The Legal Herald
Katherine White, Diana Engstrom Identified as Victims in Deadly Reno Apartment Fire; Kimberly Miller Injured. (RGJ.com)
Could the deaths and injuries from this apartment fire have been prevented and are justice and compensation available to the victims families and injured victims. Read Our Legal Take below to find out what legal options are available.
Local News
Update: According to MyNews4.com, “The Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the two victims as 70-year-old Katherine White and 51-year-old Diana Engstrom.” Kimberly Miller “broke one leg in multiple places and injured her other leg” when she fell while trying to be lowered out of a window.
An apartment fire in Reno, NV early Monday morning, July 20, 2020, tragically claimed the life of two people and injured multiple others.
As reported by RGJ.com, “[t]he fire was reported at about 5:30 a.m. at a two-story apartment complex on 340 Broadway Blvd., just east of Wells Avenue and south of downtown Reno.”
According to the report “[w]hen crews arrived, they found that the building was about 60 percent engulfed in flames, which then quickly spread to the rest of the structure.”
KTVN.com is reporting, “[t]he Reno Fire Department says an apartment fire on Broadway Boulevard killed two people.”
Per the report, “[f]irefighters say 13 people suffered injuries from smoke inhalation to severe burns.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Our Legal Take
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As authorities continues 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 families of Katherine White and Diana Engstrom may elect to hold the owner and management company civilly liable for their loss and suffering. In addition, Kimberly Miller and any injured victims may elect to hold the owner and management company civilly liable for their injuries.
As insurance companies and unscrupulous property owners are often concerned with limiting their financial exposure in these incidents, it is crucial that the families of the deceased victims 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 families 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.
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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 a fire at an unsafe property.
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