A man and a woman died in an early morning fire on June 14. According to a report in the New York Daily News, the massive blaze that erupted on East 242nd Street near Barnes Avenue in Wakefield also injured a third resident and five firefighters who attempted to put out the fire. Some residents in the building said they knocked on doors to wake up sleeping neighbors and alert them to the fire. The Red Cross said about 60 units in the building were affected by the fire.
Fast-Spreading Fire
FDNY officials said the fire quickly reached the cockloft, which is the space between the top floor’s ceiling and the building’s roof. It then spread across the upper level of the five-story building. First arriving units found “a heavy body of fire on the top floor,” officials said.
The five firefighters suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to the authorities. Multiple apartments sustained smoke and water damage. Residents were not allowed back into their homes while officials conducted their investigation into the cause of the fire. It is not clear if smoke alarms went off during the fire. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased victims and with those who were injured in this fire.
Landlords’ (Building 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/managers of apartment buildings are required to provide and install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in each unit. The devices should also be maintained and remain in good working order.
According to the American Red Cross, the fire death rate in homes with working smoke alarms is 51% less than the rate for homes that lack such protection. Having a working smoke alarm reduces the chance of death by fire or smoke inhalation by nearly half. An estimated 890 lives may be saved each year if all homes had working smoke alarms. Sprinklers and smoke alarms together cut your risk of dying in a home fire by 82% when compared to having neither.
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.
The victims here can seek compensation for damages such as medical expenses, lost income and benefits, hospitalization, cost of rehabilitation, surgery, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families of deceased victims can file a wrongful death claim seeking compensation as well.
Protecting Your Rights
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 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 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://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-fatal-bronx-apartment-fire-20230614-6h3de22s35cwveedzkvcjeswv4-story.html