Matthew Badger, Father In Deadly Stamford Fire, May Sue Contractor Michael Borcina

The father who lost his three young daughters in a tragic Christmas Day fire is going forth seeking legal action and has filed preliminary papers for a potential "wrongful-death claim."

The New York Post reports on Matthew Badger's lawsuit and spoke with lawyer Richard Emery on Sunday. While Emery did not disclose who Badger may be seeking to sue, he clearly stated Badger "has no intention of suing his ex-wife" and mother of the children Madonna Badger.

Emery did however, hint at possible targets including contractor Michael Borcina who was working on renovations to the Stamford home. He said, "That fact is that Borcina was the contractor on the job. He was aware of the dangers, or should have been aware of dangers, that a civilian would have been unaware of."

Stressing that no official decision had been made, Emery continued to tell The Post that the Stamford Buildings Department's judgment to eventually demolish the home was "outrageous...it raises all kinds of very serious suspicions that the house was destroyed."

Madonna and contractor Borcina were the only survivors in the deadly fire that killed her daughters 10-year old Lily and 7-year-old twins Grace and Sarah, as well as Madonna's parents Lormer and Pauline Johnson.

It was reported in late January that Madonna was hospitalized after attempting to commit suicide over the grief of her children. During the funeral service earlier that month, the devastated mother eulogized the young girls as her "girl tribe," as over 500 mourners gathered in the Upper East Side funeral home to join the Badgers.

Comments

[Jonbootsy]

09:02 PM on 02/17/2012

I'm not at all surprised that Matthew Badger is suing Borcina for the wrongful death of his three children. Borcina's negligent, and reckless actions, intensional or not, are a direct cause in the death of five persons. Any Individual with a Bachelors Degree in Chemical Engineering, and a contractor for 20 + years who puts still glowing ashes in a combustible container and places them in an area in or attached to an antique, balloon framed Dwelling, is either drunk, stoned. or both !

[Saphhire]

05:44 PM on 02/15/2012

More importantly Matthew Badger is wanting to become Administrator of the Children's Estate. He may know better than anyone how devastated is ex-wife is. She may not be capable of administering anything right now and her parents are dead ...so who else is close to her to administer the estate? The man who left the live embers in the porch? Get my drift?
Katie

[quindy]

10:35 AM on 02/15/2012

And after he wins and gets the money - what? The girls are still dead. There is no consolation for such loss.

[CherryJuice]

08:27 PM on 02/15/2012

He's not trying to bring his daughters back to life. He's trying to punish the man who started the fire.

[SonyaInTx]

04:51 AM on 02/15/2012

Mr. Badger needs to move on. I'm sure he can't get any significant money from the contractor/boyfriend.....and it will only cause more turmoil for Madonna.

They are simply a cautionary tale for fireplace safety.

[CherryJuice]

08:32 PM on 02/15/2012

Evidently he doesn't think it's time to "move on"; and he's not in it for they money.

[forkuu]

02:40 PM on 02/14/2012

it may have been a mistake but it was a terrible mistake i say sue him

[Cara DePalma]

01:40 PM on 02/14/2012

My prayers continue to go out to Madonna and Michael Badger. No amount of money in the world could ever bring them solice. In lieu of a civil suit, I would like to wait until the final investigation is complete and see if there should be criminal charges. As a contractor, Borcina should have ensured that there were working smoke alarms in the house, especially in an older home made almost entirely of wood. Yes it seems like a careless mistake, but with 5 people dead, it could very well be a criminal mistake. I liken it to the fact the no one who gets behind the wheel drunk intends to kill anyone, but they know the liklihood is there which is why they are held criminally responsible.

[fauxnews lol]

12:47 PM on 02/14/2012

sue for what...becuase his exwife put the ashes in the foyer before she went to sleep......whats the contracor got to do with it....

[forkuu]

02:41 PM on 02/14/2012

dont you read it wasnt the ex wife jeez

[fauxnews lol]

04:25 PM on 02/14/2012

she was there with with her boyfriend .....jeeez

[zg1968]

02:47 PM on 02/14/2012

The boyfriend put the ashes there - but as contractor he disconnected the smoke detector system and was also not licensed to be a contractor....house didn't even have a certificate of occupancy.

[fauxnews lol]

04:29 PM on 02/14/2012

i live in my house 6 yrs with no cirtificate of occupancy untill it past the inspections...and iit was my responsibility to have smoke alarms and fire estingusers......for the licenced part ....were i am from it is the resposibilty of the home owner to ask for one .....if he does not have it and something happens the insurance compant will not pay .....home owners fault

[ynt]

07:22 AM on 02/14/2012

Badger's estranged wife, a very smart and capable woman, made the choice to live in the home while it was being renovated. (Something many of us have done without thought or consequences.) She also must have known the status of smoke alarms in her house. She knew her boyfriend removed the embers from the fireplace. Does he plan to sue the children's mother, too, reaping more pain on this poor woman?

This tragedy was a terrible accident. I don't agree with a decision to sue the contractor/boyfriend.

[natezim]

01:26 PM on 02/13/2012

Borcina and the city should be sued! Borcina as a contractor should have known the perils that existed in that house without a fire detection system installed and by his inadvertent stupdity in placing lighted embers in a bag without distinguishing them near the house. Additionally, there was no certificate of occupancy and the city did not even inspect the house and process of renovation. The shame of it all is for the deaths of the innocent children and grandparents. The excuses will be hard to accept, aside from the need for criminal prosecution in a wrongful death case!

[holyghostie]

08:59 PM on 02/13/2012

I agree 100% and I think its horrible that Stamford building inspector knocked the building down while it ws still smoldering and before asking the Fire and PD if they were done with their investigations.

Borcina should never have let those kids onto that 3rd floor without the C/O, the final inspection and the fire alarms. In my opinion.

[forkuu]

02:43 PM on 02/14/2012

i totally agree it seems borcina had a lot to do not only with causing the fire but also on the fact that the family was living there under those conditions .. i am sure madonna badger was being advised by him as her contractor ..