Steven Giuffrida, now retired, had sued Citibank Corp. after suffering severe burns and smoke inhalation while fighting an intense fire in 1993 at a doughnut shop located in the Citibank-owned building in Brooklyn.
Giuffrida, who stayed in the burning building even after his tank ran out of air, claimed the fire was caused by accumulation of grease in the ventilation system of the doughnut shop.
Giuffrida is seeking millions in damages, but the exact amount was not available yesterday.
In his lawsuit, Giuffrida charged Citibank Corp. violated regulations requiring it to keep the building in a safe condition and to maintain a proper fire protection system.
Two lower courts threw out the case, saying the injuries occurred because the firefighter ran out of air. They said he showed no "reasonable and practical" connection between the alleged building violations and his injuries.
