Opinion ID: 2555237
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Private-Interest Factors

Text: Looking at the private-interest factors, particularly the relative ease of access to sources of proof, Gulf Oil, supra, 330 U.S. at 508, 67 S.Ct. at 843, 91 L.Ed. at 1062, defendants argue that much of the relevant evidence is located in South Africa: the accident scene, the van involved in the accident and its current owner, those with knowledge of the intersection in question, medical professionals who treated both plaintiffs Yousef and Robinson, and documents on file with the local police. Those facts tend to favor South Africa as the appropriate forum. However, the intersection where the accident occurred has been reconfigured since 2006; therefore an inspection of the scene would likely yield little benefit to the factfinder. No one has suggested that, if the case were tried in New Jersey, there would be a barrier to the admission of photographs and diagrams of the intersection during the relevant time period. The occupants of the van, all of whom live in the United States, should have some knowledge of the intersection as it appeared on the day in question. Moreover, defendants have not established that South Africans with knowledge of the intersectionsuch as members of the Denel Corporation whom the parties were jointly visitingwould not be willing to give de bene esse depositions [10] about their knowledge of the intersection. Indeed, in his report prepared for the local police, Raniere, who was a member of the Army/General Dynamics-Ordnance team in South Africa and an occupant of the van, stated that he was told by Denel Corporation personnel about stop signs and speed bumps leading to the intersection where the crash occurred. Despite South Africa's opting out of Article 23 of the Hague Convention, South Africa, through its own laws, may honor requests for the production of evidence from other jurisdictions. See Chrysler Int'l Corp. v. Chemaly, 280 F. 3d 1358, 1360 (11th Cir.2002) (noting that deposition had been secured by court's letter of request to South African authorities). Certainly, without the need for compulsory process, defendants were able to obtain police reports, affidavits from a tow truck operator, and photographs of the damaged van, indicating an ability to acquire evidence through diligent efforts. Defendants intend to proffer a seatbelt-contributory-negligence defense. Concerning whether there were seatbelts in the rear of the van, defendants have the statements or testimony of the parties and the van's owner's manual. We know that the van was sold to a named South African resident, but defendantswho retained local counselapparently have never located the vehicle. The current condition of that vehicleif it still existswill be no different whether this case is tried in New Jersey or South Africa. And whether the van was sold for scrap or whether its interior was altered is also unknown nearly six years after the accident. The treatment plaintiffs received by medical professionals in South Africa is but a small fraction of the treatment they received in the New Jersey metropolitan area. Plaintiff Yousef has filed certifications from six separate physicians, who have treated him for traumatic brain injury and its sequelae. As a result of his injuries, Yousef has undergone years of treatment in the United States. His deficits are severe and profound, including decreased vision, speech and cognitive impairment, and lack of mobility. Yousef's physicians have averred that their patient is not capable of a tripmuch less an extended oneto South Africa, and all of the physicians have indicated that they would be unavailable to attend a trial in South Africa. No one has suggested that Yousef's medical records from his approximately one-month stay in South African medical facilities would not be available, and clearly any expert physician retained by defendants to examine Yousef would have to do so in the United States. It is clear that much relevant evidence is present in the United States. For example, all the parties and Raniere (the only known eyewitnesses to the accident) reside in this country, and most of the medical evidence is here. Moreover, it seems likely that evidence in South Africa can be secured for presentation in a New Jersey courtroom. Thus, the access-to-evidence factor does not clearly weigh in defendants' favor. Because much of the relevant evidence is in the United States, and because there are means for procuring evidence located in South Africa, the lack of compulsory process to compel the attendance of witnesses and production of evidence from South Africa does not necessarily weigh in defendants' favor. Additionally, the record does not suggest that the cost of trying this case in New Jersey would be any greater than in South Africa. Nevertheless, we acknowledgeas did the Appellate Division and the trial courtthat the weighing of the private interest factors presents a close case. A formidable obstacle for the defense is its inability to implead the South African municipality in a New Jersey civil action. However, as we later discuss, there are equitable remedies availablethe resort to comparative-negligence principlesto ensure that defendants will not be liable for damages that the municipality would otherwise be responsible to pay. We find that the private-interest factors are at best in equipoise between the parties. We now move on to the public-interest factors.