construction after the plane left its possession and control, in any place where the plane would be used. See, Annotation, 97 A.L.R.3d 606, 634-638 (1980). Furthermore, Johnsons and Cessna do not share a common domicile; that Johnsons and Pischkes did share a common domicile is irrelevant to the cause of action against Cessna. Among the places discussed, none has a more significant relationship to the issue before us than Idaho, the place of injury. As to policy considerations addressed by the Restatement, the most significant element here would be the relevant policies of the forum and other interested states. The policy behind statutes of limitation is protection of defendants against stale claims, and protection of the courts against needless expenditure of resources. Because Cessna's duty to buyers and users of its product extends beyond the borders of its principle place of business, Kansas would have no superior interest in protecting its corporate resident. Nor would it serve the interests of Saskatchewan plaintiffs if Saskatchewan law were applied to protect a foreign defendant. North Dakota and Montana are incidental to this action. Idaho, as the place of injury, has the most significant interest. It is the Idaho courts' resources which are being expended; if Idaho chooses to open its judicial system to actions brought within two years, then no other jurisdiction has grounds to object. See Tomlin v. Boeing Co., 650 F.2d 1065 (9th Cir.1981). We rule, then, under the most significant contacts analysis, that the Idaho wrongful death two-year statute of limitations applies to Johnsons' wrongful death cause of action against Cessna.