SCHAEFER v. SYNERGY FLIGHT CENTER, LLC

No. 1-18-1779.

136 N.E.3d 1088 (2019)

2019 IL App (1st) 181779

John C. SCHAEFER, as Administrator of Estate of Andrew C. Butler, Deceased; Lyndsey F. Jones, as Executor of the Estate of Woodrow Jason Jones, Deceased; Lindsay R. Leetch, as Executor of the Estate of Aaron R. Leetch, Deceased; Joan B. Stralow, as Executor of the Estate of Terry L. Stralow, Deceased; and Janice Ward, as Administrator of the Estate of Torrey Ward, Deceased, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. SYNERGY FLIGHT CENTER, LLC, a Limited Liability Company; Aircraft Propeller Service, LLC, a Limited Liability Company; Aircraft Propeller Service, Inc., a Corporation; G & N Aircraft, Inc., a Corporation; RAM Aircraft, L.P., a Limited Partnership; Continental Motors, Inc., a Corporation; Sandel Avionics, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin International, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin AT, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin USA, Inc., a Corporation; and Garmin North America, Inc., a Corporation, Defendants (RAM Aircraft, L.P., Defendant-Appellant). Ami Hileman, as Executor of the Estate of Thomas W. Hileman, Deceased, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Synergy Flight Center, LLC, an Illinois Limited Liability Company for Profit; G & N Aircraft, Inc., a Corporation for Profit; Continental Motors, Inc., a Corporation for Profit; RAM Aircraft Propeller Service, Inc., an Illinois Corporation for Profit; and Aircraft Propeller Service, LLC, an Illinois Limited Liability Company for Profit, Defendants (RAM Aircraft, L.P., Defendant-Appellant). Carrie L. Bittner, as Executive of the Estate of Scott Lee Bittner, Deceased, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Synergy Flight Center, LLC, a Limited Liability Company; Aircraft Propeller Service, LLC, a Limited Liability Company; Aircraft Propeller Service, Inc., a Corporation; G & N Aircraft, Inc., a Corporation; RAM Aircraft, L.P., a Limited Partnership; Continental Motors, Inc., a Corporation; Sandel Avionics, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin International, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin AT, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin USA, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin North America, Inc., a Corporation, Defendants (RAM Aircraft, L.P., Defendant-Appellant). Joan B. Stralow, as Executor of the Estate of Terry L. Stralow, Deceased, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Synergy Flight Center, LLC, a Limited Liability Company; Aircraft Propeller Service, LLC, a Limited Liability Company; Aircraft Propeller Service, Inc., a Corporation; G & N Aircraft, Inc., a Corporation; RAM Aircraft, L.P., a Limited Partnership; Continental Motors, Inc., a Corporation; Sandel Avionics, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin International, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin AT, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin USA, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin North America, Inc., a Corporation, Defendants (RAM Aircraft, L.P., Defendant-Appellant). Lyndsey F. Jones, as Executor of the Estate of Woodrow Jason Jones, Deceased, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Synergy Flight Center, LLC, a Limited Liability Company; Aircraft Propeller Service, LLC, a Limited Liability Company; Aircraft Propeller Service, Inc., a Corporation; G & N Aircraft, Inc., a Corporation; RAM Aircraft, L.P., a Limited Partnership; Continental Motors, Inc., a Corporation; Sandel Avionics, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin International, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin AT, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin USA, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin North America, Inc., a Corporation, Defendants (RAM Aircraft, L.P., Defendant-Appellant). Lindsay R. Leetch, as Executor of the Estate of Aaron R. Leetch, Deceased, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Synergy Flight Center, LLC, a Limited Liability Company; Aircraft Propeller Service, LLC, a Limited Liability Company; Aircraft Propeller Service, Inc., a Corporation; G & N Aircraft, Inc., a Corporation; RAM Aircraft, L.P., a Limited Partnership; Continental Motors, Inc., a Corporation; Sandel Avionics, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin International, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin AT, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin USA, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin North America, Inc., a Corporation, Defendants (RAM Aircraft, L.P., Defendant-Appellant). Janice Ward, as Administrator of the Estate of Torrey Ward, Deceased, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Synergy Flight Center, LLC, a Limited Liability Company; Aircraft Propeller Service, LLC, a Limited Liability Company; Aircraft Propeller Service, Inc., a Corporation; G & N Aircraft, Inc., a Corporation; RAM Aircraft, L.P., a Limited Partnership; Continental Motors, Inc., a Corporation; Sandel Avionics, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin International, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin AT, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin USA, Inc., a Corporation; Garmin North America, Inc., a Corporation, Defendants (RAM Aircraft, L.P., Defendant-Appellant).

Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, FIRST DIVISION.

August 26, 2019.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

John S. Hoff and Jared A. Schneider , of Cremer, Spina, Shaughnessy, Jansen & Siegert, LLC, of Chicago, for appellant.

Donald J. Nolan , Thomas P. Routh , and Michael S. McArdle , of Nolan Law Group, of Chicago, for appellees John C. Schaefer, Carrie L. Bittner, Lyndsey F. Jones, and Lindsay R. Leetch.

Kevin J. Golden , of Dudley & Lake, LLC, of Chicago, for appellee Joan B. Stralow.

David I. Katzman , of Katzman Lampert & Stoll, of Troy, Michigan, for appellee Ami Hileman.

Matthew C. Minner , of Hare Wynn Newell & Newton, of Lexington, Kentucky, for other appellee.


OPINION

¶ 1 Seven men died from a plane crash in Illinois on April 7, 2015. The estates of the seven men filed complaints against RAM Aircraft, L.P. (RAM) and others for negligence. The circuit court denied RAM's motion to dismiss it from the lawsuits for lack of personal...

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