A 6-year-old boy was killed and his father left in critical condition after a fire broke out in their Bronx apartment complex the evening of Nov. 5. According to a Pix11 news report, the boy and his dad ran from their 19th-floor apartment in an attempt to exit the building, but were overwhelmed by the heavy smoke rising through the building.
Fatality, Injuries and Damage
Firefighters found the boy and his father, 32, lying unconscious in the hallway
outside their apartment. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital after suffering severe smoke inhalation injuries and was later pronounced dead. His father was also taken to a local hospital for smoke inhalation where he remained in critical condition.
Firefighters responded to the fire, which reportedly broke out in a trash compactor chute of the building at East 135th Street and Alexander Avenue in the Mott Haven neighborhood. The building is owned and operated by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) (The Projects). Ten other victims, including two firefighters, suffered non-life-threatening injuries in this incident, FDNY officials said.
The smoke caused significant damage to the building and some homes, they said. The FDNY said the fire marshal is investigating what caused the fire in the first place and whether or not all the smoke detectors in the building were working. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family of the child who was killed in this fire and we wish his father, who has been critically injured, the best for a speedy and full recovery.
Smoke Inhalation Injuries
Smoke inhalation is the number one cause of death related to fires. Smoke inhalation occurs when the victim breathes in the products of combustion during a fire. Combustion results from the rapid breakdown of a substance during burning. Smoke is mixture of both heated particles and gases. Smoke inhalation damages the body by simple asphyxiation (lack of oxygen), chemical or thermal irritation, chemical asphyxiation, or a combination of these.
According to the Burn Institute, about 6,000 people die annually in the United States from fire injuries. More than half of these deaths result from inhalation injuries. Also, inhalation injuries increase mortality by 30% to 40% when patients with skin burns and inhalation injuries are compared with patients with a similar amount of burn area but without inhalation injuries. So, smoke inhalation injuries have a higher risk of resulting in death compared to burn injuries alone.
Responsibility of Property Owners and Managers
Property owners and property managers have a responsibility to ensure that their buildings are maintained to code requirements and that the installed smoke alarms and sprinklers are in good working order. When a fire accident is caused by negligence (carelessness) or a lack of property maintenance, the property owners and/or property managers may be held liable for the injuries and loss of life that occurs. Injured victims or families of deceased victims can file a premises liability claim against the responsible parties including, but not limited to, the property owner, property manager, maintenance/repair company, etc.
Whether you have been living as a tenant at a private apartment complex or in a public housing unit (the Projects), please remember that you have legal rights. Injured victims in such cases can seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost income and benefits, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families that have lost loved ones can file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation as well.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a fire or explosion, 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. For 50 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, through our efforts.
Our firm also obtained a $985,000 settlement out of a $1 million 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 client 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 and/or medical malpractice 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.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: https://pix11.com/news/local-news/bronx/nycha-buiding-fire-6-year-old-killed-identified-dad-hurt/