On October 30, 2010, a severely intoxicated event guest at the Palmer House Hilton tragically fell to her death when she attempted to slide down a staircase banister. The accident took place during a Halloween party that the hotel was hosting, called "Haunted Hotel Ball," which she attended dressed as the comic book hero, Silver Spectre. Witnesses of the incident say that the victim, 23-year-old Megan Duskey, had fallen over the banister and landed in the basement—which is four stories down—when she drunkenly attempted to slide down the staircase. She suffered serious head trauma as a result of the fall, and subsequently died of her injuries.
In the wake of the devastating accident, her family has decided to pursue a $500,000 wrongful death and premises liability lawsuit against a variety of defendants, including Hilton Worldwide and The Palmer House Hilton, as well as the organizers of the party, Surreal Chicago and Adrenaline Y2K. The family alleges that Duskey, along with the rest of the attendees, were provided with unlimited amounts of alcohol and that security was barely present at the event. Because of this, they are holding the venue just as responsible as the party's organizers. An investigation of the scene showed that there is no evidence to indicate foul play, but under dram shop liability laws, the venue that hosted the event can be held liable for the victim's unsafe level of intoxication at the time of her death.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured after being over-served and under-protected by security, you may have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit, as well. By contacting a knowledgeable attorney from our firm, we may be able to help you better understand your rights to claim compensation. Whether you have been injured due to a dangerous premises liability or you have suffered the wrongful death of a loved one at the hands of a negligent party, you should not hesitate to take the appropriate legal action. The most important step, however, is to speak with a legal professional immediately after an accident.