Consumer Rights Attorney Mary Alexander Files Civil Case Against Folsom Apartment Complex For Death In Stairway Crash With Dry Rot Known By Building Year Before

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- California consumer rights attorney Mary Alexander has filed a civil case on behalf of a San Francisco family for the death of their son in a stairway collapse from dry rot known by the building management for at least a year before the incident.  The incident occurred on July 3, 2015 in the stairway of Building 8 of the Legends at Willow Creek apartment complex, 180 South Lexington Drive, Folsom.

Alexander, a nationally and locally prominent San Francisco consumer rights champion representing the Yuan family in the case of the death of Chris Yuan against the Legends at Willow Creek apartments, is a former president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America/Association for American Justice and the Consumer Attorneys of California.  Yuan, a 26 year-old student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, was visiting with friends at the apartment and was together with them as he was leaving when the event occurred.   She said the parents are "devastated" at the loss of their only child.  On behalf of the family, Alexander filed the action as a civil case in Superior Court of California for Sacramento against Legends at Willow Creek and Jalson Co., doing business as Gerson Bakar and Associates, and other defendants responsible for the negligent design, construction and repair.

City of Folsom Building Chief Steve Berger told Fox 40 TV, "It's not our job to provide maintenance, it's the (building) manager's job."

The complaint filed by Alexander alleges that building management is guilty of "failing to halt usage of the incident site despite a similar stairway collapse in 2014, and failing to safely shore the stairways subsequent to the 2014 stairway collapse.  Defendants had actual and/or constructive notice of the dangerous and unsafe conditions" and "failed to warn Decedent and Plaintiffs."

The complaint states that "the facts supporting" the claim are that the defendants "acted with fraud, oppression, and/or malice… with a conscious disregard for the rights and safety of the Decedent." It says that "they knew it was highly probable that harm, including death could likely result."  She added that there were "inadequate building plans… resulting in water intrusion, dry rot, deterioration, and weakening of the stairway."  The complaint states that the defendants "failed to warn of the stairway's hazardous conditions" and "knew that their despicable conduct, as described herein, would likely and with a high degree of probability cause harm to Decedent and Plaintiffs."

The plaintiffs are the surviving parents of the decedent, and in addition to material costs, seek "general damages for the loss of Decedent and his love, companionship, comfort, care, society, solace, assistance, protection, affection, moral support, training and guidance."

The complaint concludes, "As a result of the subject incident and the injuries sustained therein, Chris Yuan died."

As now filed in Superior Court of California, Sacramento the complaint case number is:
34-2015-00186315.

Contact: Bob Weiner 301-283-0821, [email protected]

SOURCE Robert Weiner Associates and Mary Alexander and Associates