CHICAGO — The mother of a boy who died following a head injury in a Bogan High School football game has filed a wrongful death claim against the Chicago Board of Education, Riddell Inc. and Riddell Sports Group Inc., alleging liability.
Jeanine Smith, independent administrator of the estate of Andre Smith, filed a complaint on Oct. 14 in Cook County Circuit Court against the defendants, alleging that they allowed Andre Smith to wear a defective helmet during a game.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on Oct. 23, 2015, Andre Smith died as a result of a blunt-force head injury suffered in a game the day before. The plaintiff holds the defendants responsible for allegedly failing to make sure the air bladders in Andre Smith's helmet were properly inflated.
The plaintiff seeks judgment against the defendants in an amount in excess of the jurisdictional limits of this court plus court costs. She is represented by Robert J. Napleton and Brion W. Doherty of Motherway & Napleton LLP in Chicago.
Cook County Circuit Court Case number 16L010191