Faulty Smoke Detectors Can Lead to Injury

When most people think of premises liability issues, they imagine slipping and falling on someone else’s property. While such injuries are certainly among the most common types of premises liability, they are not the only types. Dangerous or negligent property conditions can lead to all manner of hazardous conditions or health risks, such as head injuries or injuries from fire, as well as burn injuries or smoke damage to the lungs.

Fire injury may not seem like a great risk to most people, but there are many property conditions that can lead to a fire such as an electrical surge, overheating appliances or another person leaving a candle or fire unattended. Even though most of us are aware of these risks, we do not generally concern ourselves with them because we have different tools in place to minimize the risks. Surge protectors help to keep our electric wires and cords from catching fire, and smoke detectors help us to notice fires before it is too late.

If these tools fail due to a defect or being improperly installed by a landlord, you could be compensated for any injuries you suffer because of a fire. If you live in an apartment for example and the apartment managers or maintenance workers fail to properly install the smoke detector, you could be entitled to compensation for their negligence. If the smoke detector is properly installed, but still fails to notify you of a fire hazard because the product is defective, you could also be entitled to compensation.

No matter what type of injury you suffer, if you suffer it on someone else’s property or due to someone else’s negligence, it is worth consulting with an attorney about your legal options. Successfully proving that someone else was responsible for your injury could lead to compensation for the injury. If you have been injured on someone else’s property in Massachusetts, please visit our webpage to learn how we can help you file a claim.