BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) — A federal judge has transferred a lawsuit against Yeti Coolers to federal court in Texas for lack of personal jurisdiction.
District Judge Ann Donnelly found that the case only had one connection to New York — that one of the three named plaintiffs was a New York resident, according to a memorandum decision and order filed March 17 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Donnelly wrote that Texas was the proper venue because the company is based there and 14 possible witnesses all reside in Texas. She also noted all relevant documents pertaining to the case also were in Texas.
The lawsuit against Yeti Coolers was initially filed on Nov. 30, 2018, by Lance Peroutka, Nikki Pribow and Otis Fung, alleging several false advertising claims pertaining to 41 states and the District of Columbia. An amended complaint was filed on April 12, 2019.
The plaintiffs alleged that Yeti's "Rambler Colster" was supposed to keep drinks cold and was supposed to hold bottles and cans securely in place. The plaintiffs claimed the majority of beer bottles did not fit into the product and that they paid a premium for the product that they thought would be a better product and not have so many shortcomings.
"The plaintiffs say that they would not have paid the same amount for the product had they known about its shortcomings," the memorandum states.
The defendant argued that the case did not belong in New York federal court because the case lacked personal jurisdiction over the Wisconsin plaintiffs and lack of standing under both New York and Wisconsin law.
Donnelly wrote that she would grant the motion to transfer to Texas and she would defer the motion to dismiss that Yeti filed.