28 firetrucks and 100 firefighters responded to a fire that consumed 8 southwest Philadelphia row homes on Saturday night. The fire claimed the lives of four children, twin 4 year old girls, a 4 year old boy, and a 1 month old boy.
The police are still investigating the cause of the fire. But an eyewitness said that he saw a couch on fire on the porch of one of the homes before the fire began to spread like wildfire, from home to home. Another neighbor who lives across the street from the row homes reported looking out her window and feeling massive heat that melted the taillights of parked cars.
The southwest Philadelphia neighborhood banded together and showed remarkable strength during the blaze. At first sight of the fire, some residents exited their homes to warn others of the growing flames. One man whose home was on fire exited his home and saw children hanging from their windows trying to escape. Worried for their safety, the man positioned himself underneath them so that they could fall onto his back and not the pavement below.
Fire Deaths, Explosions, and Burn Injuries. Slade McLaughlin & Paul Lauricella trial attorneys for burn & personal injury victims and wrongful death claims.
According to the US Fire Administration’s website, Pennsylvania has one of the highest reported number of fire deaths in the United States. The US Fire Administration has compiled media reports of over 80 civilian fire fatalities across Pennsylvania in 2014 — and that number is climbing daily. Another study, conducted by the National Fire Protection Association, indicates that 7 people die each day in reported U.S. home fires.
These numbers are alarming and each incident horrific. The occurrence is one that does not pass with ease. As reported by witnesses to the horrific fire that blazed through the 10 southwest Philadelphia row homes on Saturday July 5th, they will be forever haunted by the memories of the flames and the victims who perished in the uncontrollable fire.
For those who were injured or who lost a loved one in a fire accident, or explosion, you may have legal remedies available to you. Fires can have multiple causes, including electrical appliances, ovens and stovetops, defective products, cigarettes, candles, vehicle fires, structure fires, and heaters, to name a few. A burn injury lawyer will enlist the assistance of highly specialized experts in the fields of fire cause and origin, fire safety, forensic engineering, and other specialties to properly investigate your case.
No matter how the incident occurred, under Pennsylvania law, if you or a loved one suffered a burn injury or fire death as a result of another person’s careless behavior, you may be entitled to compensation. A burn injury can leave you with expensive medical bills and financial hardship. Burn injury survivors may face long-term rehabilitation and ongoing medical care, including reconstructive and cosmetic plastic surgeries (e.g. debridement, skin grafts, and possible prosthesis).
Because of the unique impact of this catastrophic personal injury, burn injury survivors may be entitled to:
- Medical expenses (past and future)
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Disfigurement
- Disability
- Emotional distress, embarrassment, and humiliation
- Physical pain and suffering
- Loss of life’s pleasures
- Loss of enjoyment
In order to fully present a fire death or burn injury case and get you the compensation that you deserve, your burn injury lawyer should consult with the appropriate medical experts to consider the long term consequences of burn injuries, such as plastic surgeons, pain management specialists, psychologists, rehabilitation specialists, vocational experts, life care planners, and economists.
When a loved one dies in a fire or explosion caused by another person’s carelessness or negligence, the surviving spouse or next of kin (e.g. parents, brothers, sisters) can file a wrongful death claim. These lawsuits compensate the family of the decedent for their loss. Damages available in a wrongful death claim may include funeral expenses, and loss of comfort/companionship.
Slade McLaughlin & Paul Lauricella are experienced catastrophic personal injury lawyers with top results.
McLaughlin & Lauricella are considered among the best personal injury lawyers in Philadelphia, and they have experience representing clients, and their loved ones, who have suffered tremendous physical, emotional, and psychological damages associated with catastrophic burn injuries. They have also secured numerous settlements and verdicts for the families of burn victims who have died or been maimed in fires and explosions.
