On Monday, May 11, Eglet Adams filed a complaint against the property owner of the Alpine Motel Apartments, the companies that installed and monitored the fire and smoke alarm systems and a strobe manufacturer for the fire that occurred on December 21, 2019. The fire, which, was the deadliest residential fire in Las Vegas history, displaced 50, killed six and injured dozens.
On the early morning of December 21, 2019, a fire broke out at the three-story Alpine Motel Apartment complex in Downtown Las Vegas. It is believed that a stove used for heating purposes was the origin of the fire. The Complaint alleges that there were no operating sprinklers present in the building and that the fire alarms present were inadequate/not functioning at all which, allowed the fire to spread and trap the apartments’ residents inside the building. Furthermore, the Complaint states that when residents attempted to evacuate, they discovered that the rear exit door had been barricaded which, resulted in them being unable to escape or having to jump from windows on the second or third story to flee the burning building.
Factual allegations in the Complaint state that:
- the Alpine Motel did not provide adequate heating facilities;
- the Alpine Motel did not have adequate hallway lighting as a means of egress illumination;
- egress doors located within the motel were bolted closed;
- the motel did not have working fire alarms and/or smoke detectors;
- the motel did not have working fire extinguishers or a fire suppression system;
- the motel and its owner failed to inspect, install, replace, test, and/or maintain the appliances, fire safety equipment and devices , entry and exit doors and/or pathways, electrical power sources, and/or the utilities at the property; and
- the injuries of the Plaintiffs were the result of the negligent, knowing, oppressive, malicious, and/or reckless conduct of the Defendants and/or their failure to properly distribute, select, install, inspect, repair, maintain, test, or purchase smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, fire alarm system, essential utilities, entrance and exit doors, appliances, and/or electrical power sources at the Alpine Motel.
The Complaint lists eight causes of action which, include: negligence per se, general negligence, negligent monitoring, maintenance and installation, strict products liability, negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional infliction of emotional distress and loss of consortium.
View the Complaint here