NEW YORK, NY February 14, 2008 —The family of a New York City fireman killed in a blaze at the former Deutsche Bank building is suing. WNYC's Marc Garber reports.

Relatives of firefighter Robert Beddia charge the owner of the condemned skyscraper and contractors hired to dismantle it turned the building into a "death trap."

The lawsuit, filed in State Supreme Court, accuses the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which owned the former Deutsche Bank building, another government agency overseeing it and the contractors of negligence in Beddia's death.

Beddia and firefighter Joseph Graffagnino were killed last August 18th inside the tower. Careless smoking is believed to have started the fire.

The suit charges an inexperienced contractor was hired to take down the tower and that multiple agencies didn't have emergency plans for firefighters.

For WNYC, I'm Marc Garber.