KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Earlier this month, a Jackson County jury awarded $11 million to the mother of a then-32-year-old man who died in an apartment fire in December 2017 in the West Plaza neighborhood.
Fire crews were called to an apartment fire near W. 41st Street and Holly Street early on the morning of Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017. By the time fire crews were able to get inside the residence, a man, identified as Michael King, was found deceased in a kitchen closet.
King’s mother, Diana Trotter, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Lealan Homes LLC and Jason and Jana Delong for their roles in the deadly fire.
Specifically, Trotter’s lawsuit said the fire started with an electrical fire between the floor joists of King’s apartment. The lawsuit alleged the defendants had failed to inspect the wiring, install a working fire warning system or install working fire detectors in the apartment.
A jury trial in the lawsuit started June 20, 2023, in Jackson County Circuit Court, with jurors receiving the case around June 30.
Following deliberations, the jury awarded Trotter $3,013,793 in compensatory damages and $8,095,625 in damages for aggravating circumstances.
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