The family of a Chicago firefighter who was killed in a fire last year has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Sing Way Cleaners.  The fire occurred at an abandoned building owned by the company.

In the lawsuit, the family argues that the defendant is responsible for the firefighter's death by ignoring building repairs ordered by the city.  Investigators found that if the property's owners had made the repairs or torn down the building, the firefighter would not have been killed.

Another firefighter was also killed in the blaze and 19 others were injured.  The fire caused the building's roof to collapse making the situation all the more dangerous.  

The first of several premises liability lawsuits have been filed over the stage collapse at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis earlier this month.  The collapse occurred just before a Sugarland concert and left 6 dead and 40 injured.

The devestating accident has officials investigating safety regulations at parks and similar locations.  The stage collapse was the third incident of the summer in the U.S. involving an accident at an ourdoor music event.

The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be involved in investigations into the accident because multiple event workers were killed and injured in the stage collapse.   

On Tuesday, a bill called "Zach's Law" was signed by Govenor Quinn to prevent children from being injured by unsecured, falling soccer goals at parks and schools.  The law was named to honor 6-year old Zach Tran and his family.  The boy was killed 8 years ago when a soccer goal fell and hit him on the back of his head.

After the tragic accident, the Tran family took it upon themselves to draw attention to the potentially fatal injuries that can occur if a soccer goal is not properly secured.  In the past 30 years, there have been 30 deaths caused by falling soccer goals.

Investigators determiend that it only takes about 25 pounds of force to knock over an unsecured goal.  "Zach's Law" bans the production and sale of soccer goals in Illinois that are not deemed tip-resistant.  Older soccer goals at parks, schools, and other locations are also required to be properly anchored in the ground under the new law.

If you or someone you love has been injured on another's property, contact the Chicago premises liability lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. at 312-466-8200 to learn more about your rights.

The City of Chicago has agreed to pay $1.55 million to a boy who was seriously injured in an accident involving a falling tree branch.  The accident occurred in 2006 when then 4-year old Jaylen Raggs was hit in the head by a tree branch that fell from a recently trimmed tree in the city.  

The family consulted with an expert arborist who corroborated that the part of the tree the branch fell from was either weakened or dead and that the city's forestry crew should have noticed.  Jaylen suffered from a depressed skull fracture after being hit by the tree branch.  The young boy remained at the University of Chicago Hospital for two and a half weeks after the accident for craniotomy and other treatments.  

In addition to the skull fracture, Jaylen suffered from muscle spasms, weakness and trouble eating and swallowing.  After leaving the hospital, the 4-year old spent 4 months in physical and occupational therapy.  

If you or someone you love has been injured on another's property, contact the Chicago premises liability attorneys of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. at 312-466-8200 to learn more about your rights. 

Last week, four people were injured and hospitalized after the second story rear porch of a home located on the 3700 block of North Ashland collapsed.  Witnesses to the collapse said that it occurred during a house warming party.  The porch was holding ten people when it collapsed.

Chicago buildings department spokesperson Bill McCaffrey described the porch as "an older porch, several decades old".

One woman hurt in the accident filed a lawsuit against the owner of the property.  The suit claims that the owner of the building did not make sure that their property, the porch specifically, followed the City of Chicago's property regulations.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a porch or deck collapse, contact the Chicago porch collapse lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. at 312-466-8200 to learn more about your rights.