New Zealand citizens brought suit in Fulton County (Atlanta) for wrongful death of a family member in a plane crash in Australia. The defendants are a US manufacturer based in Kansas and a used aircraft dealer based in Georgia. The trial court dismissed the suit on the ground of forum non conveniens prior to enactment of Georgia’s forum non conveniens statute in 2004. While the appeal was pending, the new statute (OCGA § 9-10-31.1) was enacted. The Court of Appeals held that the new statute applies to this pending case, vacated the order, and remanded it to the trial court to make findings of fact and conclusions of law regarding the factors enumerated in the statute. See full text of decision below.

The Shigley Law Firm represents plaintiffs in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases statewide in Georgia, and in other states subject to the multijurisdictional practice and pro hac vice rules in each state. Ken Shigley was designated as a “SuperLawyer” in Atlanta Magazine and one of the “Legal Elite” in Georgia Trend Magazine. He is a Certified Civil Trial Advocate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, Chair of the Southeastern Motor Carrier Liability Institute and former chair of the Georgia Insurance Law Institute. He particularly focuses on cases arising from truck wrecks and accidents (tractor trailers truck wrecks, semi truck wrecks,18 wheeler truck wrecks, big rig truck wrecks, log truck wrecks, dump truck wrecks).