Family sues Chicago White Sox, bar over woman's death

[cassiesmom]

What's wrong with this picture? The woman was 20 years old (underage in Illinois), yet she was served alcohol at the game. She was doing something illegal, but her family purports to be the victim??

Sox, bar sued over death
By Lauren R. Harrison | Tribune reporter

The family of a woman who died last year after a car struck her near a Joliet bar filed a wrongful death suit Friday against the bar and the Chicago White Sox for serving her alcohol even though she was underage.

Melissa Lech, 20, of Joliet attended a White Sox game at U.S. Cellular Field last Aug. 6 and was allowed to drink alcoholic beverages to the point where she became intoxicated, according to the complaint.

The suit, filed by Maria Lech, accuses Chisox Corp., Chicago White Sox, Ltd., At Your Service, LLC, Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, Illinois Sportservice, Inc., and SDI Security, Inc., who were each "in the business of selling, providing, and distributing alcoholic beverages at U.S. Cellular Field," of being negligent for failing to prevent her from drinking and properly check her identification.

It also cites Filcorp Ltd., City of Champions Sports Bar and Grill, Leopoldo Robles and Marsha Ortega for serving Melissa Lech alcoholic beverages on Aug. 6 into early Aug. 7.

According to the suit, Lech left the bar and was hit by a car driven by an unknown patron, causing injuries that contributed to her death.

[sparks19]

Not only was she udner age but she was driving drunk?

I'm so sick of the blame being put on the bartenders and the establishment. YOu drink... you drive... YOUR FAULT... PERIOD!!!!!!!

[RICHARD]

What about OTHER PEOPLE buying her drinks?

EVERY park has a limit and they check your ID BEFORE you buy booze. So what is to say someone bought her the booze?

What was she drinking before the game?

I vote thumbs down.

Isn't "Don't play in the street when you are drunk" against the law?

[Catty1]

sparky, she wasn't driving - she was 'walking drunk' and got hit by a car.

Why DIDN'T they check her id? And even if they looked the other way - ya don't serve people til they are falling in the gutter!

[blue]

The "victim" might also have had a fake ID, further releasing those who sold her the alchohal.

[Laura's Babies]

I am sure her parents are just in their anger stage of grief. When you loose a child suddenly like that you get VERY angry and want to blame somebody. Their daughter obviously made some bad choices and paid the price. It is such a shame... different choices could have had a different outcome. It will take them awhile to realize that.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

The family of a woman who died last year after a car struck her near a Joliet bar filed a wrongful death suit Friday "

hmmmmm......they waited a whole year to sue the bar? Something's fishy here.

[RICHARD]

hmmmmm......they waited a whole year to sue the bar? Something's fishy here.

I may be wrong on this, I believe that there is a 1 year time frame to file a LS - I wondered the same thing a while back and found out that was the case in many suits.

Lawyers scramble to file weeks, even days before the anny of the incident.

My guess?

People hope that the they will settle out of court, before all the suits are filed.

I have been to TONS of events and there is no way on the planet that any arena/stadium can keep underage drinkers from getting booze. If they cannot buy it, someone else will.

I have seen people beg, cry and scream when carded for booze.


Melissa Lech, 20, of Joliet attended a White Sox game at U.S. Cellular Field last Aug. 6 and was allowed to drink alcoholic beverages to the point where she became intoxicated, according to the complaint.


Who allowed her?
Who bought her the drinks?
How many drinks did she have?
Who forced her to drink?

The effer that bought her the drinks-if it was her friends-should be the focus of the suit. This is another case of people doing/allowing others to do/make stupid decisions, then blaming everyone else.

-----------------------------

Sorry,
I think that this case should be thrown out.
A 20 y.o. woman should be aware of all the bad things that happen when you get all tanked up at a sports event.

Sorry to hear about the gal getting squished on the street after the game. but, unless the team ties the fans down in the seats and hooks them up to an alcohol IV, I don't buy it.

[sparks19]

sparky, she wasn't driving - she was 'walking drunk' and got hit by a car.

Why DIDN'T they check her id? And even if they looked the other way - ya don't serve people til they are falling in the gutter!

AHHHHH sorry I misinterpreted that lol. I thought it said she was driving and was hit.

Who's to say she didn't have a fake ID? Lots of those around and they look pretty darn real. And what if she wasn't falling off her stool drunk? not everyone is a very obvious drunk.

[Karen]

This is one of those things that promotes the lack of personal responsibility, which drives me crazy. Should the family itself be sued (maybe by the person who hit her, for the resulting mental anguish) for raising a child that would drink irresponsibly, knowing it was illegal for her to do so? And as others mentioned, who 'allowed" this - her friends, a date, strangers, the person who provided her with a fake ID, etc. ...

Yes, it was tragic. Yes, I feel bad for them. But no, I do not think this lawsuit should go forward.

[Medusa]

It's always someone else's fault; it's never our own fault, especially if we drink too much. We no longer need to take personal responsibility for anything but especially for drinking too much alcohol. There is a list of excuses as long as your arm that you can use if you do something that has disastrous consequences. We are never wrong. The other person is.