An 86-year-old woman died from injuries that she suffered as a fire tore through her Queens apartment early morning on Nov. 15. According to a report in the New York Daily News, the fire erupted in the sixth-floor apartment on 12th Street near 41st Avenue at the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) Queensbridge South Houses. Neighbors said they woke up to choking smoke and firefighters banging on their doors.
One resident said as he exited his apartment, he saw the victim, a longtime tenant, being taken out on a stretcher with extensive burn injuries to her arms and legs. He said the woman was not moving. Emergency personnel rushed the woman to Mount Sinai Queens hospital where she died a short time later, officials said. No other injuries were reported. We offer our deepest condolences to the family members and friends of the deceased victim.
Series of Fatal Fires
This fire was the fourth fatal blaze since Nov. 9, a day after Firefighter Patrick Brady died of a heart attack while fighting a fire atop a Brooklyn apartment building. An 88-year-old man died after a fire broke out in his home on Woodycrest Avenue in the Bronx the evening of Nov. 9. Three days later, on Nov. 12, a 74-year-old woman died at a hospital after fire in her Upper East Side apartment on East 81st Street near First Avenue. The next day, 89-year-old Robert Germain was fatally injured in a fire inside his home on 194th Street near Hollis Court Boulevard in Auburndale, Queens. FDNY fire marshals are investigating the causes behind all of these fires, officials said.
Fires are especially dangerous for the elderly because age-related physical and health limitations make it harder for them to react quickly and escape safely. Slower mobility, reduced balance, and weaker muscles can delay evacuation, increasing the risk of being trapped. Many older adults also have hearing or vision impairments, which may prevent them from noticing alarms or seeing exit paths clearly during smoke-filled conditions. Chronic conditions such as heart disease, respiratory problems, or arthritis can worsen under stress and heat, making quick movement even more difficult.
As a result, the injuries elderly individuals suffer in fires such as severe burns, smoke inhalation and falls, are often more serious and life-threatening. These injuries can lead to long hospital stays, long-term disability or complications that younger, healthier individuals are more likely to recover from quickly.
Liability Issues and Compensation
Liability issues in structural home fires arise when determining who is legally responsible for damages, injuries or fatalities caused by the incident. These cases often involve evaluating whether property owners, managers, utility companies or product manufacturers failed to meet safety standards. For example, a property owner/manager may be liable if they neglected to maintain smoke alarms, provide safe electrical systems or address known hazards. Builders or contractors may be responsible if faulty construction, inadequate firestopping, or improper installation of wiring contributed to the fire.
Manufacturers can also face liability if defective appliances, heaters or electrical components sparked the blaze. In some cases, homeowners may share responsibility if they ignored clear risks such as overloaded circuits or improper use of heat sources. Determining liability typically requires expert investigation, including fire reports, inspection records and witness statements. Because multiple parties may be involved, structural home fire liability often becomes complex, requiring the guidance and counsel of an experienced New York personal injury lawyer.
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. 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 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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Source: https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/11/15/woman-86-dies-fire-queens-apartment-fourth-deadly-blaze-nyc-one-week/