Court Opinion

ID: 9786175
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-30 23:49:48.91875+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:36:42.040479
License: Public Domain

BENCH, Judge
(concurring in part and dissenting in part):
$24 I concur in the conclusion that Consolidated has not conducted substantial and continuous activity in Utah so as to expose itself to general jurisdiction in this state. I disagree, however, with the lead opinion's analysis of specific jurisdiction. If our long-arm statute applies, and the lead opinion concedes that it does, then the nexus is certainly there. As explained in the lead opinion, Consolidated called Mecham's employer in Utah and contracted for the performance of hot oil services. While performing those services, Mecham was injured in Colorado. The nexus of the injury to the contact with the forum state is therefore quite clear. See Phone Directories Co. v. Henderson, 2000 UT 64,¶ 12, 8 P.3d 256.
125 Because of the nature of Consolidated's contacts with Utah, this case differs from the case relied on by the lead opinion, Arguello v. Industrial Woodworking Mach. Co., 838 P.2d 1120 (Utah 1992). In Arguello, the defendant's contacts with Utah were "sales or advertisements." Id. at 1128. The supreme court determined that Arguello's injury did not arise out of the defendant's contacts with Utah, because the defendant's representative only advised Arguello's employer on how the machine that caused Ar-guello's injury could be fixed to operate more safely and efficiently. See id. The defendant's representative "did not undertake to make any changes or repairs to the machine," which resulted in Arguello's injury. Id. By comparison, Consolidated's contacts with Utah are based on a contract with a Utah corporation to perform services in Colorado, and Mecham was injured while performing the essential terms of the contract. Therefore, Mecham's claim arose out of Consolidated's contacts with this state, and a Utah court may properly exercise specific jurisdiction over Consolidated.
T26 I believe the majority has erred in affirming the trial court's grant of summary judgment to Chase Manhattan Bank, who did not even bother to file a brief in this appeal. A genuine issue of fact exists as to whether Chase's relationship with Landmark Petroleum was more than that of a mere lender. I do not believe, therefore, that the issue of agency can be appropriately resolved on summary judgment. See Valcarce v. Fitzgerald, 961 P.2d 805, 314 (Utah 1998) (stating that "the question of whether an agency relationship exists is one of fact").