Fantastic news for the family of Kenneka Jenkins, who suffered an unimaginable tragedy when she died in a Rosemont hotel freezer.
After a grueling legal battle, they are now set to receive a whopping $6 million settlement.
This is not just a significant financial victory for the grieving family; it’s also a victory for justice and human rights.
Kenneka Jenkins, just 19 years old, was found dead in a walk-in freezer at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rosemont near Chicago in 2017.
Her mother Tereasa Martin revealed in court that she had become increasingly worried and desperate when communication with her daughter ceased after she had arrived at Room 926 for the party around 1 a.m. on Sept. 9, 2017.
By 2:30 a.m., her family and friends had informed the hotel personnel that Jenkins was missing.
Martin’s lawyers stated that Jenkins had left her phone upstairs and was seen walking in a disoriented state towards the freezer by multiple hotel staff members, but none of them had tried to stop her.
Martin accused the hotel and security staff of not checking the in-house cameras quickly enough to locate her daughter, who ended up in an unused freezer in an under-construction kitchen.
She also claimed that the hotel had not taken sufficient steps to control the party on the ninth floor, which had triggered numerous complaints from other guests.
Martin stated at the time of filing the lawsuit in 2018 that her life would never be the same, and that if the hotel had taken the necessary steps, her daughter might still be alive.
Martin shook her head and said “It hurts,” a kind of pain that cannot be explained.
According to footage, a hotel staffer had entered the freezer at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday night without noticing Jenkins within.
It was not until two hours later that her body was found.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office classified her death as an accident due to alcohol and topiramate intoxication.
The autopsy noted that the freezer door had a mechanism to open from the inside, but there was no explanation as to why Jenkins could not get out of the cold.
The legal team for Martin suggested that someone had locked the door from the outside without knowing Jenkins was inside.
They stated that it should have been locked in the first place.
The event raised a wave of questions, protests, and legal battles. The family was left devastated and seeking answers.
They needed justice for Kenneka and now, after years of tireless legal pursuit, it seems they have finally found some semblance of it with this monumental settlement.
The legal hurdle wasn’t easy or cut and dry.
This settlement sum is one of the largest in recent history for such cases. $6 million.
It’s a resounding statement that will shake the very foundation of negligence and carelessness in establishments across the nation.
It certainly sends a powerful message to businesses everywhere: the safety and well-being of every patron must be your utmost priority – failure to ensure this will not be taken lightly.
Kenneka’s family have been through so much and this settlement, though it can’t undo the pain or bring Kenneka back, can provide them some comfort.
It allows them to close this heartbreaking chapter of their lives and look to the future with renewed hope.
They stood their ground in their pursuit of justice and their determination paid off with this astonishing $6 million settlement.
This landmark decision has undoubtedly sent shockwaves through the hospitality industry.
The impact of this case will be felt for years to come, as it sets new precedents and raises the bar for safety standards.