Fire at Clark Street restaurant under construction spurs suit against contractors

An insurance company is suing over claims a fire started at a restaurant under contract as the result of the contractors' negligence.

Society Insurance Co., as subrogee of Riccardo Enoteca LLC, and Riccardo Enoteca LLC filed a lawsuit June 13 in the Cook County Circuit Court against Design Synergies Ltd., M&P Construction Inc., and Jose Mejia, individually and doing business as the construction company.

According to the suit, the Design Synergies was hired as the general contractor and M&P Construction as a contractor for construction of the interior of the Riccardo Enoteca restaurant at 2116 N. Clark St. in Chicago sometime prior to Sept. 17, 2011.

The plaintiffs claim the defendants carelessly left the job site for an extended period of time with debris, including work rags, drop cloths soaked in varnish and other flammable chemicals, resulting in the work rags and drops cloths spontaneously igniting and causing fire, smoke and water damage to the building.

The plaintiffs are seeking damages in excess of the jurisdictional minimum, attorney's fees and court costs. They are being represented by Chicago attorney Joshua J. Whiteside of Grotefeld Hoffmann LLP.

Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 2014L006338.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Cook County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.