More Than Burns: Common Fire-Related Injuries

 Posted on July 17, 2023 in Personal Injury

Fires are wildly dangerous and destructive. They can happen without warning, at home or in a public place. In most cases, fires are caused by the carelessness of humans. Even when a defective device is the source of the flames, someone likely designed, manufactured, or installed that device in a negligent manner. Being involved in a fire can be traumatic. On top of sustaining injuries, you may have also lost valuable personal property or even your residence. The realities of a fire in an occupied building often create hazards secondary to the fire itself. Crowd crush can be a risk as everyone attempts to flee the building at once. Even if a person is able to avoid the fire and the smoke, they may still be injured due to an unsafe escape route. If you have been injured due to a building fire, it is important to speak with an attorney as soon as you are able to. You may be entitled to recover compensation by filing a premises liability lawsuit. 

Types of Injuries Commonly Sustained During Fires

Common types of injuries people may suffer while attempting to escape a burning building include: 

• Burns - Burns are one of the more common injuries people must be treated for after a fire. Burns can leave you with severe permanent scarring or cause damage to one or more of your senses. 

• Smoke inhalation - It is often said that smoke is just as dangerous as fire. Even those who are nowhere near the flame itself may be severely injured due to smoke inhalation. Lasting lung damage can occur. 

• Falls - People in a building where a fire has broken out typically must exit the building as quickly as possible and by any means necessary. If there is no accessible fire escape, people may need to jump down several stories if the fire enters their area. Additionally, falls due to unsafe fire escapes are common. Even stairways that are poorly lit or lack handrails can cause people to fall on their way out.

• Crowd injuries - When the fire alarm goes off and people can smell smoke, it is common for panic to ensue as everyone in the building tries to flee at once. When a building is not properly designed for quick evacuation, people may suffer crowd crush or trampling injuries. 

If you have suffered any type of injury due to a fire, you may be entitled to compensation. Due to the complexities of building fires, it may take the skill of an attorney to determine whether the party in control of the premises could be liable to you. 

Contact a Will County Premises Liability Attorney

McNamara Phelan McSteen, LLC is dedicated to helping those who have been injured in a building fire pursue the compensation they deserve. Our caring Joliet premises liability lawyers will carefully investigate your case to determine whether you may have a case. Contact us at 815-727-0100 for a free consultation. 

Source:

govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-C13-a3976672cebdbe486ff4ba4c416159be/pdf/GOVPUB-C13-a3976672cebdbe486ff4ba4c416159be.pdf

https://maximumfireescapes.com/blog/is-my-fire-escape-safe