Two more wrongful death suits filed for Gabriel House assisted living facility fire victims

Two more wrongful death lawsuits were filed last week on behalf of relatives of Gabriel House assisted living facility residents who perished during a fire at the Fall River group home in July.

Both lawsuits were filed Tuesday in Fall River Superior Court against Dennis and Karen Etzkorn — the facility’s owners, Gabriel Care — their respective LLC, and Fire Systems Inc. — the fire inspection company used at the home.

One filing was on behalf of the three sisters of 78-year-old fire victim Robert King . The other was filed on behalf of 86-year-old fire victim Eleanor Willett’s granddaughter.

Like the numerous other civil lawsuits that have been filed against Etzkorn and Fire Systems, the two new filings assert negligence, claiming the sprinkler system was known to be defective, and that the assisted living facility was not properly managed, staffed, supervised or inspected. Both filings ask that monetary damages be awarded to the plaintiffs.

• Read more: 4 takeaways: What’s going on with the numerous Gabriel House assisted living fire lawsuits

King and Willett were among the 10 Gabriel House residents that died in the fire that broke out the night of July 13 and became the deadliest in Massachusetts in more than 40 years. Dozens of other residents of the 261 Oliver St. facility were injured in the blaze.

At least seven personal injury lawsuits have been filed against Etzkorn and Fire Systems since the fire, as well as at least one other wrongful death suit. On Monday, filings by the defendants in the existing wrongful death suit claimed the other was responsible for the sprinkler system’s failure.

King is remembered by his friends and family for being a Fall River native and a U.S. Navy and National Guard veteran. Willett is remembered by her loved ones as a mother and grandmother who, after growing up in Boston, spent much of her life living in Wareham and working as a secretary for the town’s Board of Health.

Deadly Gabriel House fire

• 4 takeaways: What’s going on with the numerous Gabriel House assisted living fire lawsuits

• Gabriel House owner, fire inspection company go head-to-head over recalled sprinklers in newly filed cross claims

• In contrast to Gabriel House, sprinklers kept Rockland nursing home fire at bay — and no one was injured

• Tasked with improving fire safety in assisted living facilities, state commission has yet to talk to fire officials

Read the original article on MassLive . Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here .