Wedgwood Senior Living Apartments Fire – Update

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In an earlier news article, we summarized the facts about the recent Wedgwood fire tragedy as they were known at the time. New details have come to light since the days after the disaster, and Crosley Law Firm is now accepting personal injury and wrongful death cases related to the fire at Wedgwood Senior Living apartments.

On December 28 at approximately 6:10 AM, the fire alarms started ringing at Wedgwood. Many residents simply went back to sleep or ignored the noise since they had experienced many false alarms before. Fire crews arrived promptly; however, the evacuation was slowed by several factors other than earlier false alarms; for example, many of the elderly residents needed assistance since they had trouble navigating the stairs of the 11-story apartment complex.

As a result of the fire, five individuals died. Their names have been released: Karen Rae Betz, Jose Gonzales, Ramon Villarreal, Molly Urban, and Anita Marie Woodson. Charlene Lowry died two days later. At least twenty others were injured, and just last week 11 individuals were still in the hospital as a result of the fire. Our thoughts are with the families of those who have died and those who are suffering.

The humanitarian response to the fire by charitable and municipal organizations happened almost immediately with the Red Cross providing comfort kits to the elderly evacuees right after their initial relocation to an emergency shelter at Churchill High School. Since then, Christian Senior Services, BCFS, the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, and many others have helped to provide the Wedgwood community with aid and assistance.

Unfortunately, much of that assistance is coming to an end. Case managers helping residents find new housing will end their services on January 16, and Meals on Wheels will stop providing meals on January 20. What’s worse, inspectors have deemed the Wedgwood building unsafe for habitation as a result of the fire, so former residents will now need to find permanent new homes and still do not know when, or if, they will gain access to their belongings.

In order to help those who have been suffering and to seek answers about how this tragedy came about, Crosley Law Firm is now taking on personal injury and wrongful death cases related to the Wedgwood fire. If you have been injured or lost a loved one as a result of this disaster, contact the qualified, experienced attorneys at Crosley Law Firm to set up a free consultation about your situation.