Degraw v. Flowers Transportation, Inc.

The plaintiff, Larry Degraw, filed a complaint in the circuit court of Madison County, Illinois, on January 17, 1985, pursuant to the Merchant Seamen Act, commonly called the Jones Act (46 U.S.C.A. §688 (West 1975)) and general maritime law of the United States. The defendant, Flowers Transportation, Inc., filed an amended motion to decline jurisdiction based upon forum non conveniens, or, in the alternative, to transfer. This motion was denied. This court granted defendant’s petition for leave to appeal under Supreme Court Rule 306(a)(1)(h) (107 Ill. 2d R. 306(a)(l)(ii)).

Plaintiff’s…