When smoke detectors fail to timely alert you and your family of a fire, the consequences can be absolutely devastating. These safety devices are designed to provide early warnings about potential fire hazards, but defective or improperly maintained or installed smoke detectors can lead to injuries, like burns and smoke inhalation, or even death. If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one due to a faulty smoke detector, contact Marsh | Rickard | Bryan to learn how we can help.
Smoke Detectors
In general, smoke detectors are required to be installed in homes, apartment complexes, businesses, and public buildings. But when these devices fail to warn the occupant of the building in the event of a fire, it can result in real damage and potentially life-altering injuries.
Faulty fire alarm systems are something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Sometimes these devices have defects and do not smoke or alert occupants. The manufacturer may not have designed the sensitivity levels appropriately, causing the device to only sense a fire after it’s too late, and faulty components may degrade over time. Failing devices may also be due to a landlord who has failed to maintain them. If you live in an apartment building and the owner failed to change the batteries or properly maintenance the detectors and someone was injured as a result, the landlord or property manager may be liable. In these cases, the injured person may be eligible to receive compensation for their injuries.
We’ll investigate the incident and gather all available information. We often work with accident investigators, product engineers, and safety professionals to determine whether negligence or defective devices played a role in the incident. We’ll review the details of the case to determine if it is a viable case and learn who should be held accountable—whether it’s the manufacturer of the device, the designer, or the property manager.
Once we determine the cause and who is at fault, we’ll help you to obtain compensation for the injuries and legal damages that were caused.
Why Experience Matters With Smoke Detectors Claims
By working with our skilled attorneys, you can be sure that your smoke detector injury claim is handled by experienced attorneys. We have handled many of these cases in over 25 years of our firm’s existence.
At Marsh | Rickard | Bryan, LLC, we are ready to evaluate your case and help you through the legal process with care and compassion. Contact us today to get started.
