News 09.13.24

Victory for Segal McCambridge: Gymnastics Facility Lawsuit Dismissed for Lack of Jurisdiction

Segal McCambridge's team, led by Associate Troy Pacella, successfully secured the dismissal of a lawsuit against a Connecticut-based gymnastics facility in LP, an Infant v. Gymnastics Revolution.

In the case, the Plaintiffs sought damages for personal injuries allegedly sustained during the “Team Challenge 2022” gymnastics competition in Newtown, Connecticut. They subsequently then filed the case in New York, attempting to establish jurisdiction based on the Defendant’s online presence, including Facebook posts promoting the event and collecting entry fees.

In response, our team filed a pre-answer motion to dismiss, arguing that the New York State court lacked personal jurisdiction over our client, Gymnastics Revolution, LLC, a non-domiciliary corporation with its principal place of business in Danbury, Connecticut. We demonstrated that Gymnastics Revolution did not conduct any business, supply goods or services, or engage in purposeful activities within New York. Additionally, the event was organized by a separate not-for-profit entity, further distancing our client from any New York jurisdiction.

The Plaintiffs argued that the Defendant’s Facebook activity constituted business transactions in New York. However, our team successfully established that the nature and extent of the Defendant’s online contacts were insufficient to meet the threshold for jurisdiction. The court agreed, ruling that the Plaintiffs failed to prove significant and purposeful connections between our client and New York, resulting in the dismissal of the case for lack of jurisdiction.