Family of victims killed in Bronx fire allege negligence in wrongful death lawsuit

• Family of those killed in last month's Bronx fire have filed wrongful death lawsuits.
• The lawsuits allege the building's owners did not keep the building up to code before the fire.

Family of those who died or were injured in last month's devastating Bronx fire accused the building's owners of negligence in a wrongful death lawsuit filed Tuesday.

Four families of victims of the fire — which killed 17 people — leveled accusations against the "housing companies, investment groups, and property developers responsible for ensuring the building is compliant with health and safety codes and the maintenance of the building as defendants," Attorney Ben Crump said in a press conference Tuesday.

The building on East 181st Street in New York City caught fire early in the morning on January 9, 2022. The New York City fire commissioner said that the fire was started by a faulty space heater, Insider previously reported.

The lawsuit claims the building's owners failed to keep the building safe and up to code.

Each of the plaintiffs is suing for damages, both for wrongful death and to pay for hospital stays, medical care, and funeral costs.

"While we can't bring them back, we can help their families get answers to why and how this happened," Crump said. "Justice in this case is holding those responsible accountable and ensuring that no community has to suffer a loss like this again."