My estranged uncle recently passed away due to complications from cancer that had gone undetected until a few weeks before his death. He became very weak in his final days to the point where he became completely immobile and therefore dehydrated. A concerned friend who hadn't heard from him in a while called 911 to check on him. He was hospitalized and died several days later. My uncle's doctors noted if he hadn't been hospitalized when he was, he would have died of dehydration within less than a day.
My uncle lived in an illegally converted basement of a rent-stabilized duplex. He had a roommate who lived on the top floor, and the staircase b/w that floor and the basement was completely boarded up. The paramedics who hospitalized my uncle tell me there was a delay in evacuating my uncle from the basement b/c this one staircase was inaccessible, and the exit the ultimately took through a courtyard passage was very narrow. Additionally, HPD has confirmed that the staircase, even if it wasn't blocked, was too narrow as per regulations (believe he said egress regulations). Separately, HPD noted a number of other issues with the illegally converted basement: pervasive mold making the bathroom unusable, defective ventilation, defective smoke & carbon monoxide detectors, unsafe/exposed electric wiring, water leaks from the ceiling, and an infestation of rodents and insects. The HPD agent said it's the worst situation he's ever seen in his career. The building has been cited and will be fined.
I'm wondering if there is any action I should consider taking against my uncle's landlord. It pains me to think that he spent his final months living in such pure squalor. Beyond this, I wonder if there is any sort of case to be made that my uncle would have lived longer if not for the egress violations that delayed the paramedics from hospitalizing him, violations that presumably would have made it difficult for my uncle to seek help himself in his weakened condition. Any guidance would be appreciated.