Gray v. National Restoration Systems, Inc.
| Decision Date | 16 April 2004 |
| Docket Number | No. 1-01-4062.,1-01-4062. |
| Citation | 820 N.E.2d 943,354 Ill. App.3d 345 |
| Parties | Valerie GRAY, Indiv., and as Independent Adm'r of the Estate of William Gray, deceased, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. NATIONAL RESTORATION SYSTEMS, INC., an Illinois corporation; Crenova, Inc., a foreign corporation, f/k/a Hüls America, Inc., a foreign corporation; and the Glenrock Co., an Illinois corporation, Defendants-Appellees (Degussa Corporation, a foreign corporation; Creanova, Inc., a foreign corporation; Sivento, Inc., a foreign corporation; Degussa Hüls Corporation, a foreign corporation, f/k/a Hüls America, Inc., a foreign corporation, f/k/a Sivento Inc., a foreign corporation, f/k/a Kay Fries, Inc., a foreign corporation, f/k/a Dynamit Nobel Corporation of America, Inc., a foreign corporation, f/k/a Degussa Corporation, Defendants). |
| Court | United States Appellate Court of Illinois |
O'Callaghan & Colleagues, P.C., Chicago (Joseph Michael O'Callaghan, of counsel), for Appellant.
Meyer, Kreuzer, Esp & Cores, Wheaton (Nichole L. Johns and Adam S. Kreuzer, of counsel), for Appellee National Restoration Systems, Inc.
Cassiday, Schade & Gloor, Chicago (Brian A. Schroeder, David C. Van Dyke and Donald F. Ivansek, of counsel), for Appellee Glenrock Corporation.
The plaintiff, Valerie Gray (Gray), individually and as special administrator of the estate of William Gray, deceased, (decedent), brought a survival action, an action for wrongful death and a family expense action against the defendants, National Restoration Systems, Inc. (National Restoration), Crenova, Inc., f/k/a Hüls America, Inc. (Hüls),1 and The Glenrock Corporation (Glenrock), to recover damages for the fatal injuries incurred by her husband, the decedent, resulting from an explosion at the decedent's workplace.
Gray appeals from the following orders of the circuit court of Cook County: (1) an order of May 31, 2000, which granted National Restoration's motion to dismiss Gray's second amended complaint pursuant to section 2-619(a)(9) of the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure (735 ILCS 5/2-619(a)(9) (West 2002)) with prejudice, (2) an order of September 13, 2000, that granted summary judgment in favor of Hüls as to certain portions of Gray's second amended complaint, (3) an order of September 12, 2000, that granted Glenrock's section 2-619 motion to dismiss Gray's second amended complaint with prejudice, and the portion of a June 20, 2001 order that denied Gray's motion for leave to allow her third amended complaint to stand against Glenrock and that also struck Glenrock from Gray's third amended complaint, and (4) a September 28, 2001, order that denied Gray's motion to plead punitive damages. For the reasons that follow, we reverse the decision of the trial court in part, affirm it in part, and remand the cause for further proceedings.
National Resurfacing, Inc. (National Resurfacing), and National Restoration provided concrete repair, waterproofing and caulking services for a restoration project located at the Days Inn Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, in July 1995. During a deposition, Thomas F. Reagan (T. Reagan) stated that he was the president of National Restoration and oversaw the Days Inn project. T. Reagan said that at the time of the occurrence, the decedent was an employee of National Restoration.
During a deposition, Frank Reagan (F. Reagan), T. Reagan's father and also an owner of National Restoration and National Resurfacing, stated that although National Restoration and National Resurfacing were two separate legal entities, he and his son ran the two companies as if they were one. F. Reagan stated that the decedent was an employee of National Resurfacing at the time of the incident. F. Reagan's statement was supported by a W2 form for the decedent which was from National Resurfacing.
Hüls manufactures a concrete waterproofing product called Chem-Trete BSM 20. Glenrock sells construction products including Chem-Trete BSM 20. Glenrock sold Chem-Trete BSM 20 to National Restoration and National Resurfacing for the Days Inn project.
The decedent worked as a laborer at the Days Inn project. On July 20, 1995, decedent was fatally injured when he attempted to saw the lid off a 55-gallon drum that contained residue of Chem-Trete BSM 20 and the drum exploded.
Deposition testimony reveals that Nicholas LaFleur, the decedent's direct supervisor, had instructed the decedent to load a Dumpster with debris by use of a chute from the second floor which led to the Dumpster. Several hours later, decedent's co-worker, Gerald McLin, spoke with decedent and as McLin turned to walk away, he saw decedent pick up a saw. When McLin was approximately eight feet away from Gray, McLin heard the saw cut into a drum and then heard a loud explosion. McLin turned around and saw flames.
