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Chicago White Sox and City of Champions Bar Sued for Wrongful Death

The mother of a University of Illinois college student who died in a Joliet hit-and-run accident in 2008 is suing the Chicago White Sox and City of Champions bar for wrongful death. Maria Lech?s Cook County wrongful death lawsuit is also suing At Your Service, ChiSox Corp, Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, SDI Security, Illinois Sportservice, and Marsha Ortega and Leopoldo Robles, Jr., who own the City of Champions bar.

Lech?s contends that the bar overserved her daughter, Melissa Lech, who was a minor, 20, on the night that she died. She says her daughter was so drunk that bar employees made her leave the bar. Robles, however, claims that workers checked Melissa?s ID and she was only allowed into the bar so she could ask friends for a ride home.

Following a local hearing, however, Joliet Mayor and Liquor Commissioner Art Schultz said there is no evidence confirming that the bar ever served Melissa alcohol. The city did close the City of Champions bar down for a week for letting minors onto the premise.

Lech?s Chicago wrongful death complaint also accuses the bar of overserving the person that fatally hit her daughter with his vehicle. The driver then fled the Joliet car accident site. Lech is citing the Dram Shop Act in her claim. However, a hit-and-run driver has not been identified and no one has been charged yet with Melissa?s death.

Lech is also accusing White Sox vendors of letting her daughter buy alcohol and not checking her ID to make sure she wasn?t a minor.

Melissa and her friends had been drinking at a Chicago White Sox game before going to the bar on the night of August 6, 2008. She was later found lying on McDonough Street in Joliet. Autopsy results show that the 20-year-old died of severe blunt head trauma.

Mom sues Sox, bar in fatal Joliet hit-and-run, The Herald News, August 1, 2009

College Student Killed In Joliet Hit-And-Run, CBS, August 8, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Illinois General Assembly

City of Champions

Chicago White Sox

Full post as published by Chicago Injury Attorney Blog on July 31, 2009 (boomark / email).