Fire Victims’ Family Seeks $2.2 Billion from New York City

An attorney representing the daughter of a woman who died in a fire along with her five children, has filed a claim with the city of New York for $2.2 billion alleging the city did not do enough to protect them as residents in a public housing project.

Attorney Evan Oshan filed the claim on behalf of Raven Reyes, the daughter of Andrea Pollidore. Pollidore, 33, and her five children died in a fire at the Fred Samuels House on May 8, 2019. Oshan contends that the city, and particularly the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), allowed “hazardous and unsafe conditions” to exist in the building, which led to the tragic outcome.

The civil claim is a necessary predicate to filing a lawsuit against the city.