The City of Chicago Council’s Finance Committee has approved to pay a couple a settlement of $450,000 in regards to a piece of concrete that fell from a viaduct onto the couple’s car in 2007.

Shelly Davis, her husband, Omar  McRoberts, and their three-year-old daughter were stopped at a traffic light on the middle deck of a three-level structure at the intersection of East South Water Drive and North Columbus Drive when a 50-pound piece of concrete fell on their windshield.

Davis was 18 weeks along in a pregnancy at the time. While her unborn child was not injured, Davis suffered a crushing knee injury that could not be addressed until after the birth of her child. McRoberts received injuries on his right hand. Their daughter was not injured.

The couple claimed that the city failed to maintain the viaduct despite a 311 call reporting loose concrete and past independent bridge inspection reports noting a need to remove the loose concrete on the upper decks.

Falling concrete makes a routine drive into a day with painful injuries. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been injured by crumbling building materials, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for professional legal representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

The family of a four-year-old girl killed in a 2006 hit-and-run accident near a Lincoln Park Zoo intersection that had been the subject of safety complaints for years reached a settlement in their civil lawsuit against the City of Chicago and the estate of the driver.

In 2006, Maya Hirsch, her mother and then-five-year-old brother was crossing at Lincoln Park West and Belden Avenue. David Roth struck the family and then drove off despite witnesses shouting at him to stop. Roth died in prison while serving an eight-year sentence for leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

The city was accused in the lawsuit of allowing markings to deteriorate because of neglect and/or have improper signage. A year after the incident, the crossing was re-configured. The case became a rallying point for traffic safety advocates while Hirsch’s family members created a not-for-profit group to raise money and awareness of traffic safety issues.

If you or a loved one has lost someone because of a hit-and-run driver, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for professional legal services. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

Childhood friends died during the early morning hours on Sunday, April 22 after a fire started in their Edwardsville off-campus apartment.

21-year-old Lacy Siddal and 19-year-old Lauren Petersen were students at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. Around 3:45 a.m., a neighbor noticed smoke pouring out of a window in their apartment and called the fire department. First responders found the two women unconscious in the bedroom.

Fire fighters carried both women out of the apartment. They were taken to Anderson Hospital in Maryville and later flown to St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield where both died on Monday. Officials are investigating whether or not the fire detector was working as well as for the source of the fire.

Losing a family member in a fire is devastating. If you or a loved one knows someone who has lost someone in a fire, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for professional legal representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

On Friday, April 20^th, firefighters responded to reports of a chemical odor at a Chicago Northwest Side grade school. At least five ambulances arrived at the school in the 2000 block of North Mobile during the EMS Plan 1 and a Level 1 Hazmat response.

First reports stated the odor smelled like pepper spray and came into Luther Burbank Elementary School through ventilation that takes in outside air. When the first responders arrived, there was no apparent evidence of the pepper spray but a meter reading showed that the air quality contained elements of pepper spray.

Several students were checked over by medical responders but none were deemed seriously injured. Two adult were taken to West Suburban Hospital Medical Center and Our Lady of the Resurrection Medical Center in good condition.

Dangerous chemicals move through the air and are not always visible. If you or a loved one knows someone who has experienced chemical poisoning, call Spiros Law at 8150929-9292 for experienced legal representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

Last week, the Indiana State Fair Commission heard a 90-minute presentation about the investigation into the stage collapse at last year’s state fair that killed seven people and injured dozens of other people who were waiting for a scheduled performance by the Sugarland band.

On August 13, a temporary stage set up for the Indiana State Fair collapsed on concertgoers when winds reached an estimated 58 miles per hour. Officials were coming to the stage to announce the cancellation of the performance at the time of the collapse.

Officials from Thornton Tomasetti, an engineering company, and emergency planning advisers Witt Associates detailed the results of their separate investigations into the Aug. 13 collapse, stated that metal rigging structure did not meet industry standards for temporary structure. Structures are required to be able to withstand winds up to 68 miles per hour while holding speakers and lighting equipment.

It was also noted that there was a lack of a fully developed emergency plan. It was unclear as to who had the authority to call off the concert despite concerns throughout the day regarding the weather conditions.  Moments before the stage collapsed, fair officials were making their way to announce the cancellation of the concert.

