A total of 15 people have been injured in two separate fires in New York City during the early hours of Jan. 10. According to a PIX11 news report, nine people were injured in Queens when a fire ripped through a restaurant on Corona Avenue. One firefighter was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries while eight others refused medical attention, officials said. Hours later, six people were injured when another fire broke out at an apartment building at 1112 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. Four civilians and two firefighters were taken to hospitals, but the extent of their injuries is not known. The cause of both fires is under investigation.
These incidents come just days after five firefighters and a civilian were injured in a five-alarm fire in Ridgewood, Queens, on Jan. 6. Four buildings were evacuated after that fire, resulting in 30 families being displaced. Fire officials said December and January have been very active for fires in the city, which has stretched emergency resources thin. We offer our thoughts and prayers to everyone who has been affected by these building fires.
Building fires in New York are often caused by failures on the part of property owners and building managers to properly maintain safe conditions. One of the most common causes is neglected electrical systems. Outdated wiring, overloaded circuits and failure to address known electrical hazards can lead to sparks and overheating that ignite fires. In older residential and commercial buildings, owners who delay necessary electrical upgrades significantly increase fire risk.
Poor maintenance of heating systems is another major factor. Boilers, furnaces and water heaters require regular inspection and servicing, especially before winter. When property owners/managers ignore maintenance or allow malfunctioning equipment to remain in use, fires and carbon monoxide incidents can occur. Failure to maintain fire safety systems such as smoke detectors, fire alarms, sprinkler systems and fire extinguishers, is also a serious issue. Nonfunctioning or missing safety equipment can allow small fires to grow into deadly emergencies.
Property owners and managers may also be liable for allowing unsafe conditions to persist, such as blocked exits, improper storage of flammable materials or illegal building modifications. In some cases, failure to comply with New York City fire codes, conduct regular inspections, or respond to tenant complaints creates dangerous environments. When these responsibilities are neglected, the risk of building fires increases, putting residents, workers, and first responders in serious danger.
Whether you have been living as a tenant at a private apartment complex or in a public housing unit (NYCHA) (the Projects), please remember that you have legal rights. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of dangerous conditions, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys with the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. It is in the best interest of injured victims and their families in such cases to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer before contacting the people responsible for the injuries, and definitely before contacting or communicating with any insurance company, or their lawyers, investigators, or adjusters.
For over 54 years, our skilled attorneys have established a proven track record of assisting injured victims. One of our clients — a hot water burn victim — secured $750,000 in damages from the property owner and manager. Our firm also obtained a $985,000 settlement out of a $1 million insurance policy for two people who suffered smoke inhalation injuries because the homeowner did not have smoke detectors installed and the $15,000 that was left on the insurance policy was for a person that we did not represent. Another of our clients recovered $2,500,000 due to a faulty space heater. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury, lead poisoning, paraplegia cases and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
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