Anthonella Wims Injured In Chicago Explosion Accident at Apartment

Personal Injury - September 23, 2022

Anthonella Wims, 7 Other People Injured In Chicago Apartment Explosion Accident By The Intersection of West End Avenue and North Central Avenue

Anthonella Wims Injured In Chicago Explosion Accident at Apartment

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (September 22, 2022) – At least 8 people including Anthonella Wims were injured in a Chicago building explosion accident after a West Side apartment partially collapsed.

Cook County police officials are saying that the accident took place around 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday. For undetermined reasons, there was a loud explosion at an Apartment on Chicago’s West Side.

Anthonella Wims was waiting at a bus stop opposite the building when she was injured from the blast. The force of the impact caused the apartment to partially collapse.

Firefighters and paramedics were called to the scene of the accident in order to help all of the victims. Anthonella Wims and at least 7 other people were taken to the hospital in order to receive treatment.

A representative for Peoples Gas was called to the area. It remains unknown at this time if the explosion was caused by a gas leak.

Liability In Chicago Apartment Building Explosion Accidents

Building explosions may seem like freak accidents, but they are unfortunately quite common. According to the National Fire Protection Association, “An estimated average of 4,200 home structure fires per year started with the ignition of natural gas. These fires caused an average of 40 deaths per year. The statistics, incident descriptions from NFPA publications and reports from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) show that most major gas incidents involved some type of leak.” There are many other factors that could potentially lead to an explosion.

  • Poorly maintained gas lines.
  • Appliances that are not properly installed.
  • Poorly maintained electrical fixtures.

Depending on the facts of any case, there could be numerous sources of liability for any Chicago building explosion. A utility company like Peoples Gas could be liable for an accident if it was caused by improperly maintained gas lines. Utility companies have a legal obligation to periodically inspect and properly maintain their gas lines. The vast majority of building explosion accidents involve gas leaks.

The owner of an apartment building could also potentially be liable for an explosion. Pursuant to Illinois Civil Code 740 ILCS 130/2, property owners have a legal duty to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition. They must also warn about the latent defects on their property. When a property owner has actual or constructive notice of a dangerous condition on their property, this could form the basis of a negligence claim. There are a number of steps that should be taken after any building explosion accident.

  • The source of the explosion should be determined.
  • Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
  • Medical records should be preserved.
  • Maintenance records should be examined.

Unfortunately, property owners and utility companies will fight hard to deny liability for any accident. This is why it is so important that all evidence is properly preserved after any explosion. The aftermath of any blast will leave behind a forensic trail that can help pain a picture of what happened. It is very common for any residential explosion to involve some amount of human error.

Investigating A Chicago Apartment Building Explosion Accident

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to Anthonella Wims and all the people injured in this West Side apartment explosion. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. There needs to be some accountability for what happened. Someone could have easily been killed.

Have you or someone that you care about been injured in a Chicago building explosion accident? There are a number of laws designed to protect your rights. Our team of consumer safety advocates are here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that accident victims get the medical and financial support that they are entitled to under the law. Whether you just have questions or just need a free, independent investigation into an accident we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.