Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Long days and warm weather come to Chicago every summer and draw people outside. With a number of residential homes around the city possessing outdoor seating areas, many citizens can enjoy summertime while staying at home or visiting a friend. Porches, decks, and patios can provide a great spot to sit back and relax.
Most people do not think about the safety of a porch when they are using it, but often these porches and decks are in states of disrepair, leading to a potentially hazardous situation and a premises liability accident. These incidents may lead to injuries and the victims of these accidents may be entitled to financial relief. If you have been hurt in a Chicago porch accident, you should consider speaking with a personal injury lawyer to learn about your legal options, including whether you have a valid claim for relief.
Chicago has experienced yet another porch collapse, according to local police. The most recent incident occurred on Sunday evening on the city’s West Side and sent eight people, including two children, to area hospitals.
Officials have reported that the eight victims were in the vicinity of a porch in the 700 block of North St. Louis Avenue around 6:00 p.m. when a porch collapsed for reasons that are not yet clear. At least one adult was in serious condition following the incident but the status of the other victims is not known at this time. Emergency medical crews responded to the crash and transported all victims to nearby hospitals including Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center, Mount Sinai Hospital, and Norwegian-American Hospital.
Like many porches in Chicago, the porch at issue was reportedly constructed of wood. Wood is a safe choice when it comes to building a deck or a porch but it deteriorates with time and exposure to nature, meaning that it must be maintained and rotten or decaying portions must be replaced periodically. Failure to do this may undermine the integrity and structural soundness of a porch. At this early stage of the investigation, officials have not yet determined whether rot or decay played a part in this porch collapse accident.
If you have been hurt by a porch collapse incident in Chicago or for other reasons while in or near a home, you may be entitled to seek relief for your damages through the use of a civil claim. These claims may enable you to recover for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering occurred due to the incident as well as any other damages you were forced to endure.
The lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. have experience representing victims who have been hurt on both private and public property and we are ready to help you, too. We are standing by 24 hours a day to take your call toll free at (855) 529-2442 or locally at (312) 924-7575 and we offer all injury victims a free case consultation. There is no obligation for speaking with us and we never charge our clients a fee unless we make a recovery on their behalves.
If you have been hurt in a porch collapse, call Abels & Annes, P.C. now and let us help you seek a recovery you deserve.
Prior Blog Entry:
Man Reportedly Drunk When Fatal Naperville Crash Occurred, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published July 20, 2014.
Resource:
2 kids, 6 adults injured in West Side porch collapse, Chicago Tribune, published July 20, 2014.