Father Files Housing Disrepair Lawsuit After Daughter’s Fatal Fall
A distraught father recently filed a housing disrepair lawsuit against a homeowner after his daughter fell from the man’s second story last year due to a missing balcony.
Stacey M., 33, fell from the second story of a home in Waterville, Maine, after exiting a sliding glass door on that led out to thin air rather than a balcony. The fall ultimately killed Stacey.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner notes that the cause of Stacey’s death was blunt force injuries to the head and chest from the two-story fall. Her death was ruled an accident.
Stacey’s father has responded by filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the homeowner, alleging housing disrepair problems that led to Stacey’s death. The housing disrepair lawsuit alleges that the homeowner, Robert G., recklessly and negligently “failed to block the sliding doors, warn that there was no balcony off the second-floor sliding doors, or the other reasonable actions to prevent Stacey…from opening the sliding doors and walking outside.”
The home was undergoing renovations, and the second-story balcony had not been built yet, though there was still access to the sliding doors that would lead outside.
This housing disrepair lawsuit, filed in mid-November 2016, also alleges that the homeowner’s renovations even violated city building codes and lacked one of the permits it needed.
According to her obituary, 33-year-old Stacey is survived by her son Carter.
Stacey had been attending a Christmas party at Robert G.’s house and had been drinking alcohol when the tragic and fatal accident occurred. Because Stacey had been drinking alcohol and was an overnight guest at the party, the lawsuit also alleges that Robert G. “owed a special duty of care” to Stacey as his guest because of the alcohol she had been drinking at his party, but that he failed to provide this care.
The housing disrepair lawsuit is seeking punitive damages for emotional distress, loss of income, medical expenses, and costs related to Stacey’s funeral.
After a serious accident like this, filing a lawsuit like this one cannot heal injuries or bring a loved one back to life, it can help relieve some of the serious financial pressure that is often felt after a death, from medical bills to lost wages to funeral expenses. Lawsuits also help to hold those responsible for serious accidents accountable.
If you or someone you love was injured due to a housing repair issue in Texas, you may be able to file a housing disrepair lawsuit.
Contact The Emma Law Firm in the Dallas area for a FREE case evaluation by filling out the form below.
At the time of this article The Emma Law Firm did not represent any of the individuals involved in this accident.