Hesse

Appellant Paul Hesse was injured in December 1990 while a guest at the Posada Real Best Western Hotel (the Posada) in the City of San Jose Del Cabo, Baja California, Mexico. He filed a personal injury lawsuit in 1991 in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, naming the Posada, Jig Stop Tours, a California travel agency, and respondent Best Western International, Inc. (respondent). Respondent, an Arizona corporation, moved to quash service of the summons and complaint and to dismiss the action for lack of personal jurisdiction, or, in the alternative, to stay or dismiss based on an inconvenient forum. The trial court granted the motion to quash, citing Sklar v. Princess Properties International, Ltd. (1987) 194 Cal.App.3d 1202 [ 240 Cal.Rptr. 102 ], and the action was subsequently dismissed as to respondent. This appeal followed.

The narrow issue presented by this case is whether respondent may be compelled to respond to jurisdiction in California for a suit involving appellant’s accident which occurred in Baja California. Respondent argues that it has insufficient overall contacts with this state for the state to entertain general jurisdiction over it. It further argues…