Opinion ID: 2056494
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Public Interest Factors

Text: The accident here occurred in De Kalb County, and the plaintiffs' negligence claim against Guerine has a local flavor. The plaintiffs' products liability claim against J.Q. Tex, however, is less localized. Additionally, we note that Cook County has a legitimate connection to the litigation because Guerine lives in Cook County, and he presumably drove his trailer on Cook County roads. Finally, although the Cook County circuit court is more congested than either Kane or De Kalb County circuit courts, court congestion alone is not dispositive. We live in a smaller world than that contemplated by the Gulf Oil Court, or even this court in Torres. Today, we are connected by interstate highways, bustling airways, telecommunications, and the world wide web. Today, conveniencethe touchstone of the forum non conveniens doctrinehas a different meaning. See Peile, 163 Ill.2d at 345, 206 Ill.Dec. 179, 645 N.E.2d 184 (Harrison, J., dissenting). That is, the convenience of the parties depends in large measure upon the context in which we evaluate their convenience. In this case, a conscientious and experienced trial judge thought forum non conveniens decisions from this court and the appellate court required him to transfer this cause away from Cook County. We disagree, but our conclusion carries no pejorative connotations. Illinois forum non conveniens law is admittedly less than clear. In an effort to clarify the doctrine, we hold that a trial court abuses its discretion in granting an intrastate forum non conveniens motion to transfer venue where, as here, the potential trial witnesses are scattered among several counties, including the plaintiff's chosen forum, and no single county enjoys a predominant connection to the litigation. The balance of factors must strongly favor transfer of the case before the plaintiff can be deprived of his chosen forum. See Peile, 163 Ill.2d at 345, 206 Ill.Dec. 179, 645 N.E.2d 184. This is not such a case.