Press Release

Washington, DC—The following is a statement from American Association for Justice (AAJ) CEO Linda Lipsen regarding the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Courts hearing addressing “snap removal,” the quick removal by a resident corporate defendant to a federal court before being served with a complaint:

“AAJ applauds the Judiciary Committee for holding the first congressional hearing on the issue of ‘snap removal,’ which clogs federal courts with state cases. Snap removal defies the Forum Defendant Rule of 1948, which mandates that state courts have jurisdiction over cases of corporate defendants headquartered or incorporated in their own state.

“Corporate defendants are going to extreme lengths to preserve snap removal as a tool to avoid accountability, including fleeing in the opposite direction when they see complaints about to be served. And instances of this tactic continue to skyrocket, delaying justice for victims and creating an imbalance between injured parties and corporations.

“Congress should not allow snap removal to further burden federal courts at a time when they are already strapped for time and resources, particularly when state courts are the proper court of jurisdiction and most capable of hearing state law claims – as they have been doing since this country’s foundation. We urge Congress to take swift action and protect states’ rights.”

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The American Association for Justice works to preserve the constitutional right to trial by jury and to make sure people have a fair chance to receive justice through the legal system when they are injured by the negligence or misconduct of others—even when it means taking on the most powerful corporations. Visit http://www.justice.org.