Econo Lodge Hotel Class Action Lawsuit Filed After Deadly Fire

A man has filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Econo Lodge Hotel after surviving a fire that killed three in the establishment this summer.

Lead plaintiff Leonard Hay accuses the owner and operators of the Prince George motel of failing to enact reasonable safety standards, along with the City of Prince George and two fire safety companies.

Hotel Blaze Kills Three, Injures Others

Leonard was allegedly renting a room at the Econo Lodge for a monthly rate of $1,200. On July 8, 2020, Leonard heard screams in the morning hours while in his room. He claims he then saw flames from his window.

According to the Econo Lodge Hotel class action lawsuit, the plaintiff had to use the outside door and outside walkway to escape the blaze. He claims there were no fire alarms and the sprinklers did not go off. In addition, there was allegedly no hotel staff directing guests to safety.

Local news source, Prince George Matters, reports that authorities suspect arson as the cause of the fire. Leonard alleges in his lawsuit that he lost all of his personal belongings as a result of the blaze, suffered severe burns and psychological injuries.

Hotel Had History of Reported Fire Hazards

The Prince George Econo Lodge Hotel was constructed in 1964, according to the complaint. It had a history of renovations and repairs, including roof replacement.

The proposed Econo Lodge class action lawsuit claims that the City of Prince George had cited the operators for a number of fire safety issues after an inspection conducted earlier in the year. Problems allegedly included needed testing of fire safety systems, including extinguishers, lights, and alarms. In addition, the Prince George Econo Lodge did not have a safety plan, notes the complaint.

The City of Prince George had allegedly returned for an inspection just two days before the fatal fire and found the establishment had resolved the problems. Econo Lodge used All Points Fire Protection Ltd. to check its systems, says the complaint that also names All Points as a defendant.

“No fire alarm and no fire suppression system activated to notify the Class of the Fire or to suppress the Fire,” notes the class action lawsuit Canada. “No fire safety plan was in place or activated to ensure the safe egress of guests and patrons of the Motel.”

Who Was Responsible for Failed Fire Safety System

The Econo Lodge Motel fire class action lawsuit says that the hotel owners and operators, as well as the City of Prince George and the fire safety companies all share responsibility for the injuries caused by the July 8 fire.

“The Fire was caused by the negligence of the Defendants Mundi Co. and Choice Hotels (or their employees, servants or agents) and their failure to ensure the Class would be reasonably safe in the Motel or Restaurant,” states the complaint. Leonard accuses the motel operators of allowing the Econo Lodge to deteriorate into an unsafe condition. Further, the motel allegedly failed to enact an adequate safety plan.

Further, All Points fire safety company failed to properly inspect the hotel alleges the complaint.

“All Points (or its employees, servants or agents) breached the duty of care owed to the Class Members in that All Points failed to exercise the standard of care required of a reasonable and careful fire protection technician in the circumstances by failing to identify deficiencies and/or compromising the proper functioning of the Motel’s fire safety system,” argues the Econo Lodge fire class action lawsuit.

In addition, the City of Prince George failed to properly reinspect the hotel for fire hazards, asserts the plaintiff. Further, the City should have warned guests of the motel that the Econo Lodge was unsafe, claims the complaint.

The motel fire class action lawsuit seeks to represent guests of the establishment during the time of the fire, as well as patrons of a restaurant connected to the Motel.

For its part, the defendants declined to comment on the proposed class action lawsuit, according to Prince George Matters.

What do you think of the claims in the Econo Lodge Hotel class action lawsuit? Have you ever stayed in a hotel with safety concerns? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.

The plaintiff and proposed Class Members are represented by Camp Fiorante Matthews Mogerman LLP and Dick Byl Law Corporation.

The Econo Lodge Hotel Class Action Lawsuit is Hay v. Mundi 910 Victoria Enterprises Ltd., et al., Case No. PRG-S-S-2058198, in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Canada. 

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