New Haven offers $14.5 million settlement in fatal fire lawsuit

In 2021, the estates of Michael Randall Sr. and Corey Reed brought a lawsuit against the city alleging negligence caused their deaths, as officials had discovered numerous housing violations there were not acted upon for months before the fatal blaze.

"While this fire predates my time as mayor, it's important that the city reached an amicable settlement with all impacted families and parties that were involved in this horrific incident," said New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker in a statement.

The settlement is preliminary and must first be approved by the city's Litigation Settlement Committee and the Probate Court. A city spokesman said the settlement would be split evenly between the victims' estates, and the city must pay a $1 million deductible with the its insurance paying the full balance.

Attorney Craig Smith of Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, who represented the plaintiffs, said in a statement that the fire was "a preventable tragedy."

"Michael Randall and Corey Reed lost their lives while trying to save others trapped in a home that the Fire Marshall failed to inspect despite its known dangers. After five long years of no accountability from the City of New Haven, I'm pleased that their families have finally received the justice they deserve," he said. "The families of these two heroes hoped that by bringing this case, other New Haven families could be spared such heartbreaking loss. This settlement is an important step toward ensuring that, and we are proud to have brought this case to a successful conclusion."

According to the fire marshal's report, Randall was trapped in his third-floor bedroom by the flames but acted to alert other tenants. Randall and Reed died of smoke inhalation and thermal injuries, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

In his statement, Elicker said his administration has made changes to its processes and procedures to prevent such incidents from happening again.

"This includes a uniform complaint form that is shared with all relevant departments, establishing a joint task force between relevant departments (Fire Department, Livable City Initiative, and Building Department), and ensuring that a city official stays on the scene of a residence when there is an imminent life and safety hazard until that issue is resolved," he said.

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