Four people, including three firefighters, were injured after a fire ripped through a building in Brooklyn the night of Jan. 25. According to an ABC7 news report, the fire began in a building on Graham Avenue between Metropolitan Avenue and Devoe Street and spread to adjacent structures. A video shows firefighters on the scene as flames engulfed the building’s top floor with heavy smoke rising from it.
Two Fires in Two Days
FDNY officials said about 200 firefighters and EMS personnel responded to the four-alarm fire. Injured firefighters were transported to area hospitals for treatment, while another person was treated on scene. Ten families were displaced. Officials are still investigating what caused the blaze.
This fire occurred just a day after another major fire in Flushing, Queens, that left three residents injured — two of them seriously. A firefighter also suffered non-life-threatening injuries in that fire. In the Queens fire, responders battled frigid temperatures and frozen fire hydrants in addition to the blaze that broke out in a building on 60th Avenue near 146th Street early morning on Jan. 24. Officials have determined that the Queens fire was caused by a lithium-ion battery. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been affected by these two fires.
Types of Injuries Sustained in Fires
Fires can cause a wide range of injuries varying in severity depending on factors such as the intensity of the fire, the duration of the exposure and the individual’s proximity to the flames. The most common injuries include burns, which are categorized into first-degree (superficial burns affecting only the epidermis), second-degree (affecting the epidermis and dermis), and third-degree burns (deep tissue damage). Smoke inhalation is another common injury, often leading to respiratory complications such as carbon monoxide poisoning or damage to the lungs from heat and toxic gases.
Heat-related injuries, like heat exhaustion and heatstroke, may also occur during a fire. Eye injuries, such as corneal burns or irritation from smoke, are common as well. Fire-related trauma can lead to cuts, bruises, or fractures from falling debris during say, attempts to escape the fire. Explosions associated with fires may cause blast injuries, such as eardrum rupture or internal organ damage.
Psychological injuries, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression, are often overlooked but are prevalent among fire survivors. Long-term effects can include scarring, chronic pain, or reduced mobility due to burns or orthopedic injuries. Immediate medical attention and rehabilitation can help significantly with the recovery in such cases.
Who Can Be Held Liable?
Liability for fire-related injuries can fall on various parties depending on the cause and circumstances of the fire. Property owners or managers may be held liable if the fire resulted from negligence (carelessness), from failing to maintain fire safety equipment such as smoke detectors, or due to faulty wiring or code violations. Manufacturers of defective products such as malfunctioning appliances or flammable materials, can also be held responsible if their products caused the fire. Utility companies may be held accountable if poor maintenance of power lines or equipment leads to a fire.
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 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 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.
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://abc7ny.com/post/williamsburg-fire-4-people-hurt-10-families-displaced-burns-building-brooklyn-nyc/15838159/