California Fire-Related Injury Attorneys
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Skilled California Fire-Related Injury Attorneys Offering Transparent Representation For Every Client
A fire can start in a modern home within a matter of seconds due to the numerous ignition sources and the flammable materials. Commercial buildings are more protected from fires than apartments and houses in the United States due to disparities in fire prevention codes. If you are looking for legal guidance from fire-related injury attorneys, Arash Law can review your case and explain your options. Call us at (888) 488-1391 to learn more about the legal services we offer.
Fire injury lawyers possess knowledge regarding the possible causes of fires in residential homes. Using the requisite evidence and their legal knowledge, they can review your case and explain potential next steps. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), in 2023, local fire departments in the United States responded to an estimated 1.39 million fires. These fires resulted in approximately 3,670 civilian deaths and 13,350 reported injuries.
Property damage from these fires was estimated at $23 billion. On average, a fire occurred somewhere in the U.S. every 23 seconds. A home structure fire was reported every 95 seconds, a home fire death occurred about every three hours, and a home fire injury was reported roughly every 52 minutes.
Nighttime Residential Fires
Residential fires that result in serious injury or death in the United States often occur at night. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the highest proportion of fatal fires in residential buildings happens between midnight and 1 a.m., accounting for about 7% of such fires. More broadly, an eight-hour period from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. represents roughly 45% of fatal residential fires.
Residents may be asleep when a fire starts, which can delay awareness and response. Fires that occur during the daytime might be noticed more quickly, giving individuals and first responders more time to escape or attempt to control the fire. When awake, residents may feel the heat from a fire or see or smell smoke. Smoke alarms can alert families who are asleep during nighttime fires. Fire safety measures may help reduce risks during both day and night fires, though individuals could still suffer injuries or fatalities regardless of the time of day.
Statistics And Fire Injuries
Good fire safety practices can save lives. According to the NFPA, about 80% of fire-related deaths in the United States happen in residential settings, with an average of around seven people losing their lives in home fires each day. Common causes of residential fires include cooking equipment, heating devices, electrical malfunctions, smoking materials, and wildfires. These fires can result in serious injuries, including second-degree and third-degree burns.
Although many fire-related injuries involve burns, smoke inhalation can also pose serious health risks. Survivors of residential fires may require extensive medical treatment for burns or respiratory issues caused by smoke exposure. Burn injuries can be painful and may involve long-term recovery and costly medical procedures, depending on the severity of the fire and the individual’s exposure.
Different Types Of Burn Injuries
The nature of a burn injury can be categorized as first-degree, second-degree, or third-degree. First-degree burns, or superficial burns, damage the topmost layer of the dermis (skin). A first-degree burn is similar to a sunburn. First-degree burns typically require five to seven days to heal.
Second-degree burns, or partial-thickness burns, damage the second layer of the dermis. Second-degree burns often produce long-term scars. Extensive scarring of the skin may require skin grafts.
Third-degree burns, or full-thickness burns, irretrievably damage every layer of the dermis. These serious injuries cause the injured victim not only to lose skin but also to lose sweat glands, hair follicles, and the tissue where new skin cells are generated.
How House Fires Begin
House fires can start in a variety of ways, and understanding the common causes may help reduce risk. Fires in residential settings can result in serious injuries or fatalities, particularly if residents are unable to exit the building safely.
Common causes of residential fires include:
- Electrical appliances and wiring malfunctions.
- Open flames, such as candles or fireplaces.
- Flammable household products.
- Cooking equipment left unattended.
- Heating devices, such as space heaters or furnaces.
Smoke alarms may not always alert residents in time, and features like barred windows can make escaping a fire more difficult. Practicing fire safety and being aware of potential hazards may help reduce the risk of serious injury or death.
Various Kinds Of Burn Incidents
Approximately 70% of burn injuries in the United States are caused by residential mishaps. Other potential causes of burn injuries include electrical wiring issues, chemical spills, and contact with hot liquids or steam.
Individuals who suffer burn injuries may have to deal with permanent disability, disfigurement, and morbidity. Each of these problems may be associated with non-deadly burn injuries that require patients to be hospitalized for an extended period of time. If you or a loved one experiences a serious burn injury, it is important to seek medical attention promptly. After receiving care, consulting a personal injury attorney can help you explore your next steps.
No two burn injuries are identical. Therefore, the medical treatment you receive will be tailored to your injury. An experienced burn injury attorney can help build your case using your medical records and injury-related bills.
What Are The Common Kinds Of Fire Injuries And Explosion Injuries?
Individuals may face long-term consequences from serious burn injuries. Fire and explosion injuries can cause extreme physical pain, emotional trauma, and psychological suffering. Permanent disability and years of rehabilitation may be necessary to help those with burn wounds recover. Some fire injuries are lethal, and the patient dies from their injuries.
Injuries from explosions can also be severe, including shrapnel wounds from metal or splintered wood. Common injuries related to fires and explosions include:
- Respiratory injuries
- Lacerations
- Fractures
- Hearing loss or ear damage
- Scarring
- Amputations
Often, individuals who experience fire and explosion injuries may need to undergo surgical procedures and extensive courses of rehabilitation. Many patients will have to make medical care a regular part of their daily lives. If you want to file a fire injury case, you need to document your medical treatment by requesting medical records and bills. A personal injury attorney can help you collect and organize these documents.
