A 10-year-old boy suffered smoke inhalation injuries in a Manhattan apartment fire. According to a report in the New York Daily News, the boy was hospitalized after the smoky blaze began the morning of Dec. 5 inside the home on West 228th Street near Broadway in Marble Hill. The boy was transported to an area hospital where he was expected to recover from his injuries.
Neighbors Didn’t Hear Fire Alarm
A local deli worker said she heard the child’s repeated cries for help as smoke came out of the apartment window and one of her customers attempted a failed rescue attempt before firefighters arrived. The man who attempted the rescue told the deli worker that there was too much smoke in the hallway and that he may not pull the door open. A police source told the Daily News that the boy’s mother was out doing laundry. FDNY is still investigating the cause of the fire inside the 14-story apartment building.
Neighbors said the boy and his parents moved into the building about two months ago. A neighbor said there were no indications of the incident happening a floor below her. She said she did not hear or even smell anything until she came out. She said the building has fire alarms, which should have automatically gone off. But, the neighbor said, she did not hear anything. Another resident of the building also said he did not hear any alarms go off. He said the first word of the fire came via phone calls from other people in the building. Our thoughts and prayers are with the seriously injured child and his family.
Smoke Alarms Save Lives
New York City law requires the presence of working smoke detectors in every housing unit. The New York City Housing Maintenance Code requires property owners, landlords (building owners) and/or property managers to provide, install and maintain smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in each unit. Not only should these life-saving devices be present, but they should also be in good working order.
According to the FDNY, nearly two-thirds of fires that claim lives in New York City involve apartments or homes where the smoke alarms or smoke detectors do not work. There is no question that smoke detectors, fire alarms and sprinklers play a critical role in protecting building occupants from burn injuries and smoke inhalation injuries both of which may be lethal.
Under New York City’s code, all smoke detectors must be of the type that emits an audible notification at the expiration of the useful life of the alarm. The American Red Cross states the fire death rate in homes with working smoke alarms is 51 percent less than the rate for homes that lack such protection. So, having a working smoke alarm reduces the chance of death by fire or smoke inhalation by half.
Compensation for NYC Fire Victims
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 occurs due to the negligence (carelessness) and/or a lack of property maintenance, property owners and/or property managers may be held liable for any injuries and loss of life involved. Injured victims or families of deceased victims can file a premises liability claim against the responsible parties including, but not limited to, the landlord (building owner), property owner, property manager, etc.
Whether you have been living as a tenant at a private apartment complex or in a public housing unit (the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the Projects), please remember that you have legal rights. If you or a loved one has been injured, or if you have lost a loved one in a fire caused by a lack of working smoke detectors or sprinklers etc., the victims or families of deceased victims can file a premises liability claim against the at-fault parties including, but not limited to, the landlord (building owner), property owner, property manager, etc. Property owners and/or property managers are responsible for maintaining their properties and ensuring that they are safe for tenants, visitors and guests.
The experienced New York personal injury attorneys at 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. Our firm 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 for a person that we did not represent. One 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 and 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://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-nyc-fire-boy-injured-20201128-wewajjguqfhztdfginyyye2mk4-story.html