The suit states that Class 5, Inc. is reckless, careless and neglectful as they caused the fire to break out in the basement, where they maintained highly flammable equipment.
- March 28, 2018
AceShowbiz - Edward Norton's production company is sued over deadly fire that took the life of a New York firefighter in Harlem on Thursday night, March 22. The fire that took place during the filming of "Motherless Brooklyn", starring Bruce Willis, also destroyed an apartment.
The suit was filed by Erica Cruz and George Cruz who lived on the fourth floor of the building. According to the suit filed in New York Supreme Court on Tuesday, March 27, Class 5, Inc. maintained certain equipment, including highly flammable equipment, in the basement. Due to defendants' recklessness, carelessness and negligence, the fire broke out in the basement.
When the fire broke out, the tenants were not warned. Instead, the production company misled them by saying that the fire had been extinguished. Erica ended up having to run for her life down several sets of dark stairs while being engulfed in smoke, unable to breathe or see where she was going. She was also fearful of falling with each step and feared of death and dying.
As a result, the plaintiff suffered several permanent and personal injuries, including pre-existing asthma and respiratory condition that required medical care and attention. In addition to personal injuries, the plaintiff suffered complete loss of all personal property in her apartment, including furniture and appliances, electronics and textbooks in use for graduate school. For the losses, the tenant sued the production company for $2 million.
More than 200 firefighters responded to the fire and it was eventually knocked down early Friday morning, March 23. In addition to the death of a firefighter named Michael R. Davidson, 37, the fire took the lives of three civilians.
The company released a statement of condolence to the firefighter family. It read, "To our great sorrow, we now know that a N.Y.C. firefighter lost his life battling the blaze that grew, and our hearts ache in solidarity with his family. New York City firefighters truly are the bravest in the world. We watched firsthand with astonishment as they charged into the smoke to make sure all were safely out and then fought to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading, putting their lives on the line as they do every day."
