A 5-year-old girl and her 6-year-old brother were killed the morning of Dec. 23Â when a fire engulfed the second story of their Staten Island home. According to a report in The New York Times, the children were among six siblings who were in the house when the fire erupted. Two other children, ages 5 and 10, were in critical condition. The remaining two were in stable condition with injuries not believed to be life threatening, officials said. All six children were 14 or younger.
Ongoing Fire Investigation
The children’s mother, who was not home when the fire broke out, was
being treated for shock, officials said. They said the fire started at the back of the second floor and that the cause is under investigation. Officials don’t believe the fire was heating-related. They also said there was no indication of an electric bike having played a role in the fire. Lithium-ion batteries used in such bikes have been linked to 200 fires and six fatalities in the city this year alone.
In a rare occurrence, firefighters said they encountered flames so fierce that the fire was coming down the stairs from the second floor. The six children were found unconscious on the second floor. One child was pronounced dead at the scene and a second succumbed to injuries at the hospital, officials said. We offer our heartfelt condolences to this family for their tremendous loss, and wish the injured young children the very best for a quick and full recovery.
This was the second fire in New York City in the past few months that caused fatal injuries to multiple children. In October, two boys aged 10 and 12, a 10-month-old girl and a 22-year-old man, died after a fire broke out in the Bronx. In January, a malfunctioning space heater was identified as the cause of a fire in a Bronx apartment tower that killed 17 people including nine children after an apartment door allowed smoke to quickly fill the high-rise building.
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 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.
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 operated by 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 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 51 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 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://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/23/nyregion/staten-island-fire-children.html