July 25, 2014
Clifford Law Offices today (Thursday, July 24, 2014) filed a lawsuit against the Village of Justice, the Village of Bridgeview, Bridgeview Park District and the Justice Park District as a result of the death of Michal Duda, a six-year-old boy who drowned last month during a day camp program.
Robert A. Clifford and Bradley M. Cosgrove, partners at the firm, filed the lawsuit in the Law Division of the Cook County Circuit Court on behalf of Andrzej Kolodziej who was appointed as Independent Administrator of the Estate of the young boy who was participating in the Justice Park District’s supervised day camp program in the south suburbs. On June 17, 2014, the Justice Park District day camp program organized an outing where it brought more than seventy children to the Bridgeview Park District pool where the drowning occurred.
The 16-count Complaint alleges that the Defendants were reckless in not properly supervising the day camp group while the children participated in water activities. It also goes on to allege that both villages and park districts recklessly failed to provide safety orientation and/or training for the camp counselors and lifeguards. The Complaint alleges that the Defendants never tested or evaluated the swimming skill levels of the children in the camp and did not place non swimmers in life jackets or flotation devices. Further, it alleges that the Bridgeview lifeguards on duty and the Justice camp counselors did not appropriately supervise the children.
“The death of this young boy was so unnecessary,” said Robert A. Clifford, senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, a nationally recognized personal injury and wrongful death law firm. “Parents should be able to trust that summer camp programs will act appropriately to ensure that the safety of the children will always be the top priority, especially in the context of aquatic activities. This just shouldn’t have happened.”
Duda was pulled from the pool by lifeguards who unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate him. The young boy left behind his mother and father as well as two sisters, one of which was his twin.
The lawsuit alleges more than $50,000 in damages, which is required for filing in the Law Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Marta Kowalczyk Davidson, associate at the Clifford Law Offices, is a Polish speaking attorney also assigned to this matter.
For further information, please contact Robert A. Clifford or Bradley M. Cosgrove at 312-899-9090 or Clifford Law Offices’ Communications Partner Pamela Sakowicz Menaker at 847-721-0909.