Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

$2,950,000 Settlement

Attorney Fred Pritzker won a $2,950,000 settlement on behalf of victims of an apartment fire in Minnesota. The money was used to help a surviving child. Contact Attorney Fred Pritzker for a free consultation. We are not paid unless you win.

The Injury
A twenty-six year-old mother of three died along with her six year-old son in the apartment fire. Her daughter suffered severe and permanent brain damage as a result of smoke inhalation. Another son also suffered injury but recovered. Most of the settlement proceeds were earmarked for the young girl, who will require extensive care for the remainder of her life.

Hazardous Product Involved in Fire
The fire started in an upholstered chair that had recently been purchased at a local mall. The chair was not constructed with materials resistant to small, open-flame ignition sources such as lighters, candles and matches. At the time of the fire, the only state that required flame resistant upholstered furniture was California. Minnesota was one of many states that required flame resistance for upholstered furniture used in commercial settings but had no similar requirement for residential furniture.

Inoperative Smoke Detector
The smoke detector in the apartment was not operative when the fire started. If it had been operative, argued Mr. Pritzker, the occupants would have had ample time to escape.

The investigation disclosed that many of the apartments in the building had disconnected smoke alarms. Tenants disabled the detectors because of frequent and annoying false alarms caused by the age and location of the detectors. The landlord was aware of the problem, but did little about it. Testimony from former tenants of the fire-damaged apartment demonstrated that the smoke detