First Lawsuits Filed By Victims’ Families Following Oakland Ghost Ship Fire

The suits name a long list of defendants, including the building’s owner and landlord, city government, and 100% Silk.

December 27, 2016
First Lawsuits Filed By Victims’ Families Following Oakland Ghost Ship Fire Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images

Multiple lawsuits have reportedly been filed by the families of two victims of the Ghost Ship fire in Oakland, Griffin Madden and Michela Gregory, according to CNN. The suits cites "horrific, gross negligence" on the part of a long list of defendants as the cause of Madden and Gregory's deaths.

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Among the defendants are the building's owner and primary tenants, Derick Almena and Micah Allison, and Oakland's Police, Fire, and Planning and Building Departments.

Also apparently included in the suit's list of defendants are the event's promoters, L.A. label 100% Silk and Golden Donna, who headlined the December 2 event. 100% Silk's co-owner Britt Brown clarified that the label was not involved in promoting the event, adding, "We are still grieving from this awful tragedy like everyone else. I can only imagine how Michela and Griffin’s families must be feeling, our hearts ache for them."

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The suit calls Ghost Ship a "death trap" and describes "a maze of makeshift rooms, alcoves and partitions," that made the space particularly unsafe. The families of both Madden and Gregory are reportedly seeking special and punitive damages, attorney's fees, and interest from both the city and county general, as well as the other independent defendants. Read the full story here.

First Lawsuits Filed By Victims’ Families Following Oakland Ghost Ship Fire