Could the death and injuries from this apartment fire have been prevented and are justice and compensation available to the victims family. Read Our Legal Take below to find out what legal options are available.
Local News
An apartment fire in Pasadena, CA Wednesday afternoon, July 29, 2020, tragically claimed the life of one child and injured the mother and brother.
As reported by LAtimes.com, “Firefighters and police responded to the apartment building at 169 E. Washington Blvd. about 2 p.m. and saw heavy flames coming from two units on the first floor…[a]bout 55 firefighters helped extinguish the flames.”
PasadenaStarNews.com is reporting, “[f]irefighters entered one of the first-floor units and pulled out one of the children and their mother. Both the boy, 3, and the woman, 29, were driven to a hospital in critical condition and were later airlifted to a burn center.”
Per the report, “[a] four-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Our Legal Take
As authorities continue their investigation, premises liability attorneys with The Murray Law Firm question whether a lack of fire safety measures at the complex may have contributed to this incident.
- What fire safety measures, such as working smoke detectors, fire sprinklers and emergency exits, were in place and working at the time of the fire?
- When was the last fire inspection performed on the property?
- Were any safety measures added after any previous inspections?
- Was the property owner aware of any inadequate fire safety measures present prior to the fire?
As details of this fire continue to emerge, The Murray Law Firm suggests that it is possible that the apartment complex failed to undertake proper safety measures to protect those residents and guests legally on the premises. Under certain State law, the owner and management company of an apartment complex have a duty to protect residents and to keep the premises safe. If the owner or manager fails in this duty, they may be held civilly liable for any injuries or wrongful deaths that occur as a consequence. Should the apartment complex be found at fault, the family of the victims may elect to hold the owner and management company civilly liable for their loss and suffering and for any injuries.
As insurance companies and unscrupulous property owners are often concerned with limiting their financial exposure in these incidents, it is crucial that the family of the deceased victim and any injured victims retain an experienced premises liability firm as soon as possible to ensure all evidence, such as a faulty fire alarm or a poor evacuation plan, is preserved and the family’s best interests are protected. The Murray Law Firm has extensive experience in premises liability and apartment negligence cases, such as this, and we offer our legal expertise, if needed.
If anyone has information to share, or if anyone is seeking information regarding this incident, please contact us at 888.842.1616.
Our Results
The Murray Law Firm has obtained over $100 million dollars for its Clients, and recently secured a $29.25 million dollar verdict for a victim of an unsafe property.
We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover. Anyone seeking further information or legal representation is encouraged to contact us via e-mail (click here) or by telephone at CALL NOW: 888.842.1616. Consultations are free and confidential.
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