Opinion ID: 516457
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: 5 On July 31, 1984, Evelyn Rosser put her 1982 Chrysler LeBaron in park and got out of the car to open the garage door. The automobile apparently self-shifted from park into reverse and ran over her while she was in her driveway. She died a few hours later, as a result of the injuries she sustained. Her husband and executor of her estate, Norman Rosser, brought a wrongful death and survival action sounding in strict liability and negligence (as well as other claims which were dismissed) against the auto manufacturer, Chrysler, and the parts supplier, Babcock. An individual engineer, John Koepele, also was named as a defendant. Because Chrysler, Babcock and Koepele were not citizens of Illinois, Rosser lodged his suit in federal court on September 6, 1985. He filed his subsequent suit against several non-manufacturing defendants in Illinois state court. This suit did not name Chrysler, Babcock or Koepele. The state court defendants later named Chrysler and Babcock as third-party defendants in the Illinois state court action. Chrysler and Babcock mentioned at oral argument that they were now primary defendants in that case. Koepele was not named in the state court lawsuit.