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Sandy Springs Fire Accident Lawyer
The Sandy Springs and Atlanta explosion and fire accident lawyers at Ashenden & Associates are dedicated to helping victims who have suffered serious burns, respiratory distress, psychological trauma, or even death due to fires or explosions. Explosions and fire accidents can also result in extensive property damage and devastating personal losses. Whether you are a burn injury victim or have experienced a severe burn injury due to premises liability violations or a negligent employer, our Sandy Springs fire accident lawyer team is here to guide you through the process of filing a personal injury lawsuit. Our experienced Sandy Springs and Atlanta explosion accident attorney group will fight for fair compensation for your injuries and losses. Our personal injury law firm handles fire and explosion accident cases on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless your Sandy Springs and Atlanta fire injury lawyer secures a successful burn injury settlement or verdict. Call our Sandy Springs burn injury lawyers today at 770-394-8909 to discuss your legal options and take the first step toward legal action.
Common Types of Explosion Fire Accidents in Sandy Springs and Atlanta, GA
Fires and grave burn injuries can be the result of pure accidents or someone else’s negligence. Common types of explosions and fire accidents our Sandy Springs premises liability lawyers handle include:
- House fires;
- Apartment building fires;
- Workplace accidents and explosions;
- Truck accidents and tanker explosions;
- Defective fire safety products (such as fire extinguishers or ionization smoke detectors);
- Electrical cord fires;
- Commercial building fires (i.e. hotels, office spaces, stores, restaurants, etc.)
Deadly house fires and explosions are often the result of unforeseeable accidents. Maybe there was faulty wiring or malfunctioning appliances, or maybe someone had a cooking accident with hot grease. In the other types of fire accidents, negligence often plays a huge role in the incident.
Negligence is the failure of someone to exercise their duty of care towards someone else. In the case of fires, negligence means that someone (whether it be a landlord, a building owner, or a corporation) failed to take proper care to prevent a fire from occurring and/or failed to provide methods to extinguish fires or escape. As a result, the people involved in the fire suffered serious burns and other injuries.
Contact an experienced Sandy Springs personal injury attorney for a free consultation to learn more.
Common Types of Injuries From Fire Accidents and Explosions
Obviously, the most common type of fire injuries are severe burns. Burns can range in severity – from minor first-degree burns to deadly fourth-degree burns. It’s important to note that most fires that cause first-degree burns aren’t worth pursuing legal action for because, most likely, you haven’t suffered much damages related to your minor burns, such as medical costs and lost wages.
However, second-degree burns, third-degree burns, and fourth-degree burns are serious injuries that can lead to a variety of damages and financial loss. If you have suffered these types of burn injuries from oil refinery fires, auto accidents, apartment fires, or workplace fires caused by negligence, contact a Sandy Springs explosion injury lawyer at our law firm.
Aside from burn injuries, fire accident victims can also suffer from a variety of other injuries from explosions and fire accidents in Atlanta and Sandy Springs including:
- Chest pain, breathing problems, and/or lung damage from smoke inhalation;
- Permanent nerve damage from burn injuries;
- Eye injuries and/or blindness;
- Bruising, lacerations, and/or broken bones from attempting to escape a fire;
- Limb or digit amputations;
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement;
- Wrongful death.
Many of these injuries can be life-threatening and can lead to thousands of dollars of combined medical bills and lost wages. If negligence caused the fire or explosion accident, then injured victims or families of the deceased can file a personal injury lawsuit or wrongful death lawsuit to obtain justice and fair compensation.
Our explosion and fire lawyers in Sandy Springs discuss the most common explosion and fire accidents that are caused by negligence, such as apartment fires, commercial building fires, and workplace fires. After enduring such a traumatic event in one of these locations, a burn injury victim may not know if they have grounds to sue or who they should sue for their suffering and financial loss. Below, our Sandy Springs and Atlanta fire injury attorneys and legal team explain everything you need to know before pursuing a personal injury case for fire injuries.
Apartment Building Fires in Atlanta and Sandy Springs
Only 25% of the 1.5 million fires that occurred in 2022 occurred in residential properties, such as family homes or apartment buildings according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). And yet, 72% of all fire deaths and 75% of all fire injuries occur in burning residential buildings. Fires are a very real threat to all homeowners and apartment-dwellers, which is why it’s so important to take proper precautions.
Common Causes of Apartment Fires
Apartment fires can occur for a variety of reasons, including:
- Cooking accidents;
- Inappropriate or unsafe use of portable space heaters;
- Faulty electrical wiring;
- Malfunctioning appliances and/or lighting equipment;
- Forgetting to blow out candles;
- Forgetting to unplug or turn off heated appliances, such as hair straighteners or curlers.
Can You Sue a Property Owner for an Apartment Fire in Atlanta or Sandy Springs?
Yes, burn injury victims can sue property owners for their injuries and financial losses caused by an apartment fire. Even if the victim accidentally started the fire themselves, our Sandy Springs fire and explosion accident lawyers could still help sue if their property owner’s negligence prevented them from escaping from or extinguishing the fire in time.
Many apartment fires are the direct result of premises liability violations. This means that property owners breached the duty of care they owed to residents by creating an unsafe environment which led to injuries or financial loss. By law, property owners have to follow specific guidelines to keep their residents safe from fires, mold exposure, chemical exposure, and other dangers within the apartment complex.
Our Sandy Springs fire lawyers see the following fire safety rules property owners fail to follow that ultimately lead to fire and explosion accidents in Atlanta and Sandy Springs:
- Scheduling regular electrical safety inspections to identify and repair dangerous electrical issues.
