Personal Injury Law

Illinois Wrongful Death Settlement Reached in Man?s Parking Lot Death

The family of Chris Gaston has settled their Illinois wrongful death against the city of Danville. Of the $700,000 settlement, $100,000 each will go to Gaston?s father Charles Gaston Jr., his mother, Carol Barfel, and his two sister, Mariah and Monica Gaston.

Gaston died in the Walnut Street parking garage stairwell on April 4, 2006. The then-17-year-old was found dead at the bottom of the stairwell. His cause of death was head trauma after the stairwell collapsed while he was on it.

If you or someone you love was injured on another party?s premise, you may have grounds for filing a Chicago, Illinois wrongful death lawsuit against the property owner.

Parking garages can be the site of violent crimes, car accidents, sexual assaults, theft crimes, or other personal injuries. Parking garage owners know this, which is why they must make sure that any dangers are repaired or removed and there is adequate security and appropriate lighting. In the Vermillion County wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Danville, the family claimed that the city either knew or should have known that the stairwell needed to be replaced or repaired.

Three years before Gaston died, McClintock Civil Engineering Service had inspected the stairwell. The company told the city of Danville that ?pack rust? was beginning to accumulate on the stairway, which was beginning to fail. The engineer also said that the stairwell was springy, lacked a connection at its base, and could collapse under occupant load. The report found that replacing the stairwell wasn't necessary. The city of Danville paid for repairs.

McClintock Civil Engineering Service and Schomburg and Schomburg, which made the repairs to the stairwell. These two defendants have already settled their wrongful death cases with the Gaston family.

Lawsuit over death in city garage settlement: $700,000, The News-Gazette, May 7, 2010

Settlement numbers approved by judge, Commercial-News, May 7, 2010

Related Web Resource:
City of Gaston

Premises Liability, Justia

Full post as published by Chicago Injury Attorney Blog on May 25, 2010 (boomark / email).