SUMMARY ORDER
Vit Florian appeals from a judgment entered on November 27, 2001, in the
Florian’s principal contention on appeal is that the district court, in considering Danaher’s and Snap-On’s motion to dismiss, improperly considered facts that are outside the pleadings, affidavits, and documents attached to the motion.
I.
According to the complaint, Florian, a resident of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and an employee of Bimac Industries, Ltd. (“Bimac”), a company located in Canada, was injured on April 22, 1997, when a torque wrench he was using at his work site broke into two pieces, propelling Florian backward into a protruding piece of steel. Florian alleges that Snap-On and Danaher (through its subsidiary, the Danaher Tool Group) “manufactured, assembled, sold, leased, designed and/or distributed” the torque wrench. Snap-On is incorporated in Wisconsin, and its principal place of business is in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Danaher is a Delaware corporation, with its principal place of business in Washington, D.C.
Florian originally filed suit in Canada against Snap-On Tools of Canada, Ltd. He discontinued the Canadian suit on January 29, 1999, and then brought this products-liability action in Connecticut Superior Court. Danaher and Snap-On removed it to federal court, and moved to dismiss on the basis of forum non conveniens, asserting that Canada was the proper forum. In support, Danaher and Snap-On submitted an affidavit from Anthony Williams, an employee of Danaher Tool Group who investigated Florian’s claim while it was pending in Canada. Florian opposed, citing the responses to his requests for admission filed by Danaher and Snap-On.
The district court granted the motion, finding that (1) Canada is an adequate alternative forum, (2) Florian’s choice of forum is entitled to less deference because he is a foreign citizen, and (3) the public-interest and private-interest factors identified by the Supreme Court in Gulf Oil Corp. v. Gilbert,
II.
“The decision to dismiss a case on forum non conveniens grounds ‘lies wholly within the broad discretion of the district court and may be overturned only when we believe that discretion has been clearly abused.’” Iragorri v. United Techs. Corp.,
Florian does not challenge the district court’s conclusion so much as the court’s reliance on facts contained outside of Anthony Williams’ affidavit. Florian’s position is that a district court may not consider any “facts” other than those presented in submitted affidavits and the pleadings. Florian contends that he was deprived of a meaningful opportunity to be heard.
The district court found that “given the number of potential witnesses who are residents of Canada, this [Gilbert ] factor points towards litigation of this dispute in Canada.” Florian,
In Piper Aircraft Co. v. Reyno,
III.
We have reviewed Florian’s remaining arguments and conclude that they lack merit.
For the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the district court is hereby AFFIRMED.
Notes
. The judgment was conditioned on Danaher’s and Snap-On’s consenting to submit to jurisdiction in Canada, and to waive any statute of limitations defense. That consent was given on December 20, 2001, and the judgment thus became final.
