Family Seeks $600,000 in Wrongful Death Lawsuit

A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed by the father of Rajmond Zalewa, the 26 year-old man who died on Nov. 16 in a construction site accident at in Libertyville.

Zalewa was crushed by some 1,400 pounds of lead-lined drywall sheets and remained pinned beneath them for as long as five hours, said Nicholas C. Syregelas, the family’s attorney. The Lake County coroner's office said Zalewa was suffocated by the pressure of the heavy drywall on his chest.

The lawsuit filed on Feb. 9 in Cook County Circuit Court alleges that Pepper Construction Company, Pepper Construction Group and its subcontractor, RG Construction, failed to provide a safe working environment. The three companies are each being hit with two counts of negligence, one count of premises liability and one count of wrongful death. In all, the 12 counts total $600,000.

Zalewa had worked at the medical center for six years. Syregelas said his investigation revealed that the drywall fell on Zalewa around 6 p.m., but his body wasn't discovered until 11 p.m. The coroner's office confirmed, though, that death by suffocation can happen in mere minutes. Zalewa's family plans to bury him in Poland, his native country.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, has yet to comment on the accident, which occurred at 801 S. Milwaukee Avenue, where Condell Medical Center is expanding its building. OSHA'S investigation could take another four to five months. Libertyville Police have ruled out homicide and since closed their investigation into Zalewa's death. 

"We're just getting started with this," Syregelas said. "Next, we have to get into the discovery process."