Aspinall v. McDonnell Douglas Corp.
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
625 F.2d 325 (1980)
Relevant factsFree
Aspinall (plaintiff) had cohabited with Price for four years and was named beneficiary in his will, but she and her children were never married to Price and were not heirs who would have inherited had he died intestate; after Price died in a plane crash, Aspinall sued the aircraft manufacturers (defendants) for wrongful death, and the district court found she lacked standing under California's wrongful-death statute.
IssueFree
Whether beneficiaries of wrongful-death suits are limited to those named in wrongful-death statutes.