A seemingly impossible construction accident case that had been rejected by a few law firms in town. Everyone believed that it was strictly a workers’ compensation case. However, after some aggressive discovery and depositions, we were able to unravel a large third party personal injury liability case. The case went from zero offer to a maximum policy limits tender within 3 weeks for a very deserving client.– Arash Khorsandi
Which Types Of Accidents Cause Dangerous Explosions In California?
Public utilities
Residential buildings
Industrial property
Watercraft, aircraft, and motor vehicles
Construction areas
Retail businesses
Restaurants
Wildlife areas
Forests
Accidents in these settings can lead to severe injuries, property damage, and even fatalities. Understanding where explosions are more likely to occur can help individuals and communities remain aware of potential risks and take appropriate safety precautions.
Types Of Damages That May Be Available After An Explosion Injury In California
Often, individuals who suffer burn injuries require multiple surgeries and other forms of medical treatment. The financial costs associated with these injuries may rise quickly.
Hospital bills can add up to thousands of dollars, even for a hospital stay lasting only a week. Health insurance sometimes does not cover all costs associated with the necessary treatment for a burn injury.
Personal injury victims who experience injury due to another party’s negligence may be able to pursue compensation for a variety of losses. Common damages victims pursue include:
- Physical pain and suffering.
- Emotional distress and mental anguish.
- Property damage.
- Lost wages & loss of future earning capacity.
- Current and future medical treatment and rehabilitation.
Courts may award punitive damages to punish the responsible party for their particularly egregious or reckless conduct. This award holds the defendant accountable beyond the direct losses of the victim.
Preserving evidence and documentation is important for any potential claim. Our attorneys who focus on fire and explosion injury cases can assist victims and families in understanding their rights and pursuing possible compensation.
Who May Be Liable For My Injuries?
The individuals or business entities who caused the fire that contributed to your injuries may be held liable. The liable parties who may be involved in a fire injury case in California include:
- Property owners
- Landlords
- Employers
- Contractors or construction companies
- Manufacturers of defective products
- Public utilities
- Restaurants and retail businesses
- Government entities
- Vehicle operators
- Other negligent parties
During a fire injury case, one important component is determining the cause of the fire and how it could have been stopped. Both commercial and residential fires may begin in many different ways, but some of the most common causes of fires include household chemicals, explosions, electrical problems, and open flames.
Common Types Of Fire Injury Cases
Attorneys can assist individuals in pursuing legal claims related to fire injuries. Common types of fire injury cases include:
- Residential fires
- Commercial fires
- Industrial fires
- Wildfire incidents
- Vehicle fires
- Explosions in homes or businesses
- Electrical or appliance-related fires
- Gas leaks or chemical fires
How Protected Are Residential Tenants?
Many injury victims suffer burns during residential fires in houses and apartment complexes. Owners and occupiers of real property have a legal duty to make sure the residential area is in good condition. The property must also contain adequate safety features. When landlords fail to maintain the property, residents may be at risk of serious injuries.
An owner and occupier of land may be liable under the principles of negligence law if the tenant suffers injury during a fire that could have been avoided if the property owner had adhered to safety mandates.
Landlord duties include:
- Maintaining clear escape routes in the building’s common areas.
- Providing tenants with serviced and professionally maintained fire extinguishers.
- Installing fireproof doors.
- Providing tenants with access to safe and well-maintained fire escapes.
- Installing smoke alarms on the property in precise locations.
- Checking and maintaining all electrical wiring on the property.
Every building should contain multiple fire extinguishers and smoke detectors. These devices are reliable tools that can reduce the risk of serious bodily injury or death. Many municipal codes require commercial and residential builders to install these devices.
A landlord may still be liable for the injuries that result from a fire that begins inside a tenant’s apartment. Many fires in apartment complexes begin inside kitchens. Local laws govern the duties that landlords must uphold to protect tenants from the risk of serious bodily injury or death. Municipal codes will often apply to both public and private housing.
Speak With An Experienced California Fire-Related Attorney
Fires are dangerous to all victims who encounter them. Severe burn injuries can cause permanent disability and bodily disfigurement. Also, burn injuries are expensive to treat because of the long-term rehabilitation and surgical procedures that are required. The emotional pain caused by a burn injury can be even more difficult to face than physical injuries. Many victims lose the ability to enjoy the hobbies they once participated in before they were injured.
The stress caused by emotional pain and the cost of medical treatment can create a heavy burden for surviving victims and the family members supporting them. Families may suffer property damage during fires. If a gas tank explodes during a fire, the resulting explosion can maim and disfigure the survivors. These victims may need to undergo extensive skin grafting and plastic surgery procedures. Contact an experienced fire injury lawyer at our firm if you or a family member suffered a serious bodily injury during a fire.
Fire injury attorneys can provide legal support and help you pursue compensation that may be available for your case. You can call us at (888) 488-1391 or complete our “Do I Have a Case?” form to request a free initial consultation with our lawyers.
