In a developing legal battle over the tragic Gabriel House fire that claimed the lives of ten residents in Fall River, the national law firm Morgan & Morgan has filed lawsuits against the assisted living facility's owner, as well as the company responsible for its fire safety equipment. According to Boston 25 News, the suits allege negligence on various fronts, including failure to enforce a no-smoking policy and a lack of proper emergency preparedness plans, Residents Patricia Martin, Terry Young and Donna Murphey are among those represented by the firm
Allegations have surfaced that Gabriel House, owned by Dennis Etzkorn, was aware of residents smoking in their rooms despite having medical oxygen on site, and that Fire Systems Inc. failed to maintain a functional fire safety set up; this includes claims that the fire panel, fire pumps, and sprinkler system were not only improperly installed but also poorly maintained and did not operate as needed when the fire broke out. John Morgan, founder of Morgan & Morgan, released a statement obtained by Boston 25 News condemning the apparent disregard for residents' safety in favor of profits.
Similar concerns were echoed in a separate statement by Morgan & Morgan, highlighting substandard conditions like oversized air conditioners obstructing possible escape routes and various shortcomings in staffing and training; this comes in the wake of findings by the Massachusetts state regulators who have compiled over two dozen abuse and neglect complaints against Gabriel House over a span of ten years, and the 2016 incident when the facility lost its certification for a period, details revealed by NBC Boston.
The lawsuit also addresses the alleged failures in the building's infrastructure, such as the broken elevator reported by Morgan & Morgan attorney J. Ryan Will in a statement obtained by Boston 25 News, which had been out of service for eight months prior to the fire; Meanwhile, a previous lawsuit was filed by survivor Steven Oldrid on July 21 where he recounted being trapped and losing consciousness from smoke inhalation due to alleged facility mismanagement, information further detailed by NBC Boston.
In response to the ongoing legal situation and the devastating fire it stems from, Gov. Maura Healey initiated new safety protocols for all assisted living facilities in the Commonwealth, demanding clearer safety communications and enhanced emergency plans. On the municipal level, Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan, alongside IAFF General President Edward Kelly, communicated their intention to bolster staffing levels at the local Fire Department immediately following the incident, after concerns were raised about the adequacy of their response capabilities to such fires.
