Inwood firefighter widow files lawsuit

Claims homeowners and contractors were negligent

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Jacqueline Scott-Sanford, the widow of Inwood firefighter Joseph Sanford, Jr., has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit with the Supreme Court of Nassau County against the owners of a Woodmere home and the contractors who were doing work on the premises.

The lawsuit, filed on Feb. 25, alleges the homeowners, David and Wendy Friend, painting contractors, E.M. Expert Corp. of Hempstead and general contractor, Paramount Construction Corp., of negligence and violation of building and fire codes. David Friend is a senior vice president at WCBS Channel 2.

Garden City attorney Christopher McGrath, an Inwood native, is representing Scott-Sanford. “The cause of the fire was spontaneous combustion of staining materials left in plastic bags on the floor in the hallway,” he said. “Every single person involved will be deposed of by me. I’ll get to the absolute truth.”

Sanford, a 17-year veteran of the Inwood Fire Department, was also a Nassau County public works department employee. He was one of the first responders on the scene of the Central Avenue house fire on Dec. 19. Sanford fell through the first floor to the basement and was found under debris. He died from his injuries four days later. More than 200 firefighters responded to the early morning fire.