Posted on 12/14/2023 6:07:40 PM PST by Drew68
CHICAGO (AP) — The family of a Chicago woman who froze to death after she became locked in a hotel freezer has agreed to a $10 million legal settlement.
Kenneka Jenkins’ mother, Tereasa Martin, will receive about $3.7 million, according to court records made public Tuesday, the Chicago Tribune reported. Other family members will receive $1.2 million and $1.5 million. Another $3.5 million will cover attorney fees, with $6,000 covering the cost of Jenkins’ funeral.
Jenkins was found dead in the walk-in freezer at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in suburban Rosemont in September 2017, a day after she attended a party there. The Cook County medical examiner’s office determined that she died of hypothermia and that her death was accidental.
Alcohol intoxication and the use of a drug for treating epilepsy and migraines were “significant contributing factors” in her death, the office said. Surveillance videos released by police showed Jenkins wandering alone through a kitchen area near the freezer at around 3:30 a.m. on the day she disappeared.
Martin filed a lawsuit in December 2018 alleging that the hotel, a security company and a restaurant at the hotel that rented the freezer were negligent because they didn’t secure the freezer or conduct a proper search following Jenkins’ disappearance. The lawsuit initially sought more than $50 million in damages.
According to the lawsuit, friends that Jenkins had attended the party with alerted Martin at around 4 a.m. that she was missing. Martin contacted the hotel and was told it would review surveillance footage, according to the lawsuit.
But Jenkins’ body wasn’t discovered for more than 21 hours after she was believed to have entered the freezer. Surveillance footage wasn’t reviewed until police arrived at the hotel, according to the lawsuit. Had the hotel properly monitored the security cameras...
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Someohow this is the hotel's fault.
"Ka-ching!!! We finna get paid!!!"
Mo’ Money! Mo’ Money! Mo’ Money!
Elderly, do not pay a lot for life insurance. Just visit certain hotels.
Only certain people are eligible to play and win the ghetto lottery.
Ghetto lottery! The hotel cares less because insurance covers it. The lawyers always love it and take the biggest chunk. The anointed peoples of color hit the jackpot.
Most restaurants, bars and hotels padlock the freezers outside of normal hours to reduce pilferage and keep incidents like this from happening. A lot of drugs cause disorientation after even a small amount of alcohol. I forgot once and toasted a retirement of one of my Army friends when they handed me a shot of brandy. prescription drug interactions left me 3 days in bed with a dizzy head. And they get worse as you get older.
In many ways, we are paying dearly for allowing African slaves into this country in the first place.
Oh please do you not think stupid $hit happens to white people, or that they don’t sue?
Should’ve picked our own damned cotton.
Brings to mind that theme song from The Jeffersons:
“Oh well, we’re movin on up,
To the east side.
We finally got a piece of the pie!”
I think it was more for the fact the hotel didn’t search or review the surveillance cameras within 30 minutes of being reported missing.
“Most restaurants, bars and hotels padlock the freezers outside of normal hours to reduce pilferage and keep incidents like this from happening. “
The walk-ins where I once worked could be opened from the inside even with the outside latch padlocked. A safety feature to prevent someone from being trapped inside. I’m surprised that isn’t standard.
How do they get these huge settlements? It is supposed to be based on future earnings potential. Unless this woman was a brain surgeon $10 million is ridiculous.
Hopefully relations between the hotel and the Jenkins can thaw.
Gross
The woman herself caused her accidental death. Responsibility and accountability is womens’ kryptonite.
it seems only a certain demographic group gets these windfalls....
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