Pennsylvania Families Blame Hydrant Failures For Losses of Homes to Fires

Posted by: Curt Varone May 11, 2023 0

Two families who lost their homes in separate fires after firefighters were unable to get water from area fire hydrants, have filed separate lawsuits against the local water authority and township. The suits claim the defendants were aware of the problems with the hydrant system but failed to rectify the situation.

Bucky Lattanzo and his wife lost their home in Dunbar Township in March 2021. Gail and Joseph Layman lost their home in January, 2022. Lattanzo and the Laymans have filed suit blaming the North Fayette Water Authority and Dunbar Township.  Lattanzo also attributes the death of his wife eight months after the fire to stress from the loss.

Here is a copy of the Layman complaint:

US_DIS_PAWD_2_22cv1605_d154410698e712_COMPLAINT_against_DUNBAR_TOWNSHIP_NORTH_FAYETTE_WADownload

Here is a copy of the Lattanzo complaint:

US_DIS_PAWD_2_23cv407_d156359327e476_COMPLAINT_against_DUNBAR_TOWNSHIP_NORTH_FAYETTE_CODownload

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
© Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved. | FireLawBlog.com & Curt Varone | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
x

Check Also

Suit Against FD Alleges False Arrest and Conspiracy

A lawsuit accusing a volunteer fire department, two firefighters, three police officers, and two law enforcement agencies with assault, battery, false arrest, conspiracy, and a host of civil rights violations, has been removed to the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Steven Makowsky filed suit earlier this year in Nassau County Supreme Court.

KCMO Challenges Arbitration Award in Triple Fatal Crash

The City of Kansas City is appealing an arbitration decision that reduced the disciplinary penalty for the firefighter responsible for the 2021 triple-fatal apparatus crash to a three-day suspension without pay. Dominic Biscari was driving Kansas City’s Pumper 19, when it ran a red light, collided with an SUV, struck several parked cars, came to rest in a building, and in the process killed three people.