A 13-year-old has been identified as the child who died in a Margate house fire along with his dog earlier this week, according to local media.
Gianni Jackson, a special needs teen who was “loved by everyone,” was the boy who died, his older brother told reporters with Channel 7 News. The incident happened Thursday afternoon on the 5500 block of Southwest Sixth Street.
Gianni was allegedly at home with his grandmother and had gone inside the home to take a shower after getting off the school bus, local media reported.
Gianni, who had Down Syndrome, is remembered by his brother as being independent.
As of Friday afternoon, no official cause of the fire had been released. The investigation is ongoing.
Leesfield & Partners
Leesfield & Partners is a Florida-based personal injury law firm with decades of experience representing injured clients and grieving families. Our attorneys have successfully handled every manner of injury case, from car crashes, boating accidents, and workplace injuries to wrongful death claims and complex catastrophic injury litigation.
With offices across Florida, Leesfield & Partners is deeply rooted in the communities we serve and committed to providing compassionate, results-driven representation.
Whether we are standing up to powerful insurance companies or seeking justice for families whose lives have been forever changed, our unwavering mission is to fight tirelessly for our clients. Our skilled trial attorneys have handled numerous noteworthy cases throughout Florida, some of which have resulted in legislative change and record verdicts and settlements. Leesfield & Partners works tirelessly to achieve the best possible outcome for every client.
In 49 years of personal injury law, our attorneys know how quickly a fire can spread. Our attorneys have handled tragic cases, including burns, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide exposure at the hands of negligent corporations and individuals. While no amount of preparation can entirely shield families or individuals from these such tragedies, landlords, management companies and homeowners alike should take the necessary step to ensure that they and their guests are safe from potential incidents. Parents should regularly speak with their children about fire safety and come up with a fire safety plan that includes a safe meeting spot, and how to properly evacuate a fire. Landlords and rental management companies must ensure that all electrical issues are properly and timely addressed and that there are no hindrances that would prevent their tenants from being able to safely escape a blaze should the unthinkable occur. Additionally, they must ensure that all smoke detectors and alert systems are in proper working order. Fire extinguishers should be kept near kitchens, outdoor fire pits and barbecues.
Previous Cases
Leesfield & Partners previously handled a case involving the fire deaths of a mother and her two children. The three had become trapped in a blaze that broke out at their rental home, which was caused by a defective electrical outlet. Despite previously notifying their landlord about difficulty opening windows, the issue went unaddressed. On the day of the fire, the mother and children were unable to open the windows to escape and perished.
Trial Attorney Eric Shane secured a multi-million-dollar settlement for a client who was burned in an electrocution case.
In an explosion case that started from a spark aboard a cargo ship, Leesfield & Partners secured a substantial award for clients who were badly burned.
For a couple celebrating their honeymoon, what was meant to be the start of their happy life together soon became a nightmare after an improperly capped pipe caused an explosion at their accommodation. Both were severely burned and, tragically, the wife passed away from her injuries.
The firm secured a multi-million-dollar for the husband in that case.
In an explosion that caused burns, Leesfield & Partners secured a $3.25 million recovery for the injured client.
Leesfield & Partners secured a $2.95 million award for a family who lost their 13-year-old daughter after a TV set caught fire in their home. The manufacturer of the defective television set was named as a defendant in the lawsuit alongside the distributor of a defective smoke alarm and the family’s condominium association, which was named in the lawsuit for safety violations. The father involved in this incident burned over 30% of his body when he tried to rescue his daughter.
A construction site accident that resulted in burns to a Leesfield & partners client resulted in an $862,000 recovery.
In a fire that killed at least one person due to the negligence of a company, Leesfield & Partners secured a $600,00 recovery.
For a patient who was burnt in an operating room due to the negligence of a hospital’s medical staff. Attorneys at the firm secured a $600,000 recovery.
The firm has also handled other cases involving burn injuries to clients including a child who was burned at a neighbor’s home by stew that was cooking on the stove. The child in that case, an 11-year-old boy, sustained second-degree burns to his legs when the improperly installed range tipped forward on him. An investigation by our firm determined that the landlord’s failure to use anti-tip brackets paved the way for the incident to occur.
Leesfield & Partners secured a $300,000 settlement in that case.