About two-thirds of Florida households rent their homes, and this usually means they expect their landlords to properly maintain the premises. When a property owner fails to do this and a fire breaks out, the consequences can be devastating.
If this has happened to you, you should know that you may have a claim against the property owner, landlord, and any other parties whose negligence led to your injuries. To find out more, contact Flaxman Law Group for a consultation with a Miami burn injury claims attorney.
Fire Injuries in Florida Rentals
In an apartment building, condo building, and many other rental properties, fire can spread from one unit to another. You may be enjoying time in your home and suddenly face a serious fire that can cause a range of injuries, including:
- Burn injuries
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Lung injuries due to smoke inhalation
- Injuries caused by trying to escape the fire (including broken bones if you need to jump from heights to safety)
- Serious injuries to pets, seniors, and children, who may be more vulnerable to smoke inhalation
In addition to the physical injuries, you may also lose significant portion of your personal property due to smoke and fire damage or even water damage from efforts to extinguish the flames. In just a few minutes, your life can change.
Who Is Liable?
If you live in a rental, your landlord must provide you with a habitable and reasonable living space. Unfortunately, many Florida residents only find out after a fire that there were problems with their apartment building or their home. In these cases, tenants may have a claim against the landlord, the property management company, the property owner, and others who were responsible for the building.
These parties can be held liable if you’re injured in a fire because of flaws with the building or unsafe conditions. These can include:
- Lack of adequate fire escape routes
- Lack of smoke detectors, fire alarms, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, or other fire safety equipment on site
- Wiring that is not up to code, which can increase the risk of fires
- Poorly maintained chimneys or fireplaces
- Poorly maintained heating systems
- Lack of adequate separation between units, which allows fire to spread fast
- Non-compliance with relevant building codes
- Poorly maintained laundry facilities
Often, it takes a thorough investigation to uncover these instances of negligence. Even then, liable parties will vigorously defend themselves, often by saying they were unaware of any deficiencies in the building. You will want an experienced attorney by your side to find any evidence of negligence and to act in your best interest, preserving your right to financial recovery.
After a fire at a rental, there may also be multiple plaintiffs, all seeking fair compensation. It’s important to make sure you get your portion of financial recovery. You may want to work with an experienced Florida burn injury claims lawyer in this situation, since multiple plaintiffs will mean defendants will be more determined to deny or minimize claims. You’ll need to build a strong case.
If you’ve been injured in an apartment fire, call Flaxman Law Group at 866-352-9626. We have a history of pursuing claims through negotiation and all the way to trial, if that’s the best way to secure compensation for deserving injured parties. We’ve already recovered over $100 million for our clients and our father-son attorney team is known for their compassion and care for clients who are facing challenging injuries.