One Person Seriously Injured as Porch Collapses in Chicago's West Side
According to the Chicago Tribune, one person was severely injured yesterday at the site of a building demolition in the City’s West side. The accident occurred in the Lawndale neighborhood, and initial reports suggest that a porch collapsed on a building on Albany Avenue that was scheduled for destruction.
Our Chicago personal injury attorneys are aware of the potential injuries that occur when porches give way, and were concerned to hear that the victim was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious to critical condition. Details have not yet been released as to the individual’s identity, and it’s not clear as to whether the person was working at the building’s site.
In September of this year, our Chicago personal injury lawyers settled a case with similar circumstances. Attorneys Steven Levin and Michael Bonamarte represented the family of a young man who fell from a porch railing and later died from the injuries he sustained as a result of the accident.
In Illinois, premises liability law may be triggered when a person sustained an injury on another person’s property. As a general rule, the owner or operator of a particular piece of land or building is responsible for ensuring that the premises are safe and that, if they are not, people on the property are made aware of the potential dangers. If the owner fails to do either of these things and another person suffers injury as a result of the titleholder’s failure, the property owner may be liable for damages for the injuries sustained.
In the case handled by our attorneys resulted in a $975,000 Illinois wrongful death settlement for our clients, the family of the man who fell from the second-story porch. The judgment was entered against Stammich Management, LLC, who owned and operated the apartment building that was the scene of the accident.
The railings on the porch at the apartment building were approximately 10 inches lower than the Chicago building code requirement of 42 inches. The landlord was responsible for ensuring that the building met specifications; the suit alleged that had the railings been the appropriate height, the man’s wouldn’t have fallen from the porch.
According to attorney Steven Levin, our client filed suit “to focus attention on porch safety to avoid similar tragedies in the future.” Stammich Management had a duty under the law to maintain its building in a reasonably safe condition for the safety of their tenants and their guests, and often when these types of lawsuits are filed, the resulting exposure serves as a lesson to other building and property owners to encourage them to prevent hazards and therefore avoid these types of injuries in the future. “We hope that this case will set an example for other landlords in Chicago, and will motivate them to maintain their properties in accordance with the City Code to prevent future accidents,” said Levin.
If you or a loved one have suffered injury as a result of a property owner’s negligence in maintaining his or her property, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Contact an attorney immediately to be apprised of your rights under the law.
