Skokie Event Hall and Caterer Settle Lawsuit for a $2.3 Million

Chicago October 2, 2022 Popular Skokie event hall Ateres Ayala and event planner, Luxe Catering, LLC agreed last week to pay a $2.3 million settlement to a 55-year-old woman who suffered permanent injuries after an unsecured chuppah collapsed and one of the columns struck her during her son’s wedding ceremony on October 11. 2021. It happened at Ateres Ayala Hall located. at 3412 West Touhy Avenue, in Skokie which touts itself on its website as “Chicago’s Premier Kosher Wedding Venue.” The wedding videographer captured the moment the mother of seven, Janet Davis was struck in the back of head and neck. The column weighed almost 90lbs.

According to the lawsuit filed by Davis and her husband, suddenly and without warning, the columns of the chuppah collapsed inward on the bridal party shortly after the “breaking of the glass,” as the bridal party and family members congregated under the chuppah hugging, kissing, and sharing mazel tov to the new bride and groom. As a result of the impact, Davis suffered a concussion, an injury to her left inner ear (tinnitus), and an injury to her cervical spine that necessitated surgery in 2023. The inner ear and cervical spine injuries are permanent in nature.

Timothy J. Cavanagh and Marc E. McCallister of Cavanagh Sorich Law Group (cavanaghlawgroup.com) a Chicago personal injury and medical malpractice law firm represent Davis and her husband Edward. In their lawsuit, the couple alleged that the event hall, Ateres Ayala, and the event planner, Luxe Catering, LLC were responsible for the chuppah collapse because they failed to ensure it was properly secured even though, the defendants were repeatedly warned by the chuppah builder to do so or it would not be stable. In the absence of bolts and brackets to properly secure the chuppah, it was in danger of imminent collapse

“Their son’s wedding was supposed to be one of the happiest days of their lives. Instead, it turned into a tragedy for Janet and her family that was easily preventable and never should have happened,” said their attorney, Timothy J. Cavanagh. “If this case went to trial, we were prepared to present video of the collapse and unrebutted testimony that Ateres and Luxe’s failure to properly secure the chuppah in a structurally sound condition was the cause of the chuppah collapse. Had Ateres and Luxe properly secured the chuppah, it would not have collapsed, Janet Davis’ injuries would have been avoided and the family would have enjoyed a beautiful wedding celebration.”

The lawsuit was settled through mediation. The settlement agreement was finalized on September 24th, 2024. The trial was scheduled to begin on October 25th. The mediator was the late retired Cook County Judge William Gomolinski.