Question

Mark, a resident of Illinois, while driving on the freeway, hits Sonya, a resident of Wisconsin, and totally destroys Sonya's brand new vehicle. Can Sonya bring suit in federal district court?

1) Yes, because the accident occurred on a federal highway
2) No, because both parties are residents of different states
3) Yes, because the accident caused significant damage to Sonya's vehicle
4) No, because the accident occurred in a different state

Answer 1

Sonya can sue in federal district court due to diversity of citizenship and significant damage to her vehicle possibly exceeding $75,000, meeting federal jurisdiction requirements. The correct option is 3.

Step-by-step explanation:

Sonya can bring suit in federal district court because the situation involves diversity of citizenship and possibly a damage claim that meets the jurisdictional amount requirement (assumed to be at least $75,000).

In order to be heard in federal court on diversity grounds, two conditions must be met: 1) the parties must be from different states, and 2) the amount in controversy must exceed $75,000.

Since Mark and Sonya are from Illinois and Wisconsin, respectively, and assuming the 'brand new vehicle' implies significant damage potentially exceeding the jurisdictional amount, they meet the requirements for federal jurisdiction.

Option 2 is incorrect because the fact that both parties are from different states actually supports federal jurisdiction, not against it. The location of the accident and the federal nature of the highway are irrelevant for diversity jurisdiction, thus making options 1 and 4 incorrect.

Additionally, option 3 is not solely determinative because it involves the extent of damage, not the nature of the jurisdiction. The correct option is 3.