Legal Definitions - long-arm statute

A long-arm statute is a law that allows a court to have power over an out-of-state defendant if they have a connection to the state. This means that even if the defendant is not from the state, they can still be sued in that state if they have done something that gives the court jurisdiction over them.

For example, if someone from California gets into a car accident in New York and injures someone, the injured person can sue them in New York even though the defendant is from California. This is because New York has a long-arm statute that allows them to have jurisdiction over the defendant due to their actions in the state.

However, just because a court has jurisdiction over a defendant does not mean they will always use it. The court must also consider if it is fair to the defendant to be sued in that state and if it is efficient for the court to handle the case.

Overall, a long-arm statute allows a court to have power over an out-of-state defendant if they have a connection to the state, but the court must also consider fairness and efficiency before asserting jurisdiction.