James Robert Sinnott, Catherine A. Pepper A/k/a Catherine Sinnott, Defendants Below, Appellants v. Derrick…

Summary

The Supreme Court of Delaware affirmed the denial of summary judgment, holding that Delaware law rather than North Carolina law governs the plaintiff's negligence claims arising from a North Carolina automobile accident. Applying the most significant relationship test, the court concluded that Delaware's interests in regulating its residents, licensed drivers, and Delaware-registered and insured vehicles outweighed North Carolina's territorial contacts. Delaware's comparative-negligence rule therefore applied to claims against both the driver and the vehicle owner.