Gieseke, on behalf of Diversified Water Diversion, Inc., v. IDCA, Inc.
Annotate this CaseJohn Gieseke, on behalf of Diversified Water Diversion, Inc., filed a complaint against IDCA, Inc., asserting claims for, inter alia, tortious interference with Diversified’s prospective economic advantage. The district court found for Diversified on the tortious interference claim and awarded $220,000 in damages. IDCA filed motions for judgment as a matter of law and for a new trial or remittitur, asserting (1) Minnesota does not recognize a cause of action for tortious interference with a prospective economic advantage; (2) even if such a tort were available, Diversified failed to show a reasonable expectation of economic advantage; and (3) the damages awarded in this case were excessive. The district court denied the post-trial motions. The court of appeals affirmed. The Supreme Court reversed and vacated the judgment on the tortious interference claim, holding (1) tortious interference with prospective economic advantage is a viable claim in Minnesota; but (2) Diversified’s claim failed as a matter of law because Diversified failed to specifically identify any third parties with whom it had a reasonable expectation of a future economic relationship and failed to prove damages caused by the wrongful interference with such a relationship. Remanded.
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.