Four Injured In Accident At Happy Liquor and Food In Chicago
Unsafe Premises - October 17, 2023
Shelf Collapse At Happy Liquor and Food In Chicago Leads To Four People Being Hospitalized
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (October 17, 2023) – Four people were hospitalized in a shelf collapse accident at Happy Liquor and Food in Chicago by 79 Street and Cottage Grove.
Cook County officials are saying that the accident took place around 3:30 p.m. on Monday. A shelf inside of the store collapsed leading four people injured.
Paramedics were called to Happy Liquor and Food in order to help the victims. Two people were taken to Trinity Hospital and two others were transported to St. Bernard Hospital.
A full investigation into the shelf collapse at Happy Liquor and Food remains ongoing at this time.
Liability for Chicago Shelf Collapses
Accidents involving falling furniture or shelves may seem like freak occurrences, but they are actually quite common. According to NPR, “An estimated 18,000 Americans — nearly half of whom were children — went to emergency rooms across the U.S. in 2020 for injuries sustained when furniture, a TV or another appliance tipped over and hurt them.” There are a number of steps that business owners should take in order to prevent shelf collapses.
- Shelves should be properly installed and adequately braced.
- Shelves should not be overloaded beyond their intended capacity.
- Shelves should be periodically inspected and well maintained.
Depending on the facts of any case, a business could be liable if someone is injured inside of their premises. Pursuant to Illinois Civil Code 740 ILCS 130/2, all property owners in Illinois have a legal obligation to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition. If a property owner does not maintain their premises in a safe condition, this could form the basis of a negligence claim. Victims of shelf collapses tend to suffer very serious injuries including:
- Broken bones
- Head injuries
- Lacerations
- Spinal cord injuries
It can be hard to know what to do after any accident at a business. Victims may be left with high medical bills and need to take extensive periods of time off of work. However, accident victims may have recourse. Any person that is injured by a dangerous condition at a property may have legal recourse through a civil claim. Evidence is what will ultimately be crucial in determining liability.
Investigating Chicago Shelf Collapse Accidents
We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to all of the people who were injured in this accident at Happy Liquor and Food in Chicago. It is our sincere hope that they will be able to make a full recovery. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong.
Have you or someone that you care about been injured in a Chicago accident? There are a number of laws designed to protect your rights. Our team of personal injury attorneys are here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that accident victims get the medical and financial support that they need in order to recover. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.
