S.S. Philippine Jose Abad Santos and National Development Co. v. Jessie P. Bannister

A longshoreman brought this libel in the District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against a vessel, the SS PHILIPPINE JOSE ABAD SANTOS, and its owner, the National Development Company, for injuries received while unloading the vessel in New Orleans. Since the owner is not qualified to do business in Louisiana and is without an assigned agent for service of process there, service was made on the Louisiana Secretary of State pursuant to the Louisiana Watercraft Statute, LSA-R.S. 13:3479-80. The respondents moved to quash service, asserting that the Watercraft Statute is unconstitutional. The motion was denied, and this appeal was certified and granted in accordance with 28 U.S.C. ? 1292(a) (3), (b).