Thomas Fitzpatrick Died In Little Italy, Chicago Apartment Fire
Unsafe Premises - February 12, 2023
Thomas Fitzpatrick Died, Wife Seriously Injured In Little Italy Apartment Fire Near Bishop Street and Polk Street
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (February 12, 2023) – A man identified as Thomas Fitzpatrick died and his wife was critically injured in a Chicago apartment fire in Little Italy.
Cook County officials are saying that the fire began on Sunday morning. Thomas Fitzpatrick was trapped in the basement of the home. His wife and their adult grandson were also in the apartment when the fire started.
Firefighters and paramedics were called to the scene in order to help all of the victims. Thomas Fitzpatrick was rescued from the basement, but he later died from smoke inhalation and the severity of his injuries.
His wife was taken to the hospital with critical injuries. Investigators are still working to determine what may have caused the fire.
Liability For Chicago Apartment Fires
Thousands of people are killed or seriously injured in residential fires every year. According to the National Fire Protection Association, “More than one-quarter (26%) of reported fires in 2015-2019 occurred in homes. Even worse, three-quarters (75%) of civilian fire deaths and almost three-quarters (72%) of all reported injuries were caused by home fires.” During those five years there were 2,260 civil deaths and 11,070 civilian injuries. Most residential fires stem from the following sources.
- Cooking
- Heating
- Electrical distribution
- Arson
- Lighting equipment
Depending on the facts of any case, an apartment owner could face civil liability if someone is injured on their property. Pursuant to Illinois Civil Code (740 ILCS 130/1), property owners must maintain their property in a reasonably safe condition. When a property owner has actual or constructive notice of a dangerous condition with their property, they must take action to correct the dangerous condition. There are many potential sources of liability for an apartment fire.
- A landlord may have failed to properly repair or maintain heating equipment.
- A building may have lacked adequate fire safety equipment.
- A building may have blocked exits.
- A building may have illegal unit conversions. Many of these conversions exist in the basement of a building.
An investigation by the Better Government Association (BGA) and Chicago Tribune revealed that from 2014 – 2021 61 people have died in fires that Chicago city officials knew were firetraps. In particular, these buildings had known and unaddressed fire code violations. The family of any person that is killed in an apartment fire may have legal recourse through a civil claim. It is absolutely crucial that all evidence is properly preserved after any apartment fire.
Investigating A Chicago Apartment Fire
We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our deepest condolences to the family of Thomas Fitzpatrick. It is our sincere hope that the victims wife will be able to fully recover from her injuries. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. Hopefully steps will be taken to prevent other tragedies like this. Many residential fires are preventable when all building fire safety codes are being followed. The city does have a big role to play in ensuring compliance.
Do you need more information about a Chicago apartment fire? Our team of tenant’s rights advocates are here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that accident victims are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have questions or need a free, independent investigation into any particular incident we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.