Findings from this investigation are expected to provide information for several lawsuits filed against companies involved in building the stage as well as Sugarland. Band members, Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush, have given depositions in regards to these lawsuits in the past week.

The unexpected can happen on the premises of a business one is patronizing. If you or a loved one knows someone has been injured at a location other than their home, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore their legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

Late Monday afternoon a 7 year old Ottawa boy was attacked by two dogs after running into their home. The young boy and his friend were playing near the home when he followed the other into a house which held a Labrador Retriever and a mixed-breed. The dogs chased the boy out of the house and bit his arm and thighs before he was able to free himself from their pursuit. The Chief of Police reported that the injured boy was taken to Ottawa Regional Hospital for medical treatment.

If you or someone you love has suffered from a dog bite, there are attorneys available that can help you assess the situation and decide if you are a candidate for a personal injury lawsuit. Contact the attorneys of Spiros Law today at 815-929-9292 or visit www.spiroslaw.com for more information.

A 56-year-old man lost his life in a Colorado warehouse when he was trapped under pinto beans.

Raymond Segura Jr. was working at the Kelley Bean Company in Brush, Colorado when he became trapped under pinto beans. Emergency personnel were called to the warehouse and began digging for Segura. It was reported that dozens of workers and four inmates assisted in the search for the victim.

According to Morgan County Undersheriff Dave Martin, rescuers spent an hour trying to dig Segura out of the pile. At this time it is unknown how the accident occurred, how the victim became trapped or the exact cause of death. An investigation is currently underway.

Workplace accidents can be sudden and life altering. If you or a loved one has lost a family member in a workplace accident, call Spiros Law at 8150929-9292 for professional representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A suit was filed last week by the parents of a now-7-year-old boy in the Cook County Circuit Court stating that the kindergartner was forced to crawl across an icy playground area after falling and breaking his leg.

Damages at the amount of $200,000 are being sought by the lawsuit according to the report.

The incident took place in January of 2011 when Rahul Chandani slipped on a mound of snow at his Skokie elementary school. The fall resulted in a concussion and a broken leg. When the boy stated he was hurt, the teacher reportedly told him that she could not help him and that he need to get back on his own. The boy tried to walk but could not stand on the leg. He fell again and had to crawl back into the school building.

The boy’s mother, Priya Chandani, picked him up from school and noted a bump on his head. The boy was also complaining of dizziness. Chandani immediately took her son to the hospital. Rahul missed six weeks of school and needed six months of rehabilitation.

When accidental falls happen, treatment is needed as soon as possible to ensure best recovery. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of falling on public property, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal rights. Visit the web site at www.spiroslaw.com.

Starbucks has been ordered to pay a slip and fall victim $7.5 million.

The accident occurred in 2008 after a store manager at a Vista Starbucks in San Diego had cleaned the floors. The victim had just ordered and was walking towards the pick-up counter when he lost his balance on the wet floor and fell. He sustained injuries to his head that prevented him from returning to his career as a chiropractor.

He sued the national chain for loss of income as well as other damages. After two and a half weeks at trial, the jury in the case returned with a $7.5 million verdict against Starbucks.

If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, please contact the Kankakee premises liability attorneys of Spiros Law, P.C. by calling 815-929-9292 today.

Thanksgiving meal preparations sickened 20 people at a North Side Chicago home when a grill was used inside the home. The result was seven people being sent to the hospital while remaining party attendees were treated on site.

Around approximately 10:35 p.m., five ambulances were called to the scene in the 4300 block of West Roscoe Street because of high carbon monoxide levels with accordance

to an EMS Plan 1. Victims reported feeling lightheaded and having some nausea.  Levels of carbon monoxide rose when a grill was brought into the home during a Thanksgiving celebration.

Seven members of the party were sent to Our Lady of Resurrection Medical Center and West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park with minor injuries. Carbon Monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas that is the leading cause of accidental deaths in the home in the United States according to eMedicinehealth.com. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can include headaches, nausea and fatigue and is often mistaken for the flu.

When equipment is improperly used, the chemicals released can harm not only the operator but everyone in the area of a home. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been affected by carbon monoxide poisoning, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to find out your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.