An appeal court in Texas has ruled that the on-line transactions
of The Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, are insufficient to
confer jurisdiction in Texas for the purposes of a personal injury
lawsuit.20 Nov 2000
The Riviera’s web site takes room reservations, but according to the court’s ruling it “offers no line of credit, does not constitute a contract, nor a business transaction, and thus could not confer personal jurisdiciton.”
Mary Jane Dawson was allegedly injured when staying at The Riviera and tried to sue in her home state of Texas, relying on the casino’s on-line presence to give her local court jurisdiction. The casino successfully argued that its principal place of business is in Las Vegas and that it could not be foreseeable that providing accommodation to Ms Dawson would give rise to a personal injury lawsuit in Texas.
Judge Don Burgess wrote: “As Riviera’s non-internet contacts are insufficient to establish general jurisdiction… and as there is no evidence that Riviera did business over the internet with Texas residents, Dawson has not satisfied the minimum requirements of the due process inquiry… Personal jurisdiciton over Riviera is not proper.”