Broderick v. Watts

These wrongful death actions arose from a fire which took the lives of Francis, Rita, and Brian DeFrancesco. The fire occurred in a single family residential house owned by Ida Watts, the defendant, and leased to the decedents. The administrator for the estates of the decedents, Edward Broderick, brought suit in the Superior Court (O’Neill, J.), and after a trial, the jury returned a verdict for the defendant. The plaintiff appeals alleging the following: (1) the trial court erred in denying the plaintiff’s motion for a directed verdict in favor of Brian DeFrancesco; (2) the trial court erred…