Daughters Of Female Hardhat Killed In Fire Keep Lawsuit Alive

Last year construction safety coordinator Bianca Wisniewski filed a $20 million lawsuit charging she was sexually harassed at a JPMorgan Chase construction site on Park Avenue. (Among the alleged abuses were elevator operator Steve Greco's comment to Wisniewski that "Everybody kisses engineer Steve. This is a man's world, not a place for women to work.") Sadly, Wisniewski died in a tragic fire in her flushing apartment several months later, just one day before she was to testify against her former employer. (The FDNY decided the fire was accidentally caused by a candle falling on a sofa.)

But the lawsuit didn't die with her; Wisniewski's teenage daughters, who survived the blaze, are pursuing the case. In a poignant Daily News article, daughter Nicole Kuros, a college student studying to be a nurse, says, "It had been just the three of us. Our dad died when I was seven. Now we're alone, but we want to do this for our mom. My mom had the courage to stand up for herself and say you can't treat people this way. She had courage. That's what we are doing. Standing up for her, and for us."

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By John Del Signore in News on April 15, 2010 5:40 PM

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P2H

I wonder how many lawsuits would go forward if there wasn't any financial compensation for people. Instead of her daughters hitting a payday, how about the money is donated to charity? I bet there would be a lot less lawsuits and people declaring how they are doing it for "justice".

gawkthis

i don't think jpmorgan chase off'ed her. it doesn't seem like their style: they can't do anything that fast.

if they wanted her dead they would have nickel and dimed her into bankruptcy with various faux service fees during the first 10 years, then smother her in a mountain of paper, privately branded credit card offers, and eventually offer to settle with her for pennies on the dollar.

the offer will come by way of their credit card services group, and she will have to call their customer service line to accept their proposal. she will finally slit her wrists after being on-hold for five days, having to listen to that incessant, bland muzak that plays in a never-ending loop while "all our representatives are helping other customers. the average wait time is 1423567 minutes..."

inoyourider

Yeah, they probably killed her.

And it's still a bullshit lawsuit.

How much is your mother worth?

Oh, if we pay you off you'll forget everything?

How touching...

Want sympathy?

Declare that you'll be donating all proceeds to charity.

Making a profit via lawsuit from a loved one's death is vile.

VorneliusCanderbilt

I could not disagree more. You're looking at it like, "Let's get paid!" but that's incorrect. It's not about "making a profit," it's about justice.

If she was murdered (I don't know, neither does anyone else here?) are her daughters not entitled to (at least) expected future earnings by those responsible? What, they should just be left to fend for themselves?

"Hey, sorry about your Mom... Oh, and good luck figuring out that whole tuition thing on your own! Not our problem... We washed our hands of this problem."

With that logic, you must think life insurance is vile too.

inoyourider

Pay-off ≠ justice.

inoyourider

No, they're not 'entitled' to their mother's future earnings, and there's no realistic way of calculating those earnings.

Maybe she should have had life insurance, then her daughters wouldn't be filing BS lawsuits.

VorneliusCanderbilt

"there's no realistic way of calculating those earnings."

Uhhh... Yeah there is. You might be surprised to learn there are also ways to calculate, future medical bills, future wage loss, pain and suffering, permanent disability, disfigurement, AND "value of life," if you can believe that? Then there's a probability weighted-average of determining "estimated value of total damage award." (I look at this stuff all day.)

Forget the professional jargon... Example: You're a toddler and they proved someone murdered your mother... You're really gonna tell me, "Ehhh, I'm not suing that guy b/c I don't deserve anything... It could look like I'm 'profiting,' so I'll back off... You win some in life, you lose some... I'm barely old enough to wipe my own a$$, but I'll figure it out... You win this round murderer."

Please! With your logic, the whole court system is a sham. Why would anybody sue anyone? No one should "profit" or be "paid-off" when they are wronged.(assuming this woman was actually murdered?)

inoyourider

Why would anyone sue anyone?

To right a wrong, not to make a profit.

I know that's a hard concept in today's society.

VorneliusCanderbilt

Exactly... If it turns out their mother was murdered (a wrong,) that is PRECISELY why they should try to "right" it as best they can. I am in no means an expert in this specific case, but I'm willing to bet bringing her back to life is not an option, so this is their only recourse. It's not a hard concept in society at all... You just said, people sue each other "to right a wrong" and you would be correct.

inoyourider

No amount of cash will right this wrong.

Cash isn't the answer.

inoyourider

No there isn't.

There is a way that all the shysters of the world use to calculate pay-offs in BS lawsuits, but it's not realistic.

Besides the point that they're not entitled to it.

The kid is 18 maybe she should get a job.

Justice is when the criminal is caught and punished.

Justice are two different things and they should stay that way.