Guest House Fire Lawsuit Adds State Agency to Defendants
PINEVILLE (AP) - A state agency faces a wrongful-death lawsuit over a fatal fire in a southwest Missouri group home. The fire in November 2006 killed 11 people and gutted the Anderson Guest House in McDonald County. The original lawsuit by two sisters of Nathan Fisher targeted the owners and operators of the live-in care facility for the mentally ill and disabled. Lawyers for the sisters said today they are including the state Department of Health and Senior Services as a defendant. They say the agency failed to properly inspect and monitor the Anderson Guest House. A spokeswoman for the Health Department declined to comment, saying the agency hasn't seen the amended lawsuit. At least seven lawsuits have been filed against the home's operators and owners.