Romanucci & Blandin, LLC File Civil Lawsuit on Behalf of Markita Wells and Her 4-Year-Old Son Against Related Management Company and Parkway Gardens Preservation Group

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Nov 24, 2015, 07:00 ET

CHICAGO, Nov. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorneys for private citizen, Markita Wells, today announced the filing of a civil lawsuit against Related Management Company, LP; LR Development Company, LLC, d/b/a Related Midwest; Parkway Gardens Preservation GP, LLC; and Land Trust No. 10486504 alleging that the defendants' negligence contributed to Ms. Wells' 4-year-old son falling from a sixth floor window resulting in severe and permanent injuries, both internally and externally; significant physical pain and emotional suffering; continuing medical expenses; and permanent disability and disfigurement.

The complaint states that on the evening of Friday, June 26, Ms. Wells' son fell from the unscreened, unlocked and unguarded living room window of her sixth floor Parkway Gardens apartment. The claim alleges the defendants had the duty to exercise ordinary care to see the property was reasonably safe for the use of children lawfully on the property. The claim also alleges the defendants were negligent in committing acts and/or omissions including, but not limited to:

Failed to provide the windows on its premises with a lock mechanisms so as to protect against children from gaining access to the opening and falling to the ground below;
Failed to provide the windows on its premises with safety screens, in violation of the Chicago Building code (13-196-560);
Failed to install or provide a guard or device that prevented said window from being opened;
Failed to make reasonable inspection of the plaintiff's apartment;
Failed to properly maintain the windows of the plaintiff's apartment;
Failed to repair said window after complaints;
Allowed a protruding electrical junction box to be mounted under said window, creating a hazard whereby children could use said junction box as a step or shelf to gain access to the window opening;
Permitted hazardous conditions to be present in plaintiff's apartment when it was knew or should have known children would be present on said premises.

"The permanent injuries sustained by Ms. Wells' son are extremely tragic and have completely altered the course of this young boy's life, as well as the life of Ms. Wells and her three other children," noted lead attorney on the case and Romanucci & Blandin, LLC Partner Stephan D. Blandin. "It's unconscionable that window guards and screens were absent in Ms. Wells apartment despite regulations and her repeated calls alerting building management to this fact. In addition, the location of an electrical junction box directly under the window in question and extending three inches from the wall served as a 'step ladder' precipitating this tragic occurrence. That and the lack of adequate and mandated safety measures would have negated this tragedy and lifelong therapy the child now faces." According to Mr. Blandin, the child suffered broken femurs in six places total, a fractured vertebrae at the base of his neck and bruised his lungs in the fall. He was hospitalized for three months and the full extent of his injuries remains to be seen.

According to public records obtained by Romanucci & Blandin, the Parkway Gardens apartments have been cited by the City of Chicago for a pattern of building code violations ranging from inoperable elevators to an absence of window screens, to the presence of rats. According to a violations sheet for the address where the fall occurred, 6514 S. Martin Luther King Drive, the building and others in this complex failed an inspection just six days after the fall and a subsequent inspection in October. On June 3, 2015, the Department of Buildings and Chicago Department of Public Health issued a press release "reminding" building owners "to install and maintain code-compliant screens and window guards."

Plaintiff Wells seeks judgment against Related Management Company, LR Development Company, Parkway Gardens Preservation and Land Trust No. 10486504 awarding compensatory damages and attorney's fees. The lawsuit is civil action No: 2015L011911.

About Romanucci & Blandin, LLC
Romanucci & Blandin has been rated as a leading civil trial practice law firm in Chicago concentrating in personal injury and police misconduct. The attorneys at the Chicago law firm represent individuals and their families in catastrophic personal injury matters, wrongful death and workers' compensation cases. The cases that are referred to Romanucci & Blandin involve accidents or injuries which occurred due to negligence and carelessness on the part of individuals, governmental bodies and corporations of all sizes. Since its inception more than 15 years ago, Romanucci & Blandin has secured more than $300 million in verdicts and settlements on behalf of their clients. For more information about Romanucci & Blandin, please visit www.rblaw.net or call (312) 458-1000.

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