The family of Kenneka Jenkins will receive a compensation of over $6.4 million as part of a wrongful death settlement.
On September 10, 2017, Kenneka Jenkins was tragically discovered deceased in a walk-in freezer at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont. Her visit to the hotel had begun on the night of September 8th, when she attended a private party in one of the hotel rooms. Subsequently, her mother initiated a wrongful death lawsuit against the hotel’s parent company, the security firm, and the restaurant. The lawsuit alleged negligence on the part of the staff, asserting that they failed to secure the walk-in freezer and conduct a thorough search when Jenkins went missing.
In August, a settlement agreement was reached, as indicated by court records. However, the details of this agreement was not disclosed to the public until Tuesday, when the case was originally slated for trial. The settlement’s overall value is $10 million. Out of this sum, over $3.5 million will be allocated to cover the legal fees of the family’s attorneys, over $6,000 will be designated for covering Kenneka Jenkins’ funeral expenses, and the remaining more than $6.4 million will be divided among Jenkins’ mother and two other relatives.
Tereasa Martin, the mother of Kenneka, will receive over $3.7 million from the settlement. Additionally, two other relatives will receive $1.5 million and $1.2 million.
The circumstances surrounding her death sparked controversy, with friends and family members raising concerns about the possibility of foul play. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office classified Kenneka’s death as an accident. Her cause of death was determined to be hypothermia resulting from exposure to cold conditions. Additionally, toxicology tests revealed the presence of alcohol and topiramate in her system were identified as contributing factors.
