KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A man filed a lawsuit claiming he suffered "serious permanent physical, mental and emotional damages" after trying to help rescue victims in the deadly, partial collapse of a midtown KCMO Family Dollar store.
Charles Ochlech filed the suit in Jackson County Court against Arthur Fels Company, Family Dollar Stores of Missouri, LLC and Family Dollar, Inc.
The suit states Fels owned the property at 3726 Broadway Boulevard, where the store was located.
Ochlech finished shopping in the store on July 27, 2025, when the roof collapsed and fell onto customers and others, according to the lawsuit.
Ochlech helped people trapped under heavy rubble from the collapse, the suit states.
The lawsuit claims that as "Ochlech pulled debris off the injured customers, he suffered serious injuries to his entire body, including, but not limited to, his neck, back, and legs."
The suit also states Ochlech will continue to pay medical bills and experience, pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.
He is also suffering from emotional distress, anxiety and PTSD resulting from the incident and seeing the deceased body of Larry Banks.
In the suit, attorneys state that the defendants had a duty to inspect the store, including the roof, to make sure it was in a reasonably safe condition.
A support pillar in the front of the building was knocked down when it was run into by a vehicle in 2016.
The support pillar, according to the lawsuit, was never replaced or repaired by the defendants.
"Defendants knew the roof of The Store was at risk of falling and the building was not structurally stable prior to July 27, 2025," the lawsuit states.
Other lawsuits have been filed since the collapse, including a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Larry Banks' wife and a lawsuit filed by a woman who was seriously injured in the incident.
Both the city and OSHA are currently investigating the collapse.
A case management conference is scheduled for Jan. 26 at 1 p.m.
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