Idaho Providers Must Defend Opioid Overdose Suit in Washington

Idaho medical providers located on the state’s border with Washington are subject to personal jurisdiction in a Washington-based federal court because they deliberately did business in that state, a federal appeals court said.

Gritman Medical Center’s and physician Patricia Marciano’s advertisements in Washington, transmission of prescriptions to pharmacies there, and long-term relationships with Washington patients were sufficient minimum contacts to satisfy Washington’s long-arm jurisdiction statute and the requirements of constitutional due process, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said Wednesday.

The court took a hard look at the jurisdictional questions that arise in cross-border disputes where defendants ...