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Khan v. Enterprise Rent-A-Car-Co.12/30/2004
m here because the Dawdy Court expressly rejected the contention that a corporate defendant doing business in the chosen forum affects the forum non conveniens issue. As stated in Dawdy, " forum non conveniens motion causes a court to look beyond the criteria of venue[,] [i.e., beyond the criteria of whether a corporate defendant is doing business in the chosen forum for venue purposes] when it considers the relative convenience of a forum." (Emphasis added). Dawdy, 207 Ill. 2d at 182. Rather, we find that DuPage County has a strong connection to the issue presented here, namely, whether Lopez was negligent when she collided with Muhammed and Maheen at the intersection in DuPage County. Clearly, DuPage County, and not Cook County, has an interest in the safety of DuPage County's streets, intersections, and drivers. Moreover, DuPage County has a local interest here because plaintiffs, at least one defendant, and all witnesses to the accident reside in DuPage County. Cook County has little or no interest in trying the action of a nonresident whose claim is based on negligence occurring in another county. Although plaintiffs argue that Cook County has a strong connection because Muhammed was treated for his injuries and died in Cook County, again, this factor is essentially irrelevant to Lopez's alleged negligence in striking Muhammed and Maheen. Additionally, with respect to jury duty, it would be unfair to burden Cook County jurors with determining whether defendants were negligent in connection with the collision in DuPage County. Accordingly, we find that the public interest factors strongly favor transfer to DuPage County.
Because both the private and public interest factors strongly favor transfer to DuPage County, we find that the trial court abused its discretion in denying defendants' motion to reconsider its denial of their motion to transfer venue from Cook County to DuPage County based upon the doctrine of forum non conveniens.
CONCLUSION
For the reasons stated, we reverse the judgment of the circuit court of Cook County.
Reversed.
WOLFSON and GARCIA, JJ., concur.
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