Unsafe conditions such as blocked exits and nonfunctioning smoke alarms can have devastating consequences in a fire. Renters in poorly maintained properties often face the greatest risks.
If you are injured due to an unsafe condition in an apartment or home that you rent, the landlord may be responsible for damages such as medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property loss. However, it often takes a lawyer’s help to make the property owner and his or her insurance company pay.
Injuries and deaths in apartment fires are often preventable events that the landlord failed to prevent. In many cases, an investigation will reveal an unsafe condition the landlord either knew about or should have known about. The following are examples of unsafe conditions that can lead to injuries and deaths in fires:
- Missing or defective smoke alarms
- Nonfunctioning sprinkler systems
- Defective wiring
- Defective appliances
- Blocked or improperly marked exits
- Improperly stored chemicals
In the aftermath of a fire, It’s important to seek prompt legal advice. An experienced attorney can work with experts to collect and preserve evidence of landlord negligence.
The law firm of Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein, LLP represents people in the Miami-Dade area and throughout Florida who have been injured in fires due to unsafe conditions in rental property.