The parents of two kids who died in this month’s deadly Bronx blaze have hired high-powered lawyer Ben Crump.
Mahamadou Hassimi and Safietou Bocoum lost their daughters Seydou Toure, 12, and Haowa Mahamadou, 5, in the high-rise fire, which left a total of 17 people dead. The girls’ brother, Ibrahim Mahamadou, 17, is still hospitalized in critical condition.
The parents hired Crump — who has previously repped clients such as the family of George Floyd — to represent them as they explore legal action, his office said in a release Monday.
“It is beyond tragic and heartbreaking that this family suffered these unthinkable losses,” Crump said. “Even as the investigation into the causes and contributing factors continues, it’s already clear that this was a preventable tragedy.”
“This devastating event was among the top three worst residential fires in 40 years,” he said. “Lessons that should have prevented the scope of this tragedy clearly were not learned or applied.
The Bronx building fire is considered one of New York’s deadliest blazes in decades, killing 17 people. AP
The family’s anticipated legal action will receive a lot of coverage with Ben Crump representing them. AP“We will work to make sure this case drives meaningful, life-saving changes as part of our efforts to seek justice for this family.”
Just two days after the Jan. 9 fire, other tenants and married couple Rosa Reyes and Felix Martinez filed a $3 billion class-action suit against the owners of the 333 E. 181st St. building, claiming the landlords should be held liable for negligence as they “had actual notice of defective conditions” at the property.
The couple also filed a notice of claim against the city saying it was also responsible for the blaze.