- Ensuring that there is a smoke detector found on every floor or in every apartment.
- Having regularly serviced fire extinguishers on every floor or in every apartment.
- Ensuring that each floor has a safe, sturdy fire escape.
- Installing fireproof doors.
- Ensuring that fire exits can be easily navigated and unlocked in the event of an emergency.
- Keeping escape routes clear in all shared areas of the apartment complex in the event of an emergency.
Just because city or state laws say that property owners should follow these rules doesn’t mean they actually do. There are plenty of residents who suffer smoke inhalation damage and other burn injuries due to a defective smoke detector or a property’s electrical wiring not being safely installed. If this is the case for you, it’s important to hire an Atlanta and Sandy Springs fire injury attorney immediately. Our Sandy Springs and Atlanta explosion and fire injury lawyers can investigate your fire accident and help you gather evidence that your property owner is responsible for your serious burn injuries.
Commercial Building Fires in Sandy Springs and Atlanta
Commercial buildings can include retail stores, restaurants, office spaces, churches, hotels, and other buildings where commercial activities occur. Fire accidents can happen in commercial buildings as well, especially if there are numerous premises liability violations.
Can You Sue a Commercial Building Owner for a Fire?
Yes, burn injury victims can sue commercial property owners if their negligence caused a fire or prevented residents from escaping and/or extinguishing a fire. Commercial property owners have the same duty of care as apartment building owners to have safe and updated electrical wiring, have working smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, keep escape routes clear, and more.
If residents suffer second or third degree burn injuries and other damages as a result of an unsafe commercial premises, then they can pursue legal action. A Sandy Springs fire accident lawyer at Ashenden & Associates can investigate your claim, help you navigate the complex legal process, and help you obtain a fair settlement for your pain and suffering.
Workplace Fires and Workplace Explosions in Atlanta and Sandy Springs
Some of the most common work-related injuries are burn injuries, especially within blue-collar occupations. Data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) show that approximately 5,000 burn injuries occur from fire accidents and explosions every year in the United States.
Common Causes of Workplace Fires and Burn Injuries
Common causes of workplace fires and burn injuries include:
- Chemical plant explosions;
- Truck accidents and tanker explosions;
- Construction site accidents;
- Presence of flammable or combustible materials;
- Chemical exposure (which can result in chemical burns);
- Human error or carelessness;
- Malfunctioning electrical equipment or appliances;
- Cooking or reheating food.
If you’ve been injured by chemical burns or explosion accidents in Atlanta, our Sandy Springs chemical burn injury lawyers have extensive experience with these claims.
How a Sandy Springs Plant Explosion Lawyer Can Help
If you have suffered any kind of injury while on the job, you likely qualify for workers’ compensation benefits from your employer’s insurance company. In Georgia, all businesses with more than three employees are required by law to have workers’ compensation insurance for their employees. Workers’ comp will generally cover all medical bills and some lost wages associated with your injury, but that is all.
Second and third degree burns from fire accidents are often physically and emotionally traumatic for victims. Therefore, these victims deserve more than just compensation for medical costs and lost wages. They deserve financial compensation for damages such as permanent scarring and disfigurement, physical pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and emotional distress as well. So victims can file third-party claims against product manufacturers or subcontractors, for example, on top of their workers’ compensation benefits to receive the settlement amount they deserve for their suffering. A Sandy Springs fire injury lawyer at Ashenden & Associates can analyze the details of your situation and help you determine if you have grounds to file third-party claims stemming from your fire accident.
It’s important to note that if you choose to receive workers’ comp benefits from your employer’s insurance company, you may forfeit the right to sue your employer for negligence. So if there is apparent evidence to suggest that your employer directly caused the fire accident that resulted in your severe injury, you may not be able to sue them for their negligence if you file for workers’ comp benefits. Although, individual cases do vary greatly in the state of Georgia, as some injured workers only have the option of filing a workers’ comp claim. Be sure to speak with an experienced Sandy Springs workers’ compensation attorney at our law firm before you make any rash decisions. Our Sandy Springs and Atlanta explosion accident lawyer group can help you determine the best course of legal action before you agree to anything.
Compensation for Fire Accident and Explosion Accident Victims in Sandy Springs and Atlanta, GA
A Sandy Springs fire accident lawyer at our law firm can help you recover compensation for the following types of damages:
- Past and future medical bills;
- Past and future rehabilitative bills;
- Expenses for necessary medical equipment, such as breathing machines, prosthetic limbs, etc;
- Lost wages;
- Loss of earning capacity;
- Permanent scarring, disfigurement, and/or disability;
- Physical pain and suffering;
- Emotional distress
- Mental health counseling costs;
- Loss of consortium;
- Loss of enjoyment of life;
- Funeral and burial expenses if the fire resulted in wrongful death.
If your loved one died as a result of employer or property owner negligence, contact a Sandy Springs wrongful death lawyer for a free case evaluation.
Atlanta and Sandy Springs Fire Injury Lawyer
At Ashenden & Associates, our experienced legal team has decades of combined experience in handling all sorts of personal injury cases, including fire and burn injury lawsuits. As one of the top personal injury law firms in the Atlanta metropolitan area, you can trust the burn injury lawyers at Ashenden & Associates to investigate your fire accident, prove that negligence occurred, negotiate with insurance adjusters, protect your legal rights, and help you obtain a fair settlement. Call 770-394-8909 to schedule a free consultation at our law firm today.
