One person was killed and nine others were injured in a Bronx high-rise fire, which has been blamed on an electric bicycle battery. According to an NBC New York news report, the fire broke out in an apartment on the 10th floor of a 14-story New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) complex on Bronx River Avenue in Crotona Park. One person, a 39-year-old man, was transported to the hospital with critical injuries and died. He was later identified as Hiram Echevarria.
Fatality and Serious Injuries
Four others were transported to nearby hospitals with two suffering serious, life-threatening injuries, FDNY officials said. Several others were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Our thoughts and prayers are with all who were affected by this fire. Fire marshals determined that the fire was caused by a lithium-ion battery for an e-bike that was found near the entrance of the victim’s apartment. It took firefighters about 90 minutes to bring the fire under control. It is not clear if smoke detectors and alarms went off in the building.
The New York Daily News reports that Echevarria died from smoke inhalation injuries. A neighbor across the hall on the 10th floor told the Daily News that she heard a “loud explosion” when the e-bike’s battery burst into flames. When she saw the flames she rushed to get her pets to evacuate the building. She said the smoke filled the hallway “very quickly.” As of Nov. 20, the city Fire Department had recorded 243 fires, 124 injuries and 17 deaths this year related to highly flammable lithium-ion batteries, according to a previous report from the Daily News.
Uptick in Lithium Battery Fires
In light of the surge in fires blamed on lithium-ion batteries, recently proposed legislation in Albany seeks to mandate that shop owners selling e-bikes ramp up fire safety precautions. Last month, three generations of a Brooklyn family perished in a blaze sparked by a defective lithium-ion battery. Albertha West, 81, her son Michael West, 58, and her grandson Jamiyl West, 33, all died when a fast-moving fire tore through their Crown Heights home.
City officials warned in November that New York was on track to surpass 100 fire deaths this year, a number not seen in decades. Since 2003 when 125 people died in New York City as a result of fires, the highest number of fire-related deaths came in 2018 when 88 people were killed in fires.
Property Owners’ Responsibilities
New York City laws require property owners and/or property managers to maintain spaces that are safe for tenants, visitors and guests. Property owners are required to provide, install and maintain smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in each unit. The devices should also be maintained and remain in good working order.
When a fire or accident at a building is caused by negligence (carelessness) or a lack of proper 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.
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
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. For over 53 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 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 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
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Sources: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/1-dead-9-hurt-in-bronx-high-rise-fire-sparked-by-e-bikes-lithium-ion-battery-police/4918595/
https://www.nydailynews.com/2023/12/10/family-mourn-bronx-man-killed-in-latest-fire-blamed-on-lithium-ion-battery/