Several families whose loved ones died or were critically injured while trying to escape a smoked-filled Bronx apartment building sued the owners Tuesday, alleging …
Several families whose loved ones died or were critically injured while trying to escape a smoked-filled Bronx apartment building sued the owners Tuesday, alleging safety violations that led to the wrongful deaths of 17 people, including eight children. The five lawsuits were filed on behalf of the families by Benjamin Crump, a high-profile civil rights attorney based in Florida, and the New York law firm Weitz & Luxenberg. « We have a lot of the families who paid such a tragic loss in the apartment fire, » Crump said during a news conference outside the building, saying that violations of city safety rules « caused unspeakable loss of life and injury to these families, mostly from Africa. » Fire officials say a malfunctioning electric space heater started the blaze the morning of Jan.9. While the fire damaged only a small part of the building, it produced black, caustic smoke that quickly engulfed the complex.
