New York Mayor Bill De Blasio has pledged that there will be a thorough investigation of the radiator explosion that killed two little girls ages 1 and 2. The sisters were napping in their Bronx apartment when a valve blew off the radiator and filled their room with scalding steam. The girls suffered severe burns and were rushed to Lincoln Hospital where they were pronounced dead.
The city of New York uses the Hunts Point apartment building to provide housing for the homeless. The girls’ family had been living in the building for about a year before the incident occurred.
Mayor De Blasio said the incident appears to be an unprecedented freak accident. But the building has had a history of problems. The city comptroller told local media that the building has 60 open violations. And the landlord was named the city’s fourth worst landlord in 2015, according to a list compiled by a public advocate’s office.
During 2016, 46 complaints were called into 311 about the building. Three of them were about radiators.
The faulty radiator was been removed for examination and the four other families housed there by Social Services have been moved out. The last time the building was inspected by homeless services was Monday.
New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer said he was outraged by the horrifying loss the parents had suffered and called for swift changes in the city’s approach to addressing the crisis of homelessness.
When a child dies and there is evidence that another party is at fault, the parents may have the right to sue for compensation. If you have questions about a wrongful death claim, the attorneys at Pritzker Hageman can help. They have represented grieving families all over the country and have secured multi-million-dollar settlements including a recent $6 million wrongful death settlement.
To contact them for a free, no-obligation consultation click here. Or, call 1 (888) 377-8900 toll-free.
Sources:
Bronx radiator explosion: De Blasio vows thorough investigation
http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2016/12/8/mayor-promises-full-investigation-into-death-of-two-toddlers-in-radiator-explosion-at-bronx-shelter.html