Widow of West Dundee man killed in Geneva Commons tower accident sues
The widow of a West Dundee man killed in 2017 while working on the bell tower at the Geneva Commons shopping mall in Geneva has sued the mall operator, management firm, and sign company that subcontracted her late-husband's employer.
The wrongful-death lawsuit, filed in Kane County in mid-December seeks damages from the Delaware-based LPF Geneva Commons LLC, Mid-America Asset Management, and the Quantum Sign Corp. arguing negligence, liability for the site, and construction negligence.
Donald R. Tentler II, a 47-year-old electrician, died of suffocation after he was pinned by an aerial lift while installing a sign on the mall's bell tower. The father of two and motorcycle enthusiast was known for volunteering in his son's Cub Scout troop, St. Catherine of Siena Church and the Wounded Warrior Project.
His widow, Lydia Tentler, who is the administrator of his estate, argues in the lawsuit that Geneva Commons LLC and Mid-America "contractually reserved the right to halt any work on said Bell Tower if any unsafe conditions existed, retained control over the job site, with that retained control had a duty to exercise reasonable supervision to ensure the safety of all workers on the site, including (Tentler)," read part of the lawsuit.
The suit also argues Mid-America "knew or in the exercise of ordinary care should have known of the dangerous condition, namely the defective aerial lift and the danger it posed to individuals on the property."
The property manager at Geneva Commons declined to comment Thursday and a message sent to the Geneva Commons LLC registered agent was not returned. Mid-America Asset Management, which operates and leases the mall, did not respond to inquiries.
A message left Thursday at the Sugar Grove-based Quantum Sign Corp. was not returned.
A message left for Sara Davis, attorney for Lydia Tentler, was not immediately returned.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation into the Feb. 3, 2017, death. A message left at the OHSA Naperville office was not returned.
The parties are due in court Feb. 28, 2019. The suit seeks damages in excess of $50,000 from all three entities.