Family of Lynn woman files wrongful death suit

LYNN-The family of a Lynn woman who was trapped in her Laighton Street apartment during a 2006 fire filed a wrongful death suit against her landlord.Nikki Lewis, executrix of the estate of Susan Healey, filed the complaint in Salem Superior Court accusing David Deangelis, of 59 Chestnut St., Saugus, of negligence and breach of warranty for Healey?s wrongful death.According to court documents, on or about July 21, 2006 a fire erupted in Healey?s second floor apartment at 99 Laighton St., when a candle apparently fell over on a nightstand and ignited the bedding fabric.As she tried to exit the door from her apartment to the hallway, the door would not open and she was trapped inside her apartment.Her son, Paul Votano, unable to put out the fire, jumped from the second floor window to the ground, but Healey was unable to jump.He ran back inside the building and finally was able to force open the jammed door, but was unable to locate his mother.Firefighters eventually reached her after witnesses saw her frantically waving for help from a window.Healey was unconscious when she was rescued.She was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston with 50 percent of her body burned. She also suffered from inhalation injury and infection.She was kept in a medically induced coma and underwent multiple surgeries for burns and infections.Healey died two months later on Sept. 11 after her three adult children agreed to remove her from life support.The court documents state her partial medical bills for treatment of the burns and treatment of other related injuries was in excess of $1,372,000.Deangelis was notified several times prior to the fire about the door being in need of repair, but failed to do so, the suit says.He is charged with breach of warrant for not properly maintaining the premises, negligence and violation of the building codes.Attorney Paul R. Schneider of Peabody filed the court action on behalf of the complainant and seeks a trial before a jury for monetary damages and other court fees.