Chem-Trete BSM 20 consists in relevant part of 70% ethanol and 10% methanol. Hüls attached a label to every container of Chem-Trete BSM 20 which displays a large red diamond with a flame inside and reads: "FLAMMABLE LIQUID." The label also contains the following additional warnings:
F. Reagan stated that he informed the decedent in July 1995 that the material safety data sheet (MSDS) for the Chem-Trete BSM 20 was in the "job box" and that the decedent could read it anytime. LaFleur confirmed that the MSDS for the Chem-Trete BSM 20 was in the job box and that the decedent could read it anytime. T. Reagan also confirmed that the MSDS was in the job box.
After the explosion, photographs were taken of the drum that the decedent had cut with a saw. The pictures revealed that some text was missing from the label, but that the warnings, "Since emptied containers retain product residue, follow label warnings even when container is emptied," and "KEEP AWAY FROM HEAT, SPARKS, AND FLAME," appear on the label, along with the large, red diamond with the warning "FLAMMABLE LIQUID."
On October 5, 1995, Gray filed a worker's compensation claim (Application for adjustment No. 95 WC 57531), with the State of Illinois Industrial Commission against "National Resurfacing Inc. d/b/a National Restoration Systems" for damages associated with decedent's fatal accident.
On June 25, 1997, Gray filed suit against: (1) "National Restoration Systems, Inc., f/k/a National Resurfacing Inc.," for negligence, (2) Hüls for negligence and strict liability, and (3) American States Insurance Co., Weidner & McAuliffe, Ltd., and Richard J. Leamy, Jr., for spoliation of evidence.
On July 21, 1997, Gray filed her first amended complaint. Once again the complaint named "National Restoration Systems, Inc., f/k/a National Resurfacing Inc.," as a defendant. Furthermore, Gray added seven additional defendants, which included Glenrock for strict liability and negligence.
On September 30, 1997, "National Restoration Systems, Inc., f/k/a National Resurfacing Inc. (collectively, `National')," filed a motion to dismiss Gray's first amended complaint pursuant to section 2-619 of the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure (735 ILCS 5/2-619(a)(9) (West 2002)) based on the exclusive remedy provision of the Workers' Compensation Act (820 ILCS 305/5(a) (West 2002)) (the Act), which states:
"No common law or statutory right to recover damages from the employer * * * for injury or death sustained by any employee while engaged in the line of his duty as such employee, other than the compensation herein provided, is available to any employee who is covered by the provisions of this Act, to any one wholly or partially dependent upon him, the legal representatives of his estate, or any one otherwise entitled to recover damages for such injury."
On December 22, 1997, the trial court denied National Restoration's motion without prejudice. The trial court advised the parties that if Gray collected any money from National Restoration in the worker's compensation proceeding, her common law action would be dismissed.
Gray's claims against Richard J. Leamy, Jr., were settled and dismissed on April 2, 1999. On April 12, 1999, Gray's claims against American States Insurance Co. and Weidner & McAuliffe, Ltd., were settled and dismissed.
On February 14, 2000, Gray filed a second amended complaint against "National Restoration Systems, Inc., an Illinois corporation," Hüls and Glenrock. In the complaint, Gray alleged that Hüls and Glenrock negligently failed to incorporate labeling on Chem-Trete BSM 20 drums that would warn users of: (1) its explosive potential in violation of 29 CFR § 1910.1200(f) (2003), and (2) the nature and extent of the risk and harm from explosion when power equipment capable of producing heat or sparks is operated on or in the vicinity of Chem-Trete BSM 20. In addition, Gray alleged that Hüls and Glenrock carelessly and negligently: (1) failed to provide adequate warnings to users of Chem-Trete BSM 20 that would give notice of the concealed risk of the explosive potential of Chem-Trete BSM 20 vapors remaining in purportedly empty drums; (2) sold to National Restoration a quantity of Chem-Trete BSM 20 without investigating the ability of National Restoration to apply, use, store and dispose of such a chemical safely; (3) failed to ascertain whether National Restoration complied with applicable federal regulations in its use of Chem-Trete BSM 20; (4) failed to approve users of their product; and (5) sold drums of Chem-Trete BSM 20 to persons who were not qualified applicators of the chemical.
On March 1, 2000, the Industrial Commission approved a settlement in Gray's worker's compensation claim. The settlement contract lump-sum petition and order (settlement contract) was entitled "Valerie...
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