D’Mariya Coleman Injured By Falling Bricks At Chicago Home

Wrongful Death - June 14, 2024

14-Year-Old D’Mariya Coleman Injured In Chicago Accident After Being Hit By Falling Bricks During Partial House Collapse Along West Grand Avenue

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (June 14, 2024) – A 14-year-old girl identified as D’Mariya Coleman was injured by falling bricks during a partial house collapse at a Chicago home.

Cook County officials are saying that the accident took place last Thursday. D’Mariya Coleman was walking with a friend to a bus stop after school.

As she was walking, she was hit in the head by a falling brick after a house on Grand Avenue partially collapsed. The victim described how her vision became blurry after being struck.

A nurse arrived at the scene, and D’Mariya Coleman was taken to the emergency room at Stroger Hospital. She underwent a CAT scan, and the doctors realized she had a hairline fracture in her back along with other injuries.

The Chicago Department of Buildings indicated that it cited the owner for minor violations in 2019. A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.

This accident took place just a few days after a worker was seriously injured by falling bricks at the East Randolph building in Chicago.

Liability For Chicago Partial Building Collapse Accidents

Accidents involving the façade of a building collapsing may seem like freak occurrences, but they are unfortunately all too common. According to Building Enclosure, “Almost all building façade problems are caused by trapped water. Building elements such as parapet walls, cornices, sills, and building corners are the most exposed to the elements, and therefore are the most vulnerable to water penetration.” Building owners should take a number of measures in order to prevent the façade of a building from collapsing.

• Building owners should conduct regular inspections by qualified professionals.
• Building owners should perform preventative maintenance on cracks or loose bricks to prevent them from becoming larger problems.
• Building owners should ensure that the façade has undergone waterproofing treatments. This is particularly important for buildings in Chicago that are exposed to harsh weather conditions.
• Building owners should ensure that façades are equipped with adequate reinforcements such as wall anchors, ties, or bracing.

Pursuant to Illinois Civil Code (740 ILCS 130/1), all building owners in Illinois have a legal obligation to maintain their property in a reasonably safe condition. When a property owner has actual or constructive notice about a dangerous condition with their property, they must take action. For example, if a property owner sees that bricks on their facade are either falling or coming loose, they need to take corrective measures. Failing to take action to remedy a dangerous condition could form the basis of a negligence claim.

The company responsible for the construction or maintenance of a building could also potentially be liable for a partial building collapse. Many building collapses are due to the use of poor building materials or improper construction practices. Generally speaking, companies are liable for the wrongful actions of their employees – insofar as those employees were working within the course and scope of their job duties. Victims of building collapses tend to suffer very serious and costly injuries.

• Broken Bones: It is common for victims to sustain fractures throughout their body. Many of the fractures that occur in an accident may not be immediately obvious.
• Spinal Cord Injuries: Being hit by a falling object can put extensive force on a person’s back and result in spinal cord injuries.
• Head Injuries: Falling debris is likely to strike a person in the head and result in serious head trauma.
• Brain Injuries: Building collapses can also result in brain injuries. According to Chandi Edmonds, assistant professor at Feinberg School of Medicine, “The lifetime costs of a patient’s treatment for a traumatic brain injury are estimated to run from $85,000 to $3 million.”

Injuries that follow a partial building collapse are not always physical. People who survive serious accidents are often left with long-term psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is common for PTSD to manifest in many different ways including anxiety, depression, recurring nightmares, and avoidance behaviors. Any person who is injured in a Chicago partial building collapse may be able to seek some measure of justice through a civil claim.

Investigating Chicago Partial Building Collapses

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to D’Mariya Coleman and her family as she continues to recover. There needs to be a thorough investigation into the state that this building was in prior to the collapse. It is our sincere hope that measures are taken to prevent similar accidents.

Have you or someone that you care about been injured in a partial building collapse in Chicago? You may be entitled to legal support. Our team of dedicated personal injury attorneys is committed to getting accident victims the medical and financial support that they need in order to recover. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of assistance, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.