Top Tips for Safety: How to Handle Yourself in a New York Fire Accident

New York fire accidents are among the most dangerous type of accidents. Unfortunately, they are also the most common. In New York alone, firefighters responded to over 1.7 million fire emergencies in 2018. When these fire accidents occur, they have a tendency to be dangerous and destructive. Apart from the wild property damage they can cause, New York fire accident can also lead to a variety of serious injuries. These especially include severe burns and even death. If you or your loved ones have suffered injury in a New York gas explosion or fire accident, you have the right to hold the at-fault parties responsible. If the explosion and eventual fire was caused by the negligence of the gas company, you can file a lawsuit for compensation against them.

At Oshan and Associates, we have several decades’ experience helping aggrieved clients pursue compensation against careless gas companies and landlords. Our skilled and dedicated New York fire accident attorneys have the deep knowledge about personal injury law to help your claim. We have been involved in countless cases in Sonoma County wildfire that broke in October 2017.

More recently Oshan & Associates is representing the surviving family members in a fatal Harlem fire that occurred on May 8th 2019 and left six family members dead.

What are the causes of New York fire accidents?

New York fire accidents occur due to a range of causes. The common causes of these fires include the following:

• Electrical shorts: One of the most common causes of fire accidents arises from electrical malfunction. They contribute the most to home fire fatalities which stood at 142, at the end of 2018. Electrical shorts will lead to fire when there is faulty installation of electrical appliances.  It will also lead to fire when there is an overload on electrical circuits.
• Negligence: In situation where a property owner has failed to carry out their lawful duty, fire can result. For instance, New York building codes require the use of firewalls, installation of smoke detectors and other safety practices. However, many landlords and property owners often fail to install or regularly maintain these safety installations.
• Faulty gas mains: Another leading cause of fire accidents, New York gas explosions have led to the deaths of many people. Gas explosions are usually very violent and are often caused because of an undetected leak in gas mains. These leaks often result due to corroded iron or steel pipes or faulty gas nozzles.
• Defective products: It is also possible for product defects to lead to damaging fire accidents. For instance, appliances that have faulty electrical configuration can pose a significant fire risk. The same applies to gas fittings and fixtures such as gas cookers, burners or ovens. If a defective product causes a fire accident, the manufacturer can be held liable.

How to protect yourself and your family from fire accidents

Fire safety is an important consideration for every home and business. It is absolutely vital that you and your loved ones maintain the highest standard of fire safety if you are to avoid accidents. There are several things that you can do to limit your risk factors and the possibility of a fire accident. They include:

• Ensure that fire extinguishers are placed all around your house or business. They should be appropriately spaced so you always have at least one fire extinguisher close by.
• Fire alarms are absolutely vital in every home and business. Ensure that they are connected to smoke detectors which should be present in every room and hallway.
• In your business place, ensure that you have a conspicuously mounted evacuation protocol and map for visitors to follow. In the home, you can also have a fire evacuation plan, especially if you live in wildfire-prone areas.
• Use firewalls in attics and crawl spaces as well as between units to prevent the rapid spread of fire.
• Fireproof your electrical panel to decrease the likelihood of an electrical fire.
• Schedule an inspection at your house so you can ensure that you have complied with all fire safety standards.
• If you smell smoke, feel heat or see fire, trigger the fire alarm, find a way out of the building and immediately call for help.

How to determine who is responsible for a New York fire accident

The unfortunate thing however is, despite all precautions, fire accidents still do happen. And when they do occur, they can cause terrible property damage and life altering injuries or death. If you have been injured in a New York fire accident or if your loved one has been injured, know that you have a remedy. You can hold whoever is responsible to account and recover compensation for the loss you have suffered. Determining who is responsible may not always be a straightforward affair though. You would usually need to first determine how the fire accident happened in the first place. Once you are able to ascertain what caused the fire, you can then begin the task of determining who should be responsible. For instance, a fire accident that was caused due to a failure to build to code will be the fault of the construction company. If they only did as instructed, the fault may lie with the person that gave the instruction, usually the building owner or supervisor. If the fire was caused due to a New York gas explosion, you can hold the gas company responsible for maintaining the mains accountable.

Your New York fire accident attorney will help you determine who should be responsible for the accident.No matter who is responsible though, you can recover damages for the expenses you have incurred due to the accident. This will include the cost of medical treatment, out of pocket expenses and the cost of renovating the damaged property. Due to the serious injuries that can result from fire accidents, you will also be able to recover damages for pain and suffering. Compensation would lie for ongoing therapy for the burns and any permanent disfigurement that may occur as a result. If the fire was fatal a wrongful death suit may arise.

Get in touch with our New York fire accident attorneys

It is our sincere hope that you never have to hire the services of a New York fire accident attorney. Fire can cause devastating loss and we would rather prefer that you stay free of that loss. Unfortunately, fire accidents do happen, and frequently too. If you have been injured in a fire accident, the least we can do is provide competent legal service to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us and speak with our lawyers in a free consultation. Our lawyers will be able to advise you on the next steps to take after your accident and how to secure compensation. You can reach us on 206-355-3880.

Fire Law Blog

Our Fire attorneys advocated for numerous victims of explosions, fire injuries and fatal accidents over the years. Our personal injury lawyers with over 20 years of experience represent victims of residential and building fires. We fight for justice. Visit our Fire Law Blog for helpful tips and information.