Dendy

This appeal has its basis in the tragic fire which swept through the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas injuring a large number of hotel guests and employees. Plaintiffs Billy J. and Patricia Ann Dendy were guests at the hotel at the time of the fire and brought suit in California to recover for personal injuries and other damages allegedly resulting from the blaze. Two of the defendants named in that suit, MGM Grand Hotels, Inc. and MGM Grand Hotel-Las Vegas, Inc. (collectively MGM), moved the California court to dismiss or stay the action on the ground of forum non conveniens. The court granted a conditional stay as to all proceedings, reserving jurisdiction and ruling that depositions and medicals were to be promptly taken in San Diego.

Plaintiffs appeal this ruling contending the court abused its discretion in granting the stay and claiming a stay is improper where there is no other action pending between the parties on the same issues. In addition, they assert the stay order is defective because it is ambiguous and overly broad. We conclude a stay on the ground of forum non conveniens in these circumstances was proper and not an abuse of discretion. Accordingly, with…