Estate of Krause v. Department of Transportation

52 Ill. Ct. Cl. 99
CourtCourt of Claims of Illinois
DecidedJuly 10, 1995
DocketNo. 89-CC-3839
StatusPublished

This text of 52 Ill. Ct. Cl. 99 (Estate of Krause v. Department of Transportation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Claims of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Estate of Krause v. Department of Transportation, 52 Ill. Ct. Cl. 99 (Ill. Super. Ct. 1995).

Opinion

ORDER

Sommer, J.

This is a claim for wrongful death due to alleged negligence of the State. It is presently before the Court on the Respondents motion to dismiss. Oral argument was heard by the Court on June 20,1994.

The issue before the Court is whether the Claimant gave sufficient notice under section 22 — 1 of the Court of Claims Act. 705 ILCS 505/22 — 1.

The date of the injury was June 27, 1987; the personal representative was qualified on December 2, 1987; the notice was filed on March 1, 1988; and the complaint was filed on June 27, 1989. The notice stated that the-Claimant s decedent was killed “on Route 1-290 in the municipality of Proviso Township, County of Cook.” The Claimant’s complaint later amended the description of the accident scene to make it more specific, but that amendment was after the one year period allowed for notice under section 22 — 1 of the Court of Claims Act.

The Respondent argues that the notice was insufficient because it was unclear as to the exact location of the accident. The notice described a six mile stretch of interstate highway.

The standard for a description of the place of the accident in the notice is stated in Seaton v. State (1966), 25 Ill. Ct. Cl. 291, 293:

“But to be legally sufficient, a notice must contain a sufficiently definite description of the place of the accident to enable the interested parties to identify it from the notice itself * * Reichert v. City of Chicago, 169 Ill. App. 493, quoting from Benson v. City of Madison, 101 Wisc. 312.

Alternatively, it is stated in Seaton:

“" * * A notice would not be deemed fatally defective if, as a matter of fact, the city or state authorities could, without further information from the Claimant determine the exact place of the alleged incident.” p. 294.

In Katrein v. State (1982), 35 Ill. Ct. Cl. 340, 341, a notice stating the accident occurred on “Canal Road in between Ottawa and Marsailles,” a distance of eight miles, was ruled defective. We find that the notice given in the present claim, as in Katrein is defective as it violates the rule established in Seaton. From the description given, the authorities could not tell the accident’s location from the notice itself.

Further we find that a more specific description in the complaint filed more than one year after the date of the qualification of the personal representative fails as it does not give proper notice within one year of the date of qualification of the personal representative as required by section 22 — 1 of the Court of Claims Act.

It is therefore, ordered that the Respondent’s motion to dismiss is granted and that this claim is dismissed.

OPINION

On August 25, 1994, this Court entered an order granting the Respondent’s motion to dismiss this claim. The Claimant filed a petition for rehearing in a timely manner. The full Court heard oral argument on the petition for rehearing on March 29,1995.

The claim before us is for damages for personal injuiy. The issue presented in the motion to dismiss and the petition for rehearing is the adequacy of the notice filed as required by the Court of Claims Act in personal injury claims. 705 ILCS 505/22 — 1.

In the notice filed by the Claimant the “place or location” of the accident complained of was described as “on Route 1-290 in the municipality of Proviso Township, County of Cook.” This location turned out to be a six mile stretch of highway. The notice did include a statement that “A state police report was duly filed in this matter along with a coroner’s inquest held on August 6, 1987, in the County of DuPage, by James P. Paulissen, M.D.” Additionally, the notice failed to contain information concerning the attending physician and the treating hospital. 705ILCS 505/22 — 1.

In its order of August 25, 1994, this Court quoted from Seaton v. State (1966), 25 Ill. Ct. Cl. 291, at 293, as follows:

“But to be legally sufficient, a notice must contain a sufficiently definite description of the place of the accident to enable the interested parties to identify it from the Notice itself * * *.
# e #
* * * a notice would not be deemed factually defective if, as a matter of fact, the city or state authorities could, without further information from the claimant, determine the exact place of the alleged incident.”

The purpose of the notice is to allow the authorities to make an adequate investigation of the claim while the information is still fresh. Hershey v. State (1990), 43 Ill. Ct. Cl. 108.

The notice in this claim is different from that of a notice containing no information at all from which the authorities might easily learn of the location of the accident or the names of the attending physician and treating hospital.

As the Claimant provided information concerning the State police report and the inquest, the site of the accident and the name of the attending physician and treating hospital could be determined without "further information from the Claimant.”

Therefore, upon reconsideration we find that the notice filed in this claim was sufficient.

The Claimant has also filed a motion for leave to file a first amended complaint in order to conform its complaint to the requirements of section 790.50 of the Rules of the Court of Claims. We find nothing prejudicial to the Respondent in granting the motion. It is therefore, ordered that the Claimant’s motion for leave to file a first amended complaint is granted and this Court’s order of August 25, 1994 is stricken, and the Respondent’s motion to dismiss is denied, and this claim shall be returned to the Commissioner for hearing.

This cause comes on to be heard on the parties’ joint stipulation to dismiss, due notice having been given, and the Court being advised, finds:

In pertinent part the parties’ stipulation provides:

2. Claimants’ complaint alleges that on June 27, 1987, Claimant’s decedent sustained fatal injuries while riding his motorcycle on westbound 1-290. Claimants’ complaint alleged that as the decedent came into contact with the curb separating 1-290 from the off-ramp, he lost control and was flipped off his motorcycle.

3. The parties hereto have agreed to a settlement of this claim in order to avoid further litigation. Respondent agrees to the entry of an award in favor of Claimant in the amount of sixty-one thousand, two hundred forty-three dollars and 76/100 ($61,243.76), in full and final satisfaction of the claim herein. The executed general release will shortly be filed with the Court of Claims.

4.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Seaton v. State
25 Ill. Ct. Cl. 291 (Court of Claims of Illinois, 1966)
Katrein v. State
35 Ill. Ct. Cl. 340 (Court of Claims of Illinois, 1982)
Hershey v. State
43 Ill. Ct. Cl. 108 (Court of Claims of Illinois, 1990)
Reichert v. City of Chicago
169 Ill. App. 493 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1912)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
52 Ill. Ct. Cl. 99, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/estate-of-krause-v-department-of-transportation-ilclaimsct-1995.