Community Corner

Oak Forest Man Set on Fire Sues Chinese Restaurant

Matthew Rapp, 25, of Oak Forest suffered severe burns to his left leg after someone turned on a wok while Rapp was atop a stove fixing fuses, according to a Daily Herald report. Now Rapp is seeking $50,000 in damages.

An Oak Forest man is suing a Batavia Chinese restaurant, stating he was set on fire after someone turned on a wok as he was working above it, according to a Daily Herald report. 

Fire suppression repairman Matthew Rapp, 25, sustained serious burns to his left leg while working above a wok at East China Inn restaurant in Oct. 2010, according to the report. Rapp was burned mostly on his left leg, from his ankle to his knee, according to the report. His injuries forced him to miss 21 weeks of work.

Rapp is suing for negligence and seeking $50,000 in damages.

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During Rapp's 2010 visit as an employee of Fire Science Techniques,  the lawsuit, as referenced in the Daily Herald report, states that “a restaurant employee turned on the stove or continued to work on the stove that the plaintiff was working above which set the plaintiff on fire." 

His medical treatment lasted a year, according to the report. 

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