Joshua D. Yeager

Attorney, Of Counsel

Professional Experience

Josh Yeager focuses his practice on representing companies based outside the United States that are involved in litigation in our state and federal court systems. He is often retained in matters involving product liability, complex business and commercial disputes, general tort litigation, foreign-based hotels and resorts, and e-discovery. The majority of Josh’s personal injury cases involve catastrophic injury or death, and most of his commercial matters concern seven or eight figure disputes. Josh’s clients also regularly seek his counsel on how to avoid litigation and/or reduce their exposure in litigation through properly prepared terms and conditions of contracts and other commercial documents, as well as developing protective internal policies and procedures. He is a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group, International Law & Litigation Practice Group, Products Liability Practice Group, Appellate Advocacy Practice Group, and Insurance Practice Group.

Practice Areas

Litigation
International Law & Litigation
Products Liability
Appellate Advocacy
Insurance

Court Admissions

Illinois state courts
U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois
Pro hac vice admissions in many other state and federal courts throughout the U.S.
U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas

Professional Associations

RIMS (the Risk and Insurance Management Society)

Noteworthy

Reported Cases

Westfield v. Amazon, et al. (D. Del., February 18, 2022) (dismissal of Chinese product manufacturer based on lack of personal jurisdiction and failure to properly serve process pursuant to the Hague Service Convention).
Tanger v. Palfinger Liftgates LLC, et al. (Riverside County, Cal. Dec. 13, 2021) (dismissal of German manufacturer of liftgates based on lack of personal jurisdiction).
Clay v. Palfinger, Inc., et al. (W.D. Tex., Feb. 26, 2021) (dismissal of Austrian and Canadian product manufacturers based on lack of personal jurisdiction).
Forde v. Arburg GmbH + Co KG, et al. (N.D. Ill. Jan. 15, 2021) (dismissal of German manufacturer of injection molding machines for insufficient service of process and lack of personal jurisdiction).
AmTrust N. Am. v. Sennebogen Maschinenfabrik GmbH (M.D. Fla. Aug. 25, 2020) (dismissal of German manufacturer of material handling machines based on lack of personal jurisdiction and insufficient service of process).
Gutman v. Allegro Resorts Marketing Corporation, et. al., 2015 WL 8608941 (E.D. Mich., December 14, 2015) (dismissal of Florida company based on lack of personal jurisdiction in personal injury case brought by Michigan citizen based on trip and fall at a Mexican hotel)
Herman v. BRP, Inc., et al., 2015 WL 1399239 (New Castle County, Delaware, April 13, 2015) (dismissal of Norwegian holding company based on lack of personal jurisdiction in personal injury case)
Gutierrez v. Officine Meccaniche Giovanni Cerutti, SpA, et al., 2014 WL 6969579 (E.D. Pa., December 9, 2014) (dismissal of Italian product manufacturer based on lack of personal jurisdiction in catastrophic personal injury case brought by Pennsylvania citizen)
Estate of Jose Francisco Vasquez-Ortiz v. Zurich Compania De Seguros, S.A. 2013 WL 105005 (S.D. Tex., January 8, 2013) (dismissal of Mexican insurance company due to plaintiff's lack of standing to bring claim to collect on insurance policy after aircraft crash)
Poulos v. Apple Vacations, et al., 399 Ill.App.3d 1225, 990 N.E.2d 932 (2010) (dismissal of Mexican hotel owner based on lack of personal jurisdiction in personal injury case brought by Illinois citizen)
Allen-Sleeper v. Federal Express Corp., 2010 WL 3323660 (D. Vermont, April 14, 2010) (dismissal of multinational courier corporation based on lack of personal jurisdiction in catastrophic personal injury case brought by Vermont citizen)
Bullard Abrasives v. Taiwan Resibon, 2009 WL 1659304 (M.D. Fla., June 15, 2009) (dismissal of Taiwanese product manufacturer based on lack of personal jurisdiction in personal injury case brought by Florida citizen)
Callista v. Inversora Internacional Hotelera, 2009 WL 137332 (D. N.J., Jan. 20, 2009) (dismissal of Dominican Republic hotel owner based on lack of personal jurisdiction in personal injury case brought by New Jersey citizen)
Mitchell v. Greenlee Textron, et al., 225 S.W.3d 812 (2007) (dismissal of Taiwanese product manufacturer based on lack of personal jurisdiction in catastrophic personal injury case)
Mastondrea v. Occidental Hoteles, et al., 391 N.J. Super. 261, 918 A.2d 27 (App. Div. 2007) (Appellate court finding that the law of Quintana Roo, Mexico applied to personal injury case brought by New Jersey citizen against Mexican hotel)

Unreported Decisions

Diskin v. Ajax Tocco Magathermic, et al., (North Hampton County, PA, Oct. 10, 2013) (dismissal of Swiss product manufacturer based on lack of personal jurisdiction in multi-plaintiff catastrophic personal injury case)
Read v. Moe, et al., (U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, March 18, 2013) (dismissal of Norwegian commercial fishing equipment manufacturer based on lack of personal jurisdiction in catastrophic personal injury case)
Gomes v. BRP, Inc. et al., (Bronx County, New York, December 3, 2012) (dismissal of Canadian component part manufacturer based on lack of personal jurisdiction in personal injury case)
Ollimac Dairy, Inc. v. DEC International, et al., (Stanislaus County, California, February 8, 2007) (dismissal of Dutch product manufacturer based on lack of personal jurisdiction in commercial product liability case)

Education

J.D. - Chicago-Kent College of Law, 2000
B.S. (summa cum laude) - Illinois State University, 1997