Two Died in Waukesha Apartment Fire After Software Malfunction Delayed Fire Response Team

A married couple died and three others sustained burn injuries in an apartment fire after a software malfunction delayed the Waukesha fire response team.

The burn injury lawyers at Pritzker Hageman understand the devastation that apartment fires cause families. For the past 40 years, our legal team has represented clients in fire lawsuits that have resulted in some of the largest recoveries in American history.


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Waukesha authorities identified an issue with their computer dispatch system, which failed to alert the fire stations as designed. The Waukesha Fire Chief told Fox 6 News, “Any delay is not acceptable, and that’s why we’re going to take the efforts to works together as a team to look at why this happened and prevent it from happening in the future.”

After dispatchers overrode the system, fire crews arrived at the scene 10 minutes and 47 seconds after the fire was reported to the Waukesha dispatch center. The nearest fire station is only one mile away from the four-unit building near Lambeth and Haymarket Road. Fire officials say the system glitch delayed their response time by five minutes, which left a Waukesha family wondering if those five minutes could have saved the lives of their parents.

Kevin McQuade (50) died in the apartment fire that sent his wife Katrina to the burn unit at St. Mary’s Hospital where she later died. They were happily married for 21 years and were survived by two children in their 20s. The Mcquade children set up a Go Fund Me page for support from the Waukesha community.

The Waukesha apartment fire left a woman in her 20s with life-threatening burn injuries. Two other men sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Contact an Experienced Fire Lawyer As Soon As Possible

The Pritzker Hageman fire lawyers help burn survivors and families who lost a loved one get justice and full compensation. While no amount of money could ever make up for the loss your family suffered, filing a wrongful death lawsuit will help you get compensation for the following damages:

  • Unpaid medical bills
  • Funeral expenses
  • Lost wages
  • Other damages

If you or a loved one was burned in an apartment fire, it is important to talk to an experienced fire lawyer as soon as possible because laws called “statutes of limitations,” which vary from state to state, may limit the amount of time you have to file a claim.

For a free consultation with a fire attorney, please call 1-888-377-8900, text 612-261-0856, or fill out the form below.

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Category: Explosion, Fire and Burn Injuries
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