Gor Aghabekyan v. Christopher Knight - Default Judgment Denied for Lack of Personal Jurisdiction

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 02:14:11 +0000
Judicial Administration

The US District Court for the Western District of Michigan denied plaintiffs' motion for default judgment against defendant US Motors Corp. (USMC) on the ground that the Court lacks personal jurisdiction over USMC. The Court found that USMC is incorporated in and has its principal place of business in Wyoming, and plaintiffs failed to allege any minimum contacts between USMC and Michigan sufficient to support specific personal jurisdiction. The ruling clarifies that courts must independently verify personal jurisdiction before entering default judgments, and that defaulting defendants may avoid default judgment by demonstrating lack of jurisdiction even through the court's own inquiry.