It was reported on Oct. 14 that an Illinois woman filed a lawsuit against her father’s landlord and the realty group that owned the building after a flood occurred in the basement apartment the father was renting. The woman claimed that the landlord refused to take care of the water, causing the woman’s father to suffer injuries and ultimately die.
The lawsuit was filed on Sept. 22 in the Cook County Circuit Court. According to the documents, the woman’s father was a tenant in a building that was owned and managed by the defendants. The documents claim that the building’s pipes burst, flooding the basement apartment. The woman reportedly notified the landlord of the issue and requested that the water be cleaned up immediately since her father was on oxygen.
The landlord ultimately failed to remove the water, which the plaintiff claimed caused her father to suffer serious injuries. The man later died from these injuries. The woman is seeking at least $50,000 in damages and court costs.
In the state of Illinois, those who own property have the responsibility of ensuring that their property is safe for those who rent or visit the premises. If they fail to mitigate any damages that occur on the property and someone suffers injuries as a result, the parties responsible for managing the property could be held accountable for damages. When dangerous property conditions cause injuries that lead to a victim’s death, an administrator of the deceased’s estate could seek compensation for funeral costs, lost future earning potential and lost companionship.
Source: The Cook County Record, “Suit: Landlords’ failure to remove flood water led to tenant’s death”, Annie Cosby, October 14, 2014