Another lawsuit has been filed in connection with a fire at an assisted-living facility in Fall River that claimed the lives of 10 people in July.
Alvaro Vieira, a survivor of the deadly fire at the Gabriel House, is suing for injuries and property damage.
Vieira claims that the facility and its managers acted negligently, failing to protect residents during the fire on July 13.
Vieira’s lawsuit is the latest in a chain of legal actions that survivors have taken against Gabriel House and its owner, Dennis Etzkorn.
Read the lawsuit in its entirety:
080525 Fall River Lawsuit by Boston 25 Desk on Scribd
In a lawsuit filed a little more than a week after the tragedy, resident Steven Oldrid alleged in his lawsuit against Gabriel Care Inc. that he was “trapped in his room, suffered smoke inhalation, respiratory distress, and loss of consciousness.”
Last week, national law firm Morgan & Morgan filed a lawsuit on behalf of residents Patricia Martin, Terry Young, and Donna Murphey, alleging that the facility and Etzkorn knew or should have known that residents smoked in their rooms, despite having medical oxygen on site, and that some residents smoked while being administered oxygen therapy.
Investigators later determined that the fire began in a resident’s room located on the left side of the second floor of the structure. An oxygen concentrator and numerous smoking materials were found in the room, State Fire Marshal John Davine said last week.
Nearly a decade ago, the Fall River facility temporarily lost its certification due to resident mistreatment, the Associated Press reported.
In the wake of the fire, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has since announced a new safety initiative.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the focus remains on accountability and ensuring the safety of residents in assisted living facilities like Gabriel House.
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