A woman has filed suit against a Bedford Park go-kart facility for negligence.

Kimberly Ball visited the Chicago Race Factory in early May of this year. The lawsuit states that when employees seated her in a go-cart with a broken seat belt, they allegedly stated adults did not need the safety harnessed and those were meant for children.

But as Ball was driving her go-cart in the first turn her body slid on the driver’s seat which caused her leg, knee, hip and ankle to be injured according to the suit. The lawsuit claims negligence on the part of the company and employees for allowing Bell to ride in a go-cart with a broken seat belt. It also names the manager in the suit, alleging he did not properly train staff and allowed them to assign the woman to a go-kart with broken equipment. Bell is asking for an excess of $50,000.

A day at an amusement center loses its fun when equipment is faulty and causes injury to the patrons. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been injured on a business’ property, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to discuss your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

An elementary school on the far south side of Chicago sent just over two dozen children to the hospital after they became ill.

On November 5^th, students at Harold Washington Elementary School began experiencing symptoms including nausea, vomiting and headaches.  A Level 1 HazMat was called to the school, located at 9130 S. University Avenue, and it was determined that there was a carbon monoxide leak.

Firefighters came to the Burnside neighborhood school and used fans to ventilate the third floor of the building. Twenty-five students in all were taken to area hospitals and were found to be in good condition. While the investigation continues, it is believed that a faulty boiler was the cause of the CO leak in the grade school.

Buildings that are a part of our daily lives should not make us sick. If you or a loved one knows someone who has experienced an injury because of a faulty premises, call Spiros Law, P.C., at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A lawsuit brought against a Joliet asphalt company in regards to the 2004 death of a Channahon man has been settled.

Jason Shelton, 26, was working at the Gallagher Asphalt Corp. at their Brandon Road facility on a November night just before Thanksgiving of 2004. He was monitoring the flow of sand in a bin that narrowed at the bottom.

Shelton radioed other crew members to come bang on the bin as the cold temperatures were making the material stick together. Minutes later those crew members found Shelton buried in the sand-like material. His death was determined to be suffocation.

The suit filed by Shelton’s widow, Melissa Shelton, stated that Shelton fell through the open grate of the catwalk he had been standing on and became trapped in the sand-like material in the bin as there was no way to get out per the configuration of the bin. The removable grate was an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violation as well which has been a recommended safety measure since the 1950s.

Gallagher Materials Corp., the company that manufactures and sold the asphalt at the Brandon Road facility, disputed Shelton’s claims and stated that Jason had jumped into the bin to loosen the material.

In the settlement, Gallagher Materials agrees to pay Melissa Shelton most of the $3.5 Million award. Approximately $250,000 will be paid by the manufacturer of the bin and the company that did maintenance on the bin, both of whose names are confidential at this time.

Some accidents at a workplace leave a permanent hole in a family. If you or a loved one has lost someone in a workplace accident, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to discuss your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

Mouse droppings discovered in the bottom of a nachos’ bag led to a trip to the hospital for two students at a high school on the southside of Chicago last Thursday.

Two students at Hirsch Metropolitan High School on 7740 South Ingelside Avenue were eating lunch, pre-packaged nachos, when they noticed droppings at the bottom of the bag. The students were taken to a hospital to be checked out after complaining of the droppings to school officials.

The cafeteria was closed and inspected with mouse droppings being found in a box of bagged nachos. Cold lunches were brought in from an outside source for lunch on Thursday and Friday with pest control services scheduled for the end of the school day on Friday.

Lunch time at school should have no unpleasant surprises. If you or a loved one knows someone has been made ill by contaminated food, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal options. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A garage structure that collapsed at the Miami Dade College on Wednesday has taken the lives of three workers and left another one missing.

The five-story structure in Doral, Florida was under construction and due to open later in the fall. However, around 11:40 a.m. the top portion of the garage fell, creating damage as the rest of the structure fell in what is called a “Pancake Collapse.”

More than 100 rescuers came to the scene with ambulances and search dogs. They toiled to save four workers who were trapped inside the rubble. A total of 11 workers were treated either at the site of the collapsed garage or a local hospital. The bodies of two men who were pulled from the wreckage. A third man was still alive when rescuers took him out but he later died at a Miami hospital from his injuries. The fourth worker has not been found at this time.

