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« Bar's license may be in jeopardy | Today | East Greenwich teachers picket at schools/ Photo » September 5, 2007Station families may be close to settlementPROVIDENCE -- Several defendants being sued by relatives of the 100 people killed in a 2003 nightclub fire have tentatively agreed to a $13.5 million settlement, one of the lawyers for the families told The Associated Press today. The settlements, if approved by a judge, would mark the first in what relatives' lawyers hope will be several agreements with dozens of defendants in the lawsuits stemming from the Feb. 20, 2003, fire at the Station nightclub in West Warwick. In addition to the 100 people killed, more than 200 were injured. Extra: Read the court document Roughly 300 fire survivors and victims' relatives have sued in federal court over the fire, which began when pyrotechnics for the rock band Great White ignited flammable foam around the stage and the club's walls. The foam quickly spread the blaze through the one-story roadhouse. Among the companies that have tentatively agreed to settle are a manufacturer of soundproofing material, a vendor of the pyrotechnics that ignited the blaze, the realty company that leased the building to club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian and an alarm company, according to court papers. John Barylick, an attorney for the families, said the settlement was dependent on the court appointing a special master to oversee the distribution of the money. "There is certainly agreement among the parties to settle, but it's dependent on clearing some legal hurdles," Barylick said. The lawyers are recommending that Francis McGovern, a law professor at Duke University, serve as special master. They say he has fulfilled similar duties more than 50 times, including in litigation over silicone breast implants and DDT toxic exposure. McGovern did not immediately return a phone message seeing comment. Lawyers for two defendants, pyrotechnic maker Lunatech Inc. and pyrotechnic vendor High Tech Special Effects Inc., also did not immediately return phone messages. -- By Eric Tucker, The Associated Press Posted by Brandie Jefferson CommentsJohn | September 5, 2007 10:47 AM link The fire inspector the biggest criminal for sure. onyx | September 5, 2007 12:18 PM link The hapless fire inspector and the man who started the fire both belong in prison. The Dedarians do not. Bob North Smithfield | September 5, 2007 12:24 PM link Get off the inspector's back. Someday you should try to inspect all the buildings in West Warwick and not miss a single violation. It is a lot tougher than you can imagine. You tend to concentrate on certain common violations and can easily miss something. I wonder how many violations the inspector found over the years that helped avert such a tragedy. You're barking up the wrong tree. Ed | September 5, 2007 1:35 PM link Fire inspector should be locked up as it was ultimately his negligience that led to this tragedy. Chris | September 5, 2007 2:00 PM link Why do people feel that we are vilifying the fire inspector who almost solely was responsible for this tragedy??? When u have a building approved by the fire department to hold 300 people in such a confined space , you sure as hell better not miss flammable material installed in such a large area that only a blind person would not see it. Shame on the fire inspector , I hope he has trouble sleeping each and every night. In fact since he is protected by state law ,, let's just make him apologize publicly to all the families for his incompetence. Then he can thank us for the taxpayer paid Blue Cross he'll recieve for the rest of his life. Mark | September 5, 2007 2:27 PM link Im sorry for your loss but in sueing all these entities you just prolong your pain and suffering. Why not also sue the trees that made the building and God for creating fire? This whole giant lawsuit is ridiculous!! Tom | September 5, 2007 2:33 PM link great do the math we get medical bills paid for just a hand full of us survivor john | September 5, 2007 4:55 PM link the club owners as well as the fire marshall need to be brought to justice.I used to go to that club before Imoved to florida and it was a nightmare to navigate on a regular night with a local band.what happened was wrong and it was done for greed. buy the cheapest foam to satisfy the surrounding homes.that is bull. the owners should have spent the money and done it right and never no matter what let pyrotechnics into that club. take a lesson from jr's fastlane and his subsequent clubs thay make money and are compliant.The derdierians should rot for the murders of 100 innocent people. paul | September 5, 2007 7:34 PM link This was a tragic accident. Can anyone be blamed? Will blame bring anyone back or help families get over the tragedy? Will money help the families? I don't think anything can make up for this loss of lives and I believe we need to forgive and learn from this to be able to go on. I don't think that the Dedarians, band members, fire inspector or anyone else belongs in jail; the state of RI has suffered enough as have the victims families and friends.It is time to heal! Linda | September 6, 2007 6:53 AM link Post a commentPlease be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006
Unfortunately, the parties most guilty of criminal behavior and who should be most liable is the fire inspector for the Town of West Warwick. That's the guy that Attorney General Lynch is protecting, so maybe he should be held liable for his complicity in protecting the guilty party from prosecution.