Judge Allows Lawsuit Over 2024 Park Terrace Fire to Proceed Against Rockford Housing Authority

Court denies housing authority’s motion to dismiss except as to one security-related allegation

ROCKFORD, IL, UNITED STATES, November 4, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — A Winnebago County judge has ruled that a lawsuit stemming from the October 2024 fire at the Park Terrace high-rise in Rockford may proceed against the Rockford Housing Authority (RHA).

On October 2, 2026, Judge Lisa Fabiano of the 17th Judicial Circuit Court denied RHA’s motion to dismiss the case, Gantt v. Rockford Housing Authority, et al., No. 2025-LA-0000356, except as to one allegation concerning building security and surveillance. The remaining claims, involving the building’s elevators, fire-safety systems, and evacuation planning, will proceed.

Tommy Gantt Jr. filed the lawsuit in October 2025. He was staying with a friend at Park Terrace, 1000 Chamberlain Street, when a fire broke out on the building’s first floor early on Oct. 17, 2024. According to the complaint, Gantt suffered injuries after jumping from a window to escape.

RHA owns and operated the 14-story buildings, which housed approximately 183 elderly and disabled residents at the time, according to the complaint. The complaint alleges that elevators were out of service during the fire, the building lacked an automatic sprinkler system, and RHA had no adequate evacuation plan for residents with limited mobility. Following the fire, the City of Rockford ordered the building closed until elevator and fire alarm issues were addressed.

RHA sought dismissal, arguing that the Illinois Tort Immunity Act shields it from liability because someone intentionally set the fire. A Rockford man pleaded guilty to aggravated arson in connection with the fire in 2025 and received a 30-year prison sentence. Gantt’s attorneys argued that the claims concern RHA’s separate legal duty to maintain its property in a reasonably safe condition, not its ability to prevent a crime.

“This ruling allows the case to be decided on the condition of the building and whether the housing authority met its obligations to the people living there,” said Jess Jordan, partner at McCready Law, which represents Gantt. “We look forward to moving into discovery.”

The case now proceeds to discovery. The allegations in the complaint have not been proven in court.

McCready Law represents Tommy Gantt Jr. in the lawsuit. Jesse Jordan is a partner at the firm. For more information about McCready Law, visit https://mccreadylaw.com/.

2411722 – Gantt, Tommy v. Park Terrace Apartment

About McCready Law
McCready Law was founded in 1999 and handles all fields of personal injury law, including car accidents, slip and fall incidents, wrongful death, premises liability, product liability and medical malpractice cases. The firm has 14 offices serving the greater Midwest, has recovered more than $650 million for its clients, and has won 1,961 cases since 2025.

Brian Jacob
McCready Law
+1 773-207-5229

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