The Ajax Building Corp. has promised a full internal investigation and cooperation with state and federal officials.

An accident at work can change the make-up of a family. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been injured in a workplace accident, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to discuss your rights under Workman’s Compensation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A Chicago hotel that dealt with an outbreak of Legionnaire’s Disease this summer has become the target of a wrongful death suit.

Luis Enrique Acevedo Muro was a guest at the JW Marriot Hotel at 151 W. Adams Street in Chicago from August 1^st to August 3^rd this past summer. After the visit, Muro developed symptoms of the illness and died on August 14^th. The resident of Key Biscayne, Florida was one of three people who died from the bacterial infection. His family filed a lawsuit, stating that the hotel did not properly maintain the fountain nor prevent people from walking near the contaminated water source.

JW Marriott Hotel is owned by Marriott International, which is named in the wrongful death suit along with Chicago-based developer, The Prime Group, Inc. The amount of damages sought by the suit is unspecified at this time.

At the end of August, the hotel reported that they had discovered the source of the contamination and drained all water sources to make sure there had not been cross contamination. Legionnaire’s disease is spread when a person breathes in mist or vapors of water contaminated with Legionella bacteria. It cannot be passed from person to person.

Symptoms of Legionnaire’s Disease start with headaches, high fevers, and chills. By the second or third day, symptoms can include a cough, chest pains, or shortness of breathe.

When a property is not maintained in a safe manner, injuries and health problems can happen in varying levels. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been injured at a poorly maintained property, call Spiros Law, P.C., at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal right. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A construction worker was injured in a fire over the weekend in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago.

The construction worker was rehabbing a store front in a small strip mall on the 1800 block of South Kostner Avenue on September 1^st. Around 5:35 p.m. the fire was reported to authorities. It was stated that there was an explosion at the building. The building collapsed from fire damage.

The man was critically injured and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital for treatment of burns that came as a result of the fire. It is thought that the fire might have started as the construction worker was using a cutting torch that set off the explosion.

When an injury occurs at a workplace, the recovery time can be a long time. If you or a loved one know someone who was in an accident at work and might need workman’s compensation, call Spiros Law for reliable legal services. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A hotel in downtown Chicago is the center of an outbreak of Legionaires’ Disease that has sickened eight people, two of which have died.

The JW Marriot Hotel on 151 W. Adams Street has been linked to eight cases of Legionaires’ Disease as all cases stayed at the hotel between mid-July and mid-August. Health department officials announced three cases last week. Letters have been sent to all guests who stayed at the hotel during that time period.

Legionaires’ Disease is a harsh form of pneumonia characterized by symptoms of headache, high fever and chest pains. Most people will not develop symptoms but those people with weak immune systems are at a higher risk for developing the illness. Legionaires’ is not passed from person-to-person; the disease bacteria lives in water sources that has warm water.

Marriot officials have drained pools, hot tubs and parts of their spa in response. Those guests who are experiencing symptoms associated with pneumonia are encouraged by health officials to see their doctors.

When staying at a hotel, it is assumed the premises is free from illness-causing bacteria. If you or a loved one knows someone who has gotten sick at a business, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for professional legal representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

Mold discovered at a recreation center in St. Charles prompts the need for investigation.

At the beginning of August, a painter in the Norris Recreation Center on Dunham Road in St. Charles noticed mold on the wall of a racquetball court. The building was in the middle of a two-week closure in order to perform routine maintenance. All workers, three painters, in the building at the time were sent home.

The recreation center is located next door to St. Charles East High School which was closed for a year in 2001 when mold was discovered in the building. The building was re-opened in 2002 after a $30 million repair and remodeling project. Previous claims from that incident have been settled. The Norris Recreation Center is owned but not operated by the school district.

According to the Center for Disease Control, mold affects people by causing stuffiness in the nose, skin irritation and wheezing. Those people who are allergic to mold have more intense symptoms that lead to fever and shortness of breath. If a person has a pre-existing lung condition, it can lead to a mold infection in the lungs.

When a premise is not in good condition, it can lead to sickness in the people who live and/or work there. If you or a loved one knows some who has been ill because of poor conditions in a building, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal options. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.