Actor sues over chandelier mishap

Actor Dennis Franz and a 72-year-old family guest have both filed lawsuits in Kootenai County against the manufacturer and installer of a mechanism that apparently failed and caused a light fixture at Franz’s North Idaho house to fall in 2007, injuring the guest and a toddler she was holding. Franz, known for his role as Detective Andy Sipowicz on the TV drama “NYPD Blue,” owns 82 acres of waterfront property near Kidd Island Bay on Lake Coeur d’Alene. According to the suit, 72-year-old Marlene Schraut and her husband were guests of Dennis and Joanie Franz on July 18, 2007. On that day, Dennis Franz for the first time attempted to operate a mechanism designed to raise and lower a chandelier in Franz’s great room. The lift failed and the chandelier crashed down on to Marlene Schraut and a toddler she was holding in her arms. Schraut suffered serious injuries and the toddler suffered lacerations. As Schraut lay “bleeding in the hospital,” the defendants entered the Franz home without permission and disabled the mechanism and potentially compromised the evidence in the case, the suit alleges. Named as defendants in both suits are Edwards Construction, Inc., ACME Electric and Aladdin Light Lift Inc., and company representatives. In Franz’s suit, the actor claims that as a result of the negligence of the defendants that he was forced to forego a $16 million personal services contract. But the suit does not describe what that work entailed.