Assume that you live in California and are on vacation, traveling by car from California to Texas. You are injured in a motel room when the bed on which you are sleeping collapses, causing you to fall to the floor. You suffer substantial back and leg injuries, requiring many medical treatments and causing you to miss work for 15 weeks. Your medical bills total $50,000 and your lost wages total $15,000. You intend to sue the owner of the Texas motel.

1. Can you bring your case in federal court? Why or why not?
2. Can you commence the case in California? What additional information might you need to answer this question?
3. At the end of the trial, the jury awards you $100,000 ($50,000 for medical, $15,000 for lost wages and $35,000 for punitive damages). After the trial, the attorney for the hotel approaches and offers to settle the case for $50,000. Should you consider accepting the settlement? Why or why not?

As a friendly reminder, please refer to the Short Paper Rubric in the course, under the rubric section, for the grading of your written short papers in the course.

Answer preview

The Federal courts include the U.S. Supreme Court, the district courts, and appellate courts. In this case, I can bring my case to the federal court. The reason why the federal court would listen to the fact is that the case involved two residents from different states, California and Texas, and the dispute includes more than $75, 000 in the debate…