Michigan Apartment Fire Lawsuit Lawyers

A Michigan apartment and house fire lawsuit lawyer can help if you or someone you care about was injured or died in a house or apartment fire.  Fire injuries are often preventable with proper maintenance and safety measures in place.  You may be able to sue a landlord or property owner for burn injuries and smoke inhalation caused by fire in a rental property or private home.

The Buckfire Law Firm also represents people injured in residential fires.  Our award-winning Michigan defective premises lawyers will fully investigate your case to determine if you can file a lawsuit.  These cases can result in substantial settlements. We charge no legal fees unless you win a settlement.

Cases can be filed against the apartment owner, the property management company or any contractor hired by them to make repairs or perform work at the property.  This can include repairmen, maintenance workers, and utility workers that perform work in a negligent manner.

• Common Reasons for Apartment Fires & House Fires
• Can I Sue for an Apartment or House Fire?
• How Do I Prove Liability for an Apartment Fire?
• What should I do after the Fire?

Common Reasons for Apartment Fires & House Fires

There are many common reasons for apartment fires and house fires that result in injuries and death to tenants and their guests.  These include:

• Faulty wiring
• Building code violations
• Poor construction
• Lack of fire alarms and smoke detectors
• Lack of sprinkler systems and fire extinguishers
• Blocked fire exits and escape routes
• Gas leaks causing explosions
• Defecting appliances, like stoves and ovens
• Cooking when food is left unattended on a stove or oven
• Grilling fires from barbeques and fire pits near buildings

Can I Sue for a Michigan Apartment or House Fire?

You can sue for an apartment fire or house fire in many circumstances.  In most states, the landlord and property owner have a legal duty to provide tenants and guests with a safe living environment.  In Michigan, the landlord has a legal obligation to inspect the premises for fire hazards and repair all conditions that can cause a fire in the premises.  Many fires are caused by known and long-standing hazards.

In addition, most cities and states have requirements for working smoke detectors and fire detectors in rental units.  The absence of a working smoke detector can have devastating effects.  Many people die from smoke inhalation because they were asleep at the time of a fire and were not awakened by an alarm.  There is liability against the owner for not having working smoke detectors or fire alarms.

How Do I Prove Liability for an Apartment Fire?

For most apartment fires and house fires, the local fire departments will perform a detailed cause and origin investigation at the property.  The purpose is to determine what caused the fire.

Our experienced burn injury attorneys rely on these fire investigators analysis as to the cause of the fire.  We have handled cases in which the cause was faulty wiring behind a wall and cases in which an appliance was improperly installed and caused an entire building to burn down.

Determining the cause is the most essential factor in holding the building owner or manager liable because it must be proven they were at fault for the fire.  Or, that the owner was negligent for not having proper safety devices present on the property, like smoke alarms.  These are necessary to alert the building occupants of the fire and smoke dangers so they can quickly escape the building.

In addition, the property owner will likely make their own fire insurance claim for the damage to their property.  They will want their insurance company to repair or replace the property.  The insurer will have their own fire investigation performed to appraise the damage to the property and estimate the cost of repairs or replacement.  It also wants to determine if another party is responsible for the fire because it may eventually sue that party to recover the monies it paid out for the insurance claim.

Finally, The Buckfire Law firm may hire its own cause and origin investigator to inspect the property.  Quite often, the fire department and insurance investigators do not perform thorough investigations that are necessary to prove and win an apartment fire injury lawsuit.

What Should I Do After the Fire?

The first thing is to get proper medical care if you were injured or harmed in the fire.  Either go to the closest hospital or urgent care clinic to be examined and treated for any medical conditions.

You should take photographs and video of the building after the fire if possible.  This can provide valuable information and evidence as to the cause of the blaze.  You should also try to itemize your losses and damaged property to help with filing an insurance claim.

And you should call an experienced apartment fire lawsuit lawyer to start your case.  The sooner you call our law firm, the sooner we can begin our investigation. It is important to speak with a lawyer quickly to prevent important evidence from being lost, destroyed, or thrown in the trash.

How Much can I Sue for in an apartment and house fire lawsuit?

Under Michigan law, there are several types of recoverable damages in cases in fire injury cases.  These are the same types of damages in all personal injury lawsuits.

You can receive compensation for your physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, disability, and loss of enjoyment of life.  These are known as non-economic damages.

Another type of compensable damage is for scars and disfigurements.  Burn injuries can cause serious and permanent scars and disfiguring conditions on victims.  Under the law, there is special compensation for these conditions, and these are often very sizable award amounts.

In addition, you can claim economic damages.  This is compensation for any financial losses suffered due to your injury.  They include medical bills, lost wages, and other specific monetary losses.

For cases involving a death, the surviving family members can file a wrongful death lawsuit.  These cases demand compensation for the pain and suffering of the deceased person prior to the death.  Compensation is also paid for the loss of companionship suffered by the surviving family members, as well as financial losses incurred as a result of the death of the love one.

Contact Our Michigan Apartment Fire Lawsuit Lawyers

Our apartment fire and house fire attorneys can help if you or a loved one was seriously injured in a fire.  It is urgent to speak with a lawyer immediately to start an investigation into your case.  To find out if you have a case, contact our award-winning law firm today.

We charge no legal fees unless you win a settlement.  And, it costs no money to start your case.

For immediate help and to start your fire injury lawsuit, call us now!