LACKAWANNA, N.Y. — A jury unanimously delivered a verdict Tuesday over the joint cases regarding the Bethlehem Steel Fire that took place in November 2016.
It was found that both the owner, Great Lakes Industrial Development, LLC, and Industrial Materials Recycling LLC, the tenant were each negligent and that both defendants were guilty of gross negligence.
Vinal and Vinal, P.C. who filed the original lawsuit, tells 2 On Your Side that closing arguments wrapped up Monday and that a separate hearing will be held at a later date to determine the damages that will be awarded to the plaintiffs.
Both LLCs are owned by David Franjoine, Dennis Franjoine, and Robert Zuchlewski.
Testimony in court showed that "the defendants were storing roughly one million pounds of ground plastic and plastic to be ground, in a building with no sprinklers or smoke or heat detectors and no alarms," according to Vinal Law.
Evidence also showed that the owners had prior notice of lightbulbs exploding before the fire started and that manufacturer labeling stated that they should not be placed over combustible materials.
In a release provided to 2 On Your Side, it states that "The proof showed that at 6:55 am Paul Kulniszewski, the then plant manager, heard glass break at the other end of the plant and looked to find it and did not discover it and then joined all the other employees who were at a meeting in a closed trailer. The plant was unheated and had no running water. At approximately 7:09 a.m., Paul Kulniszewski saw fire at the top of a pile of Gaylord boxes and yelled fire. The employees ran out. When the fire was first seen, it was 10 feet high above the top box, and in the center of the stacks."
It continues to say that "Despite the danger, two IMR employees, Jeremy Schoepflin, and Paul Grawunder, described by plaintiffs’ attorney as heroes, grabbed the hand-held fire extinguishers and crossed 32 feet across the pile, on elevated pallets, to get to the fire. Other employees ran to get more handheld extinguishers and handed them up. The fire decreased substantially but they could not put it out before the fire grew to such an extent that they had to evacuate. At that point, at almost 7:15 a.m., Jeremy called 911."
This is a developing story and 2 On Your Side will provide more information as it becomes available.
