Lawsuits name Maverick Hotels and Restaurants LLC, and general manager Laurent Boisdron as defendants in the lawsuit alleging their negligence caused the fire at Offshore Rooftop restaurant located at Navy Pier, the Midwest’s most popular tourist attraction.
CHICAGO, October 29, 2025 – Cavanagh Sorich Law Group filed lawsuits in the Circuit Court of Cook County on behalf of five plaintiffs. Four suffered burn injuries and all five emotional distress last month when a fire started at a food station at the Offshore Rooftop restaurant located at Navy Pier, the Midwest’s most popular tourist attraction. One of the plaintiffs, a 25-year-old woman was critically injured. On September 24, 2025, the plaintiffs attended a private corporate event hosted by Nuveen, a global investment management company at the rooftop restaurant. The complaints name the restaurant’s management company, Maverick Hotels and Restaurants, LLC and general manager Laurent Boisdron as defendants in the lawsuits alleging their negligence caused the fire.
According to the complaints, the fire started at a food station set up for guests to roast marshmallows for s’mores. The plaintiffs were gathered around the food station at the time. The complaints allege a Maverick employee poured a combustible accelerant, possibly alcohol on the open flame causing an immediate and dangerous “flashover,” where flames shot into the air and set some of the plaintiffs on fire. The incident was captured on video by a security camera.
“The video is horrifying to watch. One second the plaintiffs are standing around enjoying a lovely work event at the rooftop restaurant and then suddenly the flames shoot up, and they are on fire. The physical and emotional wounds from this will last a lifetime. The recovery will be very difficult,” said Timothy J. Cavanagh, founding partner at Cavanagh Sorich Law Group. “There was clear negligence as well as disregard for the safety of the guests. It is obvious the employee was not properly trained or supervised to work around an open flame which is an inherently dangerous situation and put guests at risk of serious harm.”
Lawsuits have been filed on behalf of five plaintiffs. Four were injured in the fire including 25-year-old Kira Bond who was in critical condition with serious burn injuries on her face and body. She was taken to the Trauma, Burn & Rehabilitation Unit at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital where she underwent surgery and continues to be treated for her serious injuries. A 44-year-old plaintiff, Lisa Segner also suffered burns on her abdomen and lower extremities and was taken to the burn unit at Stroger as well. Peter Gianaris and Fernando Ramirez suffered less serious burn wounds and were treated as outpatients but were traumatized as they saw their colleagues on fire and rushed to help them.
“This is a well-known restaurant attracting guests from around the United States who visit Navy Pier. It hosts many private functions like this one. Guests have a right to expect that the defendants operate the facility in a safe manner,” said Marc McCallister, partner at Cavanagh Sorich Law Group. “Instead, they unnecessarily poured a combustible accelerant on the open flame creating a fireball.”
A claim of loss of consortium was filed for the fifth plaintiff, Philip Segner, the husband of Lisa Segner.
The lawsuits are pending consolidation before Honorable Michael F. Otto, Associate Judge in the Law Division. The case numbers are:2025 L 012236 Peter Gianaris, 2025 L 012971 Kira Bond, 2025 L 012972 Fernando Ramirez, and 2025 L 012973 Lisa Segner and Philip Segner.
About Cavanagh Sorich Law Group
The Chicago-based law firm is nationally recognized for sophisticated strategies, aggressive representation and record-breaking victories. Since its founding in 1997, Cavanagh Sorich Law Group has recovered nearly a billion dollars in verdicts and settlements across the country — including record-breaking triumphs in Illinois. Two weeks ago, our firm secured a $104 million verdict in a premise liability case. It is the largest verdict or settlement in a road construction case in Illinois history. Our award-winning attorneys are skilled litigators and have expertise in every facet of personal injury law — from medical malpractice and wrongful death cases to catastrophic railroad crashes.