Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., Defendant-Below, Appellant v. Andres Arteaga

Summary

The court held that Mexican law governs the liability, damages, and remedies arising from a helicopter crash in Mexico because Mexico had the most significant relationship to the occurrence and the parties under the Restatement contacts and policy principles. The court concluded that the accident location was not fortuitous, that the victims and aircraft were closely connected to Mexico, and that the manufacturing location in Texas did not outweigh those connections. Justice Vaughn, dissenting, would have affirmed the application of Texas law because the defective component was designed and manufactured in Texas and Texas had a strong interest in regulating its manufacturers.