Williams v. Housing Authority

Summary

The court affirmed the Appellate Court's reversal of summary judgment for municipal defendants sued after a fatal apartment fire. It held that the reckless-disregard exception to municipal immunity for failure to inspect requires more than negligence and permits a fact finder to consider whether officials disregarded a substantial risk of harm under all relevant circumstances, including systemic noninspection and aggregate risks. The record supported a genuine issue of material fact because the defendants allegedly failed for years to conduct mandatory inspections of thousands of multifamily units despite statutory duties and resource-related explanations.