Shor and Levin is Investigating the Gesner Street Fire

Philadelphia, PA (October 9, 2014) Shor and Levin is representing Gesner Street victims who suffered smoke inhalation, emotional trauma, and other injuries from the fire, as well as the families of two of the children who were killed that night.

At 2:45 a.m. on Saturday, July 15, 2014, a massive fire ripped through the single block of Gesner Street in Southwest Philadelphia. Eight families lost their homes; four children lost their lives.

Many believe that the children: one-year-old Taj Jacque, four-year-old Patrick Sanyeah, and four-year-old twins Maria and Marialla Bowah, didn't have to die. Residents of Gesner Street say it took fire crews half an hour to arrive at the scene of the fire, although the Engine 40 & Ladder 4 Firehouse is located just a block away.

Neighbor Keisha Burgess told NBC Philadelphia Channel 10 that she walked to the station to report the fire and was told she had to make a phone call before she could get help. She called the fire department, but she claims that it took another 20 minutes for fire crews to arrive at the scene. Frustration over the delays led to a two hundred person protect outside Engine 40 & Ladder 4 Firehouse on July 7.

Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Derrick Sawyer disagrees with residents' stories. He told NBC10 that any delays were caused by a nearby car fire and initial reports that the flames were the result of burning trash. He claimed that Engine 40 arrived within minutes of learning that it was the townhouses that were on fire.

The attorneys at Shor and Levin are investigating what went wrong and whether delayed fire department responses contributed to the fatal fire. Attorney Jay Shor says that determining what happened in July is a priority, "In this day and age, it is inconceivable that four children should lose their lives when a fire department was located only a block away. These families lost everything. They deserve answers."

About Shor and Levin
The Pennsylvania Workers Compensation Lawyers at Shor and Levin have helped injured Pennsylvanians and their families get accountability and justice for over 40 years. To learn more, visit http://www.bulldoglawyers.com or call us at 866-462-8553.