Three Injured In West Garfield Park, Chicago Apartment Fire

Unsafe Premises - November 15, 2024

Three Injured, One Critically After Fire At West Garfield Park, Chicago Apartment Building Along West Ohio Street

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (November 15, 2024) – Three people were injured in a West Garfield Park, Chicago apartment fire at a building on West Ohio Street.

Cook County officials are saying that the incident took place around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday. Firefighters were called to the West Garfield Park apartment in order to help the victims.

A 33-year-old man sustained numerous burns and was taken to Loyola Hospital with critical injuries. An 81-year-old man and 64-year-old woman were both taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in order to be treated for smoke inhalation.

It remains unclear what may have caused the fire. A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.

Liability For Cook County Apartment Fires

Residential fires remain one of the leading causes of preventable injury and death. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, “An estimated 108,400 multifamily residential building fires are reported to U.S. fire departments each year and cause an estimated 450 deaths, 3,800 injuries, and $1.1 billion in property loss.” There are many potential causes of residential fires.

• Many fires are due to unattended cooking.
• Lithium-ion batteries that overheat could spark a fire.
• Faulting wiring or overloaded electrical circuits cause many fires each year.
• The improper storage of flammable liquids could lead to a fire.

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. There are several violations on a property within Chicago that could easily contribute to a fire.

• An apartment may have non-functional smoke alarms or fire detectors.
• An apartment may have obstructed exit paths or stairs.
• An apartment may have heating or ventilation issues.

Apartment fires are often highly preventable. They tend to be the result of safety violations and a lack of proper upkeep of a building. The injuries that result from these fires can be devastating. Victims often need expensive skin grafts and may have to take extensive periods of time away from work. Any person injured in an apartment fire may have legal recourse through a civil claim.

Investigating West Garfield Park Apartment Fires

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to all of the people injured in this West Garfield Park apartment fire. Any person who may have more information should reach out to the Chicago Fire Department. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to make this apartment safe.

Have you or someone that you care about been injured in a West Garfield Park apartment fire? Our team of personal injury attorneys is here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that accident victims get the medical and financial support they need in order to recover. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.