$975,000 Settlement For Family of Man Who Fell From Chicago Apartment

A Lombard mother was awarded $975,000 from a lawsuit settlement that was filed after her son fell from a porch in Chicago.

In 2007, Sean Heflin, then 24, fell from a second-floor balcony and landed on the concrete below, dying of his injuries seven months later. Stammich Management owned and managed the apartment builiding located at 1909 North Bissell Street, where Sean’s girlfriend lived.

His mother Jane Heflin filed suit in January 2008, alleging that the porch railings were approximately 10 inches lower than the Chicago Building Code requirement of 42 inches (Chapter 13-123 of Chicago Building Code). The lawsuit further alleged that Sean’s death would have been avoided if the rails were the appropriate height. On Monday, a Circuit Court of Cook County Judge approved a $975,000 settlement in the wrongful death suit.

“Jane Heflin filed suit to focus attention on porch safety to avoid similar tragedies in the future,” said her attorney, Steven Levin in a statement to the press. According to Levin, “The Chicago Building Code requires building owners and landlords to maintain porches in a safe condition. Stammich Management had a duty under the law to maintain its building in a reasonably safe condition for the safety of their tenants and their guests.”