KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Attorneys representing Vicki Banks, the widow of Army veteran Larry Banks, who was killed in a building collapse, spoke about their wrongful death lawsuit against the property owner and Family Dollar.
"I took it as a personal responsibility as a fellow soldier to make sure that every 'i' was going to be dotted and every 't' was going to be crossed, to make sure a soldier's death was not in vain," said Roderick White, the attorney for the Banks family.
Larry Banks was killed in late July when the Family Dollar building on Broadway Boulevard collapsed.
The legal team is conducting its own investigation and gathering evidence to prove that the property owner and Family Dollar were aware of structural issues with the building but failed to address them.
"There's some indication in our preliminary investigation that they've known about the dangerous condition maybe since 2016 or 2017," White said.
A car crashed into the building in 2016, damaging a support beam that was never replaced.
Just days before the collapse at the end of July, the City of Kansas City received a 311 complaint for a "slowly tilting" building. When asked if the Banks' attorneys plan to take legal action against the city as well, White said it remains a possibility.
"That is under consideration," White said. "No decisions have been made at this point, but that is definitely under consideration."
The attorneys spoke on behalf of Vicki Banks, who is struggling with the loss of her husband.
"She hasn't slept in weeks," White said. "This is just a challenge that she's going to have to work through day by day."
Those who knew Larry Banks in the months before his death remembered him fondly.
"[He] got into our Clean-Up KC program, got stably housed, and we didn't see him," said Doug Langner, the executive director of Hope Faith. "He was living his life like you and I,"
"He was such a nice guy and I mean just helpful, friendly," said Brittany Lowery, the Clean-Up KC coordinator at Hope Faith. "I mean, not a mean bone in his body,"
Larry Banks was laid to rest with military honors, and his attorneys believe his service to the community continues even after death.
"Even in death, Mr. Banks will continue to protect his community when we make certain that this lawsuit motivates Family Dollar to never let something like this happen again," White said.
Family Dollar and the property owner have not responded to requests for comment.
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