Kreisman Law Offices Professional Corporation
A 41 year old construction worker died when he fell through the elevator shaft of a Chicago Loop building project. The man, a carpenter by trade, was working on a tenant build-out on the 11th floor of the high-rise building when the Chicago construction site accident occurred.
It was alleged in the plaintiffs’ complaint that the building owners were negligent in violating several Illinois safety laws. In addition to failing to maintain the elevator safely or conduct basic inspections of the elevator, the lawsuit filed claimed that the building owner violated Cook County building codes preventing interlocking doors from opening unless the elevator car was present.
It was claimed that the freight elevator where the worker died was antiquated. An example given was that the doors would open while the elevator car was on a different floor. This fact played a large role in this man’s wrongful death because he apparently opened the elevator doors only to discover that the elevator car was actually more than 100 feet below. The worker had intended to enter and operate the elevator, but its absence led to his death.
The Chicago construction worker was survived by his wife and three young children. The case was settled before trial with the assistance of a Cook County Circuit Court judge. Issues of apportionment and contribution are pending between the owner, general contractors, maintenance companies and employer of the deceased.
Chicago’s Kreisman Law Offices has been handling Illinois construction injury lawsuits for over 30 years, serving the areas in and around Cook County, including Barrington, Oak Park, Blue Island, and Wilmette.