Fire on Property Accidents

People enter businesses and other properties with the general expectation that they will not encounter any harm. Not all properties are adequately maintained, however, and faulty wiring, gas leaks, and other dangerous conditions can lead to fires that cause catastrophic injuries. While the source of a fire is often easily identifiable, the process of recovering damages for injuries caused by a fire can be complicated, as it may be challenging for the injured party to prove liability. If you were injured in a fire on property accident, you may have a viable claim for damages. The skillful Cape Cod premises liability lawyers of the Law Offices of John C. Manoog, III, have more than fifteen decades of collective experience helping injured people in the pursuit of compensation, and we will aggressively advocate on your behalf. Our adept representation has helped us to recover several multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for the parties we represent.

Fires can cause devastating injuries that lead to permanent physical and emotional harm. Many victims of fire accidents suffer burns that require extensive hospitalization, surgeries, skin grafts, and rehabilitation. People involved in fire accidents often suffer smoke inhalation as well, which can lead to respiratory distress and respiratory failure. People can also sustain fractures, torn ligaments and tendons, muscle strains and sprains, and head injuries while attempting to escape fires. In many instances, people hurt in fires will require treatment for their injuries for the duration of their lives.

In Massachusetts, anyone injured on someone else’s property can pursue claims for damages against the property owner. Whether the property owner will be held liable for injuries sustained in a fire, however, depends in part on whether the owner was aware of the dangerous condition that led to the fire, and the victim’s legal status on the property.

Specifically, a property owner owes a duty of reasonable care to anyone who is lawfully on his or her property, which includes the duty to maintain the property in a relatively safe condition and to reduce the risk of foreseeable harm. In other words, if a person legally enters a property for business or social purposes and suffers harm due to a fire, the property owner may be liable for the person’s injuries if the person can establish that the property owner breached the duty owed to legal entrants of the property and that the breach caused his or her harm. Evidence that the property owner was aware of a condition that led to a fire, or reasonably should have been aware, can support the argument that the property owner failed to act with due care, or failed to warn the person of a known danger. If a person injured in a fire was trespassing at the time of the accident, however, the property owner will generally only be liable if the person was harmed due to the property owner’s reckless, wanton, or willful conduct. A skilled premises liability attorney can help you gather all relevant evidence in support of your claims.

People who successfully prove liability for harm sustained in a fire on property accident may be able to recover the cost of any medical treatment needed for their injuries, out of pocket costs, and if they were unable to work because of their injuries, compensation for lost wages. They may also be owed damages for the pain and suffering caused by their injuries.

Fires not only cause property damage, but they also often lead to severe injuries as well. If you were injured in a fire, experienced legal counsel can fight to help you pursue any damages you may be owed. The capable attorneys of the Law Offices of John C. Manoog, III, can develop effective arguments on your behalf to help you seek to hold the parties responsible for the accident that led to your injuries accountable. Our diligent representation has afforded us a history of successful outcomes, with several damages awards in the millions. We are available to represent injured parties in Cape Cod, and we can also meet for for consultations in Hyannis and Plymouth. You can contact us at 888-262-6664 or via the online form to schedule a meeting. Nós Falamos Português.