The Boston Globe reported that the family of a firefighter who was killed in the line of duty has recently brought a wrongful death action.
Apparently, on January 9, 2009, the brakes on a ladder truck failed, allowing it to careen down a street in the Mission Hill section of Boston. It bounced off some parked cars, went through a brick wall and crashed into a building.
The firefighter was a passenger on the rig. He died of head injuries.
The suit filed in Suffolk Superior Court, MA, names six entities who serviced the truck's brakes, which were found to have "severely reduced braking power". Negligence and faulty brake work is alleged against the private vendors who worked on the truck.
The case should be technically interesting and potentially complex, as Plaintiff has the burden of proving a "wrongful act, default or neglect". Each of six defendants will say "It wasn't me!", point the finger at each other, and probably at the Fire Department's own maintenance program.
