The winning attorneys of Elman Joseph Law Group, LLC , Anthony R. Elman and Frederick Joseph III, settled a Chicago wrongful death case for $975,000. The State Farm insurance policy was $1,000,000. The lawsuit involved the death of an 86-year-old elderly man who died as a result of a fire at a Chicago apartment.
Eddie Fort, 86, was visiting friends at their apartment in the South Side of Chicago on Christmas Day, 2017. After everyone went to bed, a fire of an unknown origin broke out in Mr. Fort’s room. The fire engulfed the entire apartment. Despite the best efforts of the decedent’s (Eddie Fort) friends and Chicago Fire Department first responders, he did not survive.
Initial interviews with Chicago Fire Department officials indicated that there may have been some non-working smoke detectors in the multi-unit building owned by the defendant. The defendant’s insurance company, State Farm, denied that their insured was liable for any non- working smoke detectors, and refused to offer anything to the victim’s family until after they were represented by Elman Joseph Law Group, LLC. State Farm Insurance claimed that all the smoke detectors were operational and fully functioning at the time of this fire.