Barnes v. Southern Railway Co.

The plaintiff, Robert Barnes, brought this action in the circuit court of St. Clair County pursuant to the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) (45 U.S.C. sec. 51 et seq. (1982)) for personal injuries allegedly caused by the negligence of his employer, the Southern Railway Company (Southern). The circuit court denied Southern’s motion to reconsider a prior order denying its motion to decline jurisdiction on the grounds of forum non conveniens. Pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 306 (94 Ill. 2d R. 306(a)(1)(ii)), Southern filed a petition for interlocutory appeal from this order, which was…