Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
A fire that broke out at a warehouse on the morning of Thursday, March 5, made the building too dangerous for crews to enter and could burn for days, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.
The blaze continued to rage Friday morning at the 20600 NW 47th Ave warehouse, which is twice the size of a Costco, the newspaper reported. It started shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday and firefighters determined that the flames had “take possession of the whole building,” and it would be too dangerous to send in their team.
Emergency services sent out public safety alerts to surrounding areas as far as urban Broward County to warn of smoke being carried by shifting winds.
One fire official told reporters that the older building’s sheet metal roof construction “allowed the building to be consumed” and hastened its partial collapse.
Helicopters were in the area Friday morning to stanch the flames.
It is still unclear what may have caused the fire at the warehouse, the newspaper reported. The Florida Fire Marshal’s Office will investigate.
In five decades of personal injury law, Leesfield & Partners has represented countless victims of fire and explosion incidents. Whether burned due to improper gas piping at a luxury resort or electrocuted because of a property’s failure to have ground fault circuit interrupters, our attorneys work diligently on behalf of every client to secure the best possible outcome.
Five Decades of Serving Injured Clients Throughout Florida
Fires can occur from one moment to the next, and reaction times can vary from person-to-person. It can be difficult not to panic when a person finds themselves in such a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation. While much is uncertain in these situations, what is certain is that landlords, property owners, hotel management companies, and other corporations have a duty to ensure the safety of guests, tenants, employees and other visitors to their properties.
Under premises liability law, property owners and managers must maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition. When a dangerous condition exists, they have a duty of care to repair it within a reasonable time or, at minimum, to warn guests, tenants, and other invitees to the property — such as workers making repairs or conducting inspections — of the potential hazard.
Throughout 50 years of representing the victims of electrocution incidents, burn injuries, fires and carbon monoxide incidents, our attorneys have seen the various ways in which these entities will attempt to evade liability or shift the blame.
Previously, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, fought for the passing of Senate Bill 1822, which addresses carbon monoxide detection requirements in public lodging establishments for the safety of guests and others at these properties.
This bill was essential in adding safeguards to protect people from exposure to carbon monoxide — a colorless, odorless gas that binds to hemoglobin and prevents the body from transporting oxygen. Because its presence is undetectable without a warning device, many people don’t realize they’ve been exposed until it’s too late, often with tragic consequences. In data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, carbon monoxide detectors are estimated to save around 200 lives each year in the United States.
The firm filed a lawsuit that got national attention when a Key West hotel’s damaged roof vent leaked carbon monoxide into the room of an Iowa family. That case was among several in the state that spurred Mr. Leesfield to rally behind Senate Bill 1822, which provides protections related to carbon monoxide in Florida.
“Carbon monoxide poisoning isn’t just a subtle threat; it’s the second most common cause of non-medicinal poisoning death,” Mr. Leesfield and Trial Lawyer Evan Robinson said in a co-authored article discussing carbon monoxide litigation.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that around 400 people die in the U.S. annually from unintentional carbon monoxide exposure. Over 100,000 people are rushed to the emergency room every year for breathing in the toxic gas and 14,000 are hospitalized.
In carbon monoxide cases, the firm previously represented a woman who was exposed to the lethal gas while staying at a foreign resort. The firm obtained over $11 million for the woman in that case.
A confidential amount was secured on behalf of a college student who was exposed to carbon monoxide while staying in a house owned by the university. The cause of the leak in that case was revealed to be an exhaust pipe from the house’s furnace.
Leesfield & Partners has previously represented the victims of fires and explosions who have suffered severe and life-changing injuries as the result of an individual or company’s negligence.
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.
Fire Safety Tips
Below are only some fire safety tips that may help you and your family should you ever find yourselves in a fire emergency. This is not an exhaustive list, and everyone should defer to fire personnel and other emergency responders for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
- Come up with a fire safety plan that everyone in the household can remember. This plan should include a meeting spot that is a safe distance away from the home so that everyone knows where to go once they have escaped in case you are separated by the flames.
- Ensure that all smoke detectors are in working order.
- Never allow children to play with household items such as matches, candles or lighters.
- Educate your family about the dangers of fire
- If a fire breaks out in your home, escape immediately and call 911. Never attempt to put out the fire yourself or to
- Always keep fire extinguishers on hand near kitchens, outdoor fire pits and barbecues.
- Always stay in the kitchen while cooking as stoves that are left unattended can become fire hazards.
- Extinguish candles before leaving a room.
- Never smoke in bed and keep flammable materials like curtains away from heat sources.
- Take a fire safety course with your family to ensure that everyone gets the most up-to-date information regarding fires.
