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Hotel And Event Hosts Sued By Family Of Girl Killed Sliding Down A Banister
On October 30, 2010, 23-year-old Megan Duskey fell to her death at a Halloween-themed ball at the Palmer House Hilton. The young elementary school teacher at Orville T. Bright Elementary School was attempting to slide down a banister when she fell four floors. Now, Duskey's family is claiming the girl's death was the fault of the "Haunted Hotel Ball" hosts, and are suing for more than $500,000.According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the family believes the event hosts allowed ticket-holders to consume an exorbitant amount of alcohol without supervision or protection. The ten-count suit, which was filed Tuesday, is naming Hilton Worldwide, the Palmer House Hilton, Surreal Chicago and Adrenaline Y2K as the hosts of the party.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office stated that Duskey was dead at the scene, ruling the death an accident.
While efforts on Tuesday night to reach Hilton Worldwide and Adrenaline Y2K were unsuccessful, CEO of Surreal Chicago, Brian Pfeiffer, declined to comment based on the fact Duskey's death occurred in the lobby of the hotel, and not while she was at the party.
[Image via NBC Chicago]
Filed under: Festivals and Events, Stories, North America, United States, Hotels and Accommodations, News












Reader Comments (Page 23 of 23)
lilith2 Jul 28th 2012 9:29PM
Parental grief meets lawyer with college loan
Burn Sep 2nd 2012 1:36AM
I don't know if the liberal comment was made for the sake of trolling or not but then again whenever I read someone throw in something like that in a subject that has nothing to do about it I often think that someone is trolling.
I can see the family trying to sue under the dram shop law but personally I agree that the hotel should not be held accountable for the actions of this woman that lead to her death. What the family speaks of seems to be more like speculation than hard evidence that the hostess was giving alcohol to people who seemed intoxicated, what is to say that she hadn't been cut off and sent friends to fetch some more?
No one forced her to keep drinking to the point of intoxication (unless she's a lightweight and just one or two drinks is enough to get her inebriated) and no one forced her get on the banister.
What if she wasn't drunk and still decided to slide down it because it looked fun and fell?
It's a tragic thing to happen and I wouldn't wish it on even my worst enemy but still there is personal responsibility everyone is accounted for even in the worst situations.
patardugno Jul 29th 2012 1:50PM
TYPOS;
In my last post, when I was quoting the man wrong opinion,.. I forgot the word "NOT". Probably because the establishment is so obviously liable that to form a sentance saying they are not, is absurd!!!
The establishment IS IN FACT RESPONCIBLE & LIABLE FOR THE DEATH OF THAT YOUNG WOMAN.
Your opinion of the liability does not matter!! The fact is they are obviously liable. You are not supposed to think that in these posts you are supposed to be Executioner, Judge & Jury. These posts are for opinions & comments, not arguing.
I'm just stating the facts of the matter. If someone dies in an establishment, THAT ESTABLISHMENT IS LIABLE, .... ABSOLUTE FACT!!!!! PERIOD!!!!
patardugno Jul 29th 2012 2:01PM
You know, it seems in this day & age, that there would be a video surveyance camera in a lobby area of a hotel. I wonder if they had one there, & if it shows the woman sliding on the bannister, ... or if it would actually only show someone forcing her over the bannister. THAT IS MY POINT!!
I don't believe for a second that she was sliding on the bannister at all, ever!!! I am sure she was merely out, surrounded by scumbags & shoved over the bannister as she was trying to walk away from scumbag trash who were harassing her!!!
martine Jul 30th 2012 11:16PM
She was surrounded by witnesses. Can you explain why you assume that they are lying? Calling people liars is rather callous. Besides, the suit is not a criminal one. If the police, who are very good at figuring out if someone was actually murdered as you are suggesting decided not to charge anyone with the crime, then how are you, who knows nothing about the case saying different? The cops are the ones who decide such things. they decided no one else was involved.
patardugno Jul 29th 2012 2:02PM
All the arguing & callus opinions about that case, are proof that Private Clubs & establishments are really the only way to ensure that people act like people toward each other, ... & not animals.
Martine Jul 30th 2012 11:09PM
The penalty for filing such suits should be considerable. Nuissance cases are not only a horrible thing for the people wrongly sued( even if the case is dismissed you need to get a lawyer, it takes up time and emotional energy) but it costs the city( us tax payers) tons of cash. I think that it should be decided if the person filing the suit is being unreasonable. If so; they should be fined and made to pay any legal expenses of the people they try to sue.
As for the liberal thing, sorry, I agree. I used to be liberal for many years, and some liberal causes are still dear to me. But liberals in America have become total nazis. Its not just this. Its the Mayor of New York trying to penalize people for buying sugar pop. I am sorry, but as an adult I want to make my own decisions and live with them. And I do not want other people to be responsible for me via healthcare either. I want to live my life with individual freedoms and responsibility.
patardugno Jul 31st 2012 9:02AM
Because, our "society", or what we unfortunately have to refer to as our "society" now a days, is fill with mostly low lifes who would murder a beautiful girl PUBLICLY, while witnesses would either cheer the low lifes on, happily join in on what they call a good time, &/or be cowards who would keep their mouths shut. Oops, .... look, I just described the behavior of gangs of our Police caught on tape time & time again throught these decades of our society's decline, too!!
@ @ GG e e G G !!