A Chicago man died after falling from a second-floor balcony of his residence in Roscoe Village. The fall caused multiple injuries which resulted in his ultimate death. He had fallen from the balcony and landed on his head, but when police arrived at the scene he had no visible injuries. The medical examiner’s office ruled the death accidental, but there is no word yet whether there were any safety defects with the balcony. Read more here.
Five years and a number of personal injury lawsuits and wrongful death lawsuits have passed since an apartment porch collapse accident killed 13 people on the city’s north side. Porches are very popular in Chicago, often the focal point of a weekend gathering. Residents should know that there are now only three ways that porches get inspected: by calling 311, during an annual building inspection, and when the porch is constructed. Notably, the porch collapse accident that killed 13 on the city’s north side in 2003 was not detected in five years of annual inspections. Apartment residents who worry that their porch is unsafe and could result in a porch collapse accident should contact the City of Chicago.
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The tragic Cook County office building fire is set to begin in Chicago on April 22 after some delay. The office building fire resulted in the death of six people and injuries to more than two dozen others in 2003 when they were locked in a smoke-filled stairwell. The plaintiffs and victims’ family members hope that a fair settlement can be reached before trial. The trial will involve three wrongful death claims and four personal injury claims. Attorneys for the victims plan to show how rescuers disregarded victims trapped in the stairwells.
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At a news conference this morning, the lawfirm of Levin & Perconti announced that a Cook County judge has accepted a $6 million settlement figure in the Rogers Park fire that was one of the deadliest fires in recent Chicago history. Yadira Ramirez spoke on behalf of her family and the emotional struggles that they have been going through since she lost five siblings in a single blaze. In tears, Ms. Ramirez explained, “Every time we see a family, we remember everything.”
The fire also took the life of a sixth child, the only daughter of Maria Ramos. The wrongful death lawsuit against the owner of the low-income building claimed that the building had faulty smoke detectors that did not sound when the fire started. The source of the fire is believed to have been a candle. The Ramirez family could not afford to pay their electric bill and was using candles to light their apartment at night.
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A $6 million settlement was announced today by John J. Perconti and Patricia M. Gifford of Chicago personal injury firm Levin & Perconti for the deaths of six children and for the injuries of two children on September 3, 2006 in a Rogers Park apartment fire. The settlement was approved by Judge Elizabeth Budzinski today in the Circuit Court of Cook County. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Ramirez and Ramos families. Augusta & Amado Ramirez lost five children in the fire, Kevin, Idaly, Sucette, Erik and Vanessa Ramirez and two other children, William and Natali Ramirez suffered severe burn injuries. A settlement was also reached on behalf of the Ramos family for the death of their daughter, Scarlet Ramos.
On September 3, 2006, a fire broke out at 7706 North Marshfield in Rogers Park claiming the lives of six innocent children and severely injuring two others. Five of the Ramirez children and the Ramos’ only daughter perished in this fire.
A personal injury lawsuit and a wrongful death lawsuit were filed on September 21, 2006 on behalf of the Ramirez and Ramos families against Marshway Limited Partnership, Marshway, L.L.C., and CIG Management L.L.C.
A press conference has been scheduled to formally announce the settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit filed after a Rogers Park fire killed six children ranging from three to fourteen years of age. The fire broke out in one of the several low-income buildings owned by Cornerstone Residential, LLC. The building did not have working smoke detectors.
The conference is scheduled for 10:30 am on November 13, 2007, at Levin & Perconti, the law firm that represented the victim’s families.
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A $960,000 personal injury settlement was made on the behalf of an 88-year-old man who was severely burned in his shower. The man was showering when the water became extremely hot - 180 degrees - causing him to fall in the tub. The man was bed-ridden for months to treat burns on his arms, legs, abdomen and groin. The owners of the building, the plumbers who installed the thermostat and the agency that supplied the nurse who was supposed to be helping the man bathe were all payees on the settlement.
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The Missouri Supreme Court recently ruled against St. Louis in the city’s attempts to force lead paint manufacturers to contribute to the cost of lead paint cleanup. Although lead paint has been banned since 1978 because of its tendency to cause health and developmental problems in children, many older homes still contain it. In a divided ruling, the Supreme Court decided that the city could not hold the manufacturers responsible because an inability to positively identify the paint used in a given home. The majority ruling claimed that because the city’s lawsuit was not a public health matter, and because the city cannot positively identify the products used, the city should pay for cleanup. The dissenting opinion, however, stated that the case is a public health issue because the paint is hazardous, and all manufacturers of the paint should have to contribute, regardless of whether the paint could be identified in certain homes.
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An improperly fastened ATM machine at a Chicago area CVS store fell and caused injuries to a plaintiff’s foot. The personal injury lawsuit was filed recently, citing CVS’ failure to maintain the machine as evidence of premises liability.
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