Corboy & Demetrio Files Lawsuit for Porch Collapse Victims
Corboy & Demetrio has filed a negligence lawsuit on behalf of Robert Powell, Joellen Powell, and their daughter Claire Powell, 19, of Highland Park in the collapse of their second-story porch at the apartment they were renting. On May 26, 2018, while all three were on the porch, a portion - about 8 x 10 - pancaked to the first floor. All three suffered various fractures of the skull, torso or ankle.
“A preliminary inspection by private, government and insurance experts concluded the porch collapsed because support members were rotted through and through,” said Corboy & Demetrio Partner Francis Patrick Murphy. “Proper and timely inspections by a professional would have easily prevented this event. This was a tragedy waiting to happen,” Murphy added.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages in excess of $50,000.00 against the property owner, Alex Tenuta of Highland Park. The apartment is part of the converted housing at the old Fort Sheridan. The porches were built in 1999.
Murphy and his firm represented 14 families and individuals injured in the deadly 2003 Lincoln Park porch collapse, along with numerous victims in other porch cases.
Case info: Robert Powell, Joellen Powell and Claire Powell v. Alex Tenuta, filed in Lake Co. Circuit Court on June 11, 2018. Case #18L452