Many Americans wrongly think that it is very unlikely that they can become a victim of a house or apartment fire accident, when in fact, house fires kill more people than all natural disasters combined. Statistically speaking, people over the age of 65 and young children under 5 are more likely to become victims of house and apartment fire accidents.

Regardless of what causes a house or apartment fire accident – cooking, arson, heating (the top three leading causes of house fires in the U.S.) or any other – the consequences can be devastating and even deadly for some. Not only can a house or apartment fire accident cause severe burn injuries, disfigurement, and permanent scarring, but also cause death due to being trapped in the building or apartment.

Getting compensation for a house or apartment fire accident

Damages caused by house and apartment fire accidents can total hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, which is why hiring an experienced premises liability lawyer is often your best legal recourse to get the maximum compensation.

Only a skilled house/apartment fire accident lawyer will be able to conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation to assess all facts in your case to determine the cause of the fire, and thus determine liability. Here at Dan Doyle Law Group, our lawyers work closely with fire investigation specialists to examine the charred remains of your house or apartment for accurate determination of fault.

Causes of house and apartment fires

There can be literally hundreds of causes of fires in houses and apartments, but our Philadelphia house and apartment fire accident attorney has outlined the most common causes of these fires as follows:

  • Candles catching on fire
  • Couch or mattress fire
  • Kitchen and cooking-related fire
  • Arson
  • Dryer and washing machine fire
  • Space heater fire
  • Hardwood-plywood wall paneling
  • Electrical fire
  • Flammable clothing or upholstered furniture
  • Faulty or defective smoke detectors, alarm systems, and fire extinguishers
  • Electrical extension cord fires
  • Home gas generators
  • Natural gas, propane, or acetylene explosions
  • Stove tip over accident
  • Defective carbon monoxide detectors and
  • Defective bathroom appliance fires

How is the cause of fire determined?

Before filing a lawsuit or seeking compensation after a house or apartment fire accident, the victims will have to hire a team of experts to pinpoint the cause of the fire as well as why it spread in the apartment or house and made it impossible to extinguish the fire in a timely manner (e.g. with the help of a smoke detector and alarm system).

When a Philadelphia house fire accident lawyer determines the origin of the fire, the materials and products involved in the fire will be identified and collected for further testing. As you can guess, the importance of acting quickly cannot be overstated. After all, important pieces of evidence can be tampered with, lost, destroyed or lose their value over time.

Among the many factors that will be assessed as part of your lawyer’s investigation, the most common ones include:

  • Whether the building was adequately constructed to prevent the spread of fire
  • Whether anything could have been done to prevent the fire or extinguish in a timely manner
  • Whether the house, apartment, or building was equipped with adequate alarm systems, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers, if any
  • Whether the fire safety system in the building met the safety standards required by state and federal law
  • Whether there was a safe exist for each apartment unit and
  • Whether any defective, faulty or otherwise unsafe product caused the fire

This is just a short list of factors that will be examined as part of the investigation to determine the liable parties.

Who can be held responsible for causing a house or apartment fire accident?

The list of parties who can be held responsible for a house or apartment fire accident includes but is not limited to:

  1. Property owner
  2. Landlord
  3. Another tenant
  4. Manufacturer of a defective or faulty product
  5. Manufacturer of flammable furniture or clothes
  6. The builder or contractor of the building
  7. An electrician
  8. Maintenance company and
  9. The propane or natural gas company

Depending on the circumstances in your case, several parties may be held responsible for causing or contributing to the fire. Schedule a consultation with our personal injury lawyers at Dan Doyle Law Group to get a free case evaluation today for your house fire injury claim.

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