Wrongful Death

February 5, 2013

The City of Chicago is Liable to the Estate of a Domestic Violence Victim

Our Chicago personal injury lawyers report that the City of Chicago is liable for the wrongful death of a victim of domestic violence for failure to arrest the assailant despite several 911 calls, the Illinois Appellate Court decided on January 17, 2013.

Henry Fenton was murdered by his girlfriend’s son, Rovale Brim, following a violent argument between Fenton, his girlfriend, and her son. The facts recited by the appellate court reveal that on March 4, 2002, Fenton called 911 at 1:37 am, alerting the emergency operator that his girlfriend’s son was arguing in loud and boisterous fashion and was violent. The operator dispatched police officers who were confronted with an “angry, drunken, and boisterous Rovale” who was yelling at his mother, and was making violent movements with a bottle in his hands. The officers separated the individuals, and escorted Rovale to his basement bedroom where he lived. They did not arrest Rovale at this time.

Fenton dialed the emergency 911 line for a second time at 2:30 am, and when the officers arrived at the home, they saw a similar situation as was developing earlier. At that time Rovale’s mother asked that he be removed from the residence. The officers allowed drunken Rovale to leave the residence, and wait outside in a zero degree temperature, for a girlfriend to pick him up. The officers left, while Rovale was waiting outside about a block from the home of his mother and Fenton.

January 9, 2013

TV And Furniture Tip-Over Deaths On The Rise

by Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C.

The Chicago product liability attorneys of Zneimer & Zneimer p.c. reviewed a report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) stating that 349 individuals (84 percent being children younger than 9 years old) were killed by toppling TV’s or furniture between 2000 and 2001. The year 2011 had a record 41 deaths caused by toppling TVs or furniture. The CPSC is urging that TVs and furniture be anchored to stabilized to prevent tip-overs.

CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum urged: “We know that low-cost anchoring devices are effective in preventing tip-over incidents…I urge parents to anchor their TVs, furniture and appliances and protect their children. It takes just a few minutes to do and it can save lives.”

It is estimated that43,000 people are injured in tip over accidents with 59% percent of these injuries are to children under the age of 18. TVs seem to be particularly deadly, accounting for 62% of the deaths. In 57 percent of the death cases the victim was hit on the head by the falling object.

July 21, 2012

Correctional Officer killed in a Car Accident While Going to Work in Chicago

by Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C.

Nikkii Bostic-Jones, 38, was struck while crossing California Avenue near 29th Street just before 11 p.m. Wednesday. According to police sources, she was hit by a navy blue van with stolen license plates and knocked into the path of a sheriff’s squad car, which pinned her underneath it.

After the occurrence, police issued an alert for the van, described as a navy blue full-size conversion van, possibly with blue and white stripes. The alert said the van may have damage to the headlights, front end, and right side.

Late Thursday afternoon, police found a van matching the description and took a 55-year-old man into custody. The man, who has a history of traffic violations, lives near the jail, a source said.

June 8, 2012

Bill Will Ban Use of Cell Phones Near Accident Scenes

by Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C.

The bill’s goal is to reduce the risk of injuries to people already involved in an accident and emergency personnel that are attending to the crash. There have been several cases where emergency personnel have been injured by careless drivers too engulfed in a phone conversation to notice an accident scene ahead of them. With this initiative the flashing lights of any kind of parked emergency vehicle will mean Illinois drivers must hang up their phones.

Whenever a careless driver causes an accident the victim should not have to pay for the damage suffered. If the driver is using a company telephone and is carrying out a business-related conversation, the driver’s employer may be vicariously liable for the driver’s negligence. It is important to know your legal rights. If you have been involved in an auto accident contact Chicago personal injury attorneys Zneimer & Zneimer P.C for a free personal injury consultation.

The legislation would make it illegal for drivers to make calls with a hand-held phone within 500 feet of an accident scene where emergency vehicles have flashing lights, except for reporting emergencies. It also bans sending picture and video messages while driving at any time. The last thing could be logical because sending messages implies drivers looking at the cell phone instead looking at the road.

May 30, 2012

Dangerous dogs attack woman and police officer in the Southwest Side of Chicago

by Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C.

Two grey pit-bull terriers attacked a woman while she was returning home from the Laundromat in the Little Village neighborhood at about 3:40 pm. The dogs also attacked an Ogden District police officer that was responding to the emergency. The police officer shot one of the dogs.

The woman and the Chicago police officer were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where both were treated for multiple bites. According to police sources, as the woman was trying to enter the back of her home, one of the two dogs bit her on her right hand several times and then lunged for her neck. When she lifted her wounded arm to protect her neck, the dog bit her in the underarm area.

A neighbor whose attention was caught by the woman´s screaming, threw a piece of meat at the dogs trying to distract them as the injured woman was lying on the ground, police said.

May 22, 2012

Worker dies in explosion, ten others injured

by Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C.

Arens Controls Company, L.L.C. boasts as a world leader in engineering and manufacturing precision operator interface control systems, and systems for commercial vehicles. Based on preliminary information, it appears that in its quest for technical leadership, the company neglected the safety of its own workers. Today one person died and ten others were injured when a chemical exploded in one of their warehouses. Seven workers and three police officers were taken to the hospital. According to hospital personnel, the victims were exposed to potassium hydroxide, a skin and respiratory irritant.

Tragedies like these are preventable if the company had followed proper safety precautions. Investigators from the Illinois State Fire Marshall’s office and OSHA have been called in and the results of the investigation may take many weeks.

Chicago personal injury attorneys Zneimer & Zneimer p.c. have represented victims of industrial accidents where often the cause is the company’s failure to follow industry safety guidelines. If you or a loved one has been inured in an accident, contact Chicago personal injury attorneys for a free personal injury consultation.

May 14, 2012

Defendant Did Not Give Aid Negligently Where He Failed to Give Any Aid

by Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C.

The plaintiff, Tina Miller, mother and special administrator of Kyle Christian sued several people for negligently aiding her son Kyle who died after a heroin overdose. The plaintiff claimed that the defendant voluntarily undertook the duty to help Kyle, but did so negligently, and as a result, Kyle Christian died.

Facts

Christian, and a couple of associates, Moors and Hecox, started using heroin in the spring of 2006. To finance their heroin habit, Christian, Moors, and Hecox were stealing copper out of new construction homes and from stores. On the day Kyle Christian died, the group went to Kyle’s garage where he had some copper and sold the copper to a scrap yard. With the money the group bought six bags of heroin and Kyle ingested two bags of heroin. At some point Moors and Hecox noticed that Kyle was pale, and that his breathing was abnormal. Hecox began giving Kyle CPR. The group then drove to the house of another associate, Brian Hoshaw, to ask Hoshaw to check on Kyle as Hoshaw had seen Kyle overdose before and had experience with overdosing. The tree soon left Hoshaw’s house and went to a restaurant, called Spring Garden.