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One Philadelphia firefighter had been on the job for five years, joining the force when he was just 20. The other was a 60-year-old veteran, nearing retirement from a dangerous job where serious burn injuries and death are constant threats. Both men lost their lives last month fighting a five-alarm fire at an abandoned warehouse in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood.
Earlier this month, a writ of summons was filed at Common Pleas Court in Philadelphia by the parents of the younger firefighter who lost his life. Writ of summons filings often precede civil lawsuits. The attorney who submitted the legal paperwork did not say if or when the parents would seek damages for their son’s untimely death.
The counselor stated the writ was filed “for discovery purposes” as it permits access to evidence that might not otherwise be available. The statute of limitations for a civil action is two years under Pennsylvania law, so it could be months before a lawsuit is officially filed.
It uncertain what started the April 9 fire at the Thomas W. Buck Hosiery warehouse. It has been reported that the off-site owners were warned by city officials on multiple occasions about the building’s dilapidated and dangerous condition, but they failed to take action.
Media reports have implied that the owners did not care that the structure was a threat to public safety. According to one newspaper, $12,000 in utility bills and $60,000 in unpaid taxes have been ignored by the warehouse owners, whose base of operations is in Brooklyn, New York.
The writ of summons filed for the grieving parents of the young firefighter was not the only legal document relating to the fire to be entered in court. The parents’ lawyers is also is representing two other firefighters who were hurt in the same blaze. The attorney simultaneously filed paperwork for the injury victims indicating the New York warehouse owners could have more than one court battle to fight.
Source: Pennsylvania Record, “Attorney for Phila. firefighters who died in warehouse blaze files court papers signaling possible litigation,” Jon Campisi, May 9, 2012