Troy Francis was driving his 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer automobile—equipped with a Bridgestone Potenza tire— on the Melvin Evans Highway on St. Croix on February 9, 2008. Francis lost control of the vehicle when the tread on the Potenza tire allegedly separated, causing the vehicle to leave the road and overturn. As a result, Francis suffered fractures of the neck, ribs, and forearm; a brain injury; lacerations; and disfigurement. Francis filed suit against Bridgestone for strict liability and negligence, alleging that Bridgestone negligently manufactured, engineered, designed, marketed, tested, or failed to test the tire.

Bridgestone Corporation is a Japanese corporation with its principal place of business in Tokyo, Japan. Bridgestone challenged the Court’s personal jurisdiction over it. Bridgestone argued that it does not do business in the Virgin Islands and that it does not have contacts with the Virgin Islands that would allow the Court to exercise personal jurisdiction.

Does the court have jurisdiction? Is there jurisdiction if your products end up in a particular country? How would the tires have ended up on the car? Suppose that Francis was on vacation and driving a rental car but lives in Florida. Could Florida exercise jurisdiction over the case? What would Francis have to show? [Francis v Bridgestone Corporation, 2013 WL 5276365 (D.C.V.I. 2013)]