Fire is a living, breathing, savage beast, one that consumes without thought or compassion.
House and apartment fires are some of the major causes of property damage, wrongful death, and life-long injury disability in the world. In New York City, fires in residential developments have caused injuries, death, and property loss each year.
What happens when a house fire ravages your residence? What do you do when you’re injured in a fire at work? Our guide answers the most common questions New York City residents have when dealing with the aftermath of an apartment or house fire.
Types of Fire and Burn Injuries Lawsuits
What to do if you have burn injuries?
After the flames have died down and the wreckage is revealed, what are you supposed to do? Most importantly, what do you do if you or someone you love sustains burn injuries or psychological trauma? What do you do if someone you love—family members or friends—are lost?
Have you been burned or are you suffering from smoke inhalation? The first step after the fire is seeking medical treatment for your fire injuries. Be sure to keep detailed records of the injuries, including photos, and ask for records of diagnosis, a list of treatments, and documented long-term prognosis. Generally, it’s recommended that you have a report of what happened (the burns), what will happen now (treatment), and how long it will take to heal and if you will have the same quality of life after healing (prognosis). If you choose to file a claim with a New York City injury attorney, this documentation will be used to help build your case.
Get treatment for your injuries as soon as possible. Hospitals and state health administration facilities can help you begin the healing process.
Remember: You have legal options and you can seek financial compensation for your burn injuries and medical expenses by making sure the property owner or person liable is held liable.
What can you sue for fire injuries or fire related injuries?
Once the fire is out, what are your next steps? You’ve missed work, you lost income, you lost wages, you lost family or friends, you’ve sustained property loss and emotional damage. How do you rebuild if you don’t have the money for medical bills or the costs of funerals or insurance deductibles? Who do you hold liable for the damage to your home or business?
Here are some common questions fire victims have:
- What can you sue for after a fire? Do you have what it takes for a lawsuit for your bury injury?
- Do you rent or lease, and the property owners or at fault parties have refused financial compensation?
- Do you work in a building where you sustained severe injuries, and your boss refuses to pay out workers compensation?
- Was the fire caused by a lit cigarettes, a defective product, or a lack of fire safety training, occupational safety, or safety equipment?
- Why wasn’t there a working smoke detector?
- Why didn’t your building manager or employer run the necessary diagnostic tests to ensure your building or place of work were safe?
You have so many questions and no one involved has the answers. It doesn’t have to be that way. Take that next step by calling a fire injury lawyer. With an experienced fire injury lawyer practicing in New York City, you can seek compensation for lost wages, emotional distress, medical expenses, personal property damage, psychological trauma, pain and suffering, the death of a loved one, the loss of future earning capacity, and more.
Bringing a Personal Injury Claim for Fire-Related Injuries
Victims’ Personal Injury Claims
Suffering a severe burn injury, smoke inhalation, and other life-long injuries most often lead to missed work, loss of income, lost jobs, fighting for workers’ compensation, and struggling to seek the financial means to cover medical bills and living expenses.
You can seek compensation for your burn injury through filing a personal injury claim with a fire injury lawyer. An experienced NYC personal injury attorney can help you every step of the way.
What documentation do you need to file a burn injury claim?
- Photos or videos of the burn injuries
- Medical records detailing the injuries
- Medical bills pertaining to the burn injury
- Documentation from your employer about loss of hours or wages
- Documentation for your workers compensation claim
- Current unpaid bills for living expenses
Once you have the documentation in hand, connect with a lawyer who can handle your personal injury claim. The lawyer will handle insurance claims by contacting the insurance adjuster from the insurance company, and they will also handle speaking with the at-fault party or property owners on your behalf.
Death Claims for Victims of Fire Injury
The loss of family members in house fires or on the job from someone’s carelessness can lead to severe emotional suffering and pain.
So what do you do when you want bring a lawsuit for a wrongful death claim? First, collect all the necessary documentation to give the lawyer. This information will be used to build personal injury claims for yourself and loved ones.
What documentation do you need to file a death claim after a fire?
- Medical records/coroner report detailing the injuries and cause of death
- Official fire report from the fire department/NYPD
- Documentation of funeral expenses
- Documentation regarding the loss of living income/support from the death
- Current unpaid bills for living expenses
The claims process isn’t easy, but with a skilled personal injury attorney, you can sue for personal injury compensation, property loss, and even death.
The wrongful death claims process includes the life insurance claims process, which means you can deal with the aftermath of the fire, and begin the victim healing process without worrying about your pain and suffering because of the at fault party.
Bringing a Property Damage Claim
Property Damage Claim Process
Fires consume quickly and ferociously. Without proper fire safety equipment, fire safety measures, working smoke detectors, or property stored and regularly inspected fire extinguishers, you can be left dealing with personal losses that cost more than your insurance claim will pay out.
The most common examples of personal property loss are houses, attached or unattached structures, furniture, electronics—in case of car accidents that cause fire damage, your car—and things as small but priceless as family heirlooms.
What documentation do you need to file a property damage claim?
- Photos or videos of the property damage
- Inspection documents for the property from a licensed building inspector
- The official fire report from the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and NYPD
- Documentation from your employer about loss of hours or wages
- Current unpaid bills for living expenses
With the documents in hand, get an appointment with an attorney specializing in fire/property damage claims. The attorney will listen to you, check your documents, and give you an honest idea of what you can expect from your claim case. The next step is to officially file the claim. Talented New York fire injury claims attorneys are standing by to help.
Submitting Your Victims Claim
Once you’ve collected all the necessary documentation, and have spoken with your burn injury/property loss attorney, it’s time to file the claim. This can be the most stressful part of the process, but with the attorney right there beside you, a professional who has your best interests in mind, it won’t seem as daunting. The lawyer will make the calls, cut through the red tape, deal with the paperwork and appointments you don’t want to do–they will take as much of the weight off your shoulders as they possibly can, allowing you the time to heal, rebuild, and grieve.
Who deals with the insurance company?
If you’ve suffered a burn injury and have no idea who to handle speaking to an insurance adjuster for your injury claims about your serious injuries, speak to a lawyer. Lawyers who specialize in fire claims know who to speak with, what to say to get the ball rolling, and how to make sure you get the attention you deserve. With a lawyer taking the reins, you won’t get lost in the shuffle, and your claim won’t get buried under red tape and excuses. You can recover compensation, recover property losses, and get actual cash from your insurance company, if you contact a lawyer with experience in personal injury claims from fires.
What are the costs to start the claims process?
In most cases, you can file a claim at no cost to you. If you’ve endured fires or the death of the loved one, you are victims and have legal options.
If you have been injured or hurt by fires and want to bring a lawsuit, you can seek compensation today. For a free case evaluation, contact a fire injury lawyer who can start your claims process today.
