U.N.F. Services Inc. v. Insurance Co. of North America
The plaintiff, U.N.F. Services, Inc., a New York corporation, initiated an action against Mountain States Mutual and Casualty Co., a New Mexico corporation that provided its workers' compensation insurance. The suit sought damages for breach of contract and negligence. Mountain States appealed an order from the Supreme Court, Nassau County, which denied its motion to dismiss the complaint based on lack of personal jurisdiction and forum non conveniens. The Appellate Division affirmed the lower court's decision, concluding that Mountain States' actions, including mailing policies and collecting premiums in New York, constituted sufficient 'doing business' and 'minimum contacts' for personal jurisdiction. The court also rejected arguments regarding an exception in the Insurance Law and found no merit to the claim of an inconvenient forum.