CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — It was May 14, 2022, when three women were found unresponsive at the James Sneider Apartments.
Temperatures in the building reached above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. In the apartment of one woman, the temperature was 103 degrees.
The families of the women said the building’s owners did not switch the system from heating to cooling, despite numerous complaints from residents.
“Had the defendants used common sense and turned the heat off and the air conditioning on, these ladies would not have died,” said one of the families’ attorneys.
In a press release, the family’s counsel said autopsies showed all three women died from “excessive heat exposure.”
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The Hispanic Housing Development Corporation, which owns James Sneider Apartments, released the following statement to WBBM:
"Claims concerning the tragic deaths of Janice Reed, Gwendolyn Osborne and Deloris McNeely on May 14, 2022 at our Rogers Park affordable apartment building were settled and the lawsuits dismissed with prejudice ... We mourn their deaths and honor their memories."
According to the attorneys, the three families will split the $16 million settlement.
“There is no excuse for apartment owners or managers to ignore cries for help from their tenants, especially when their main clientele is the elderly,” said attorney Brian Salvi, who represented Delores McNeely’s family. “While nothing will fill the void in her loved one’s hearts, we hope this … will allow the family to find a bit of closure and begin the healing process.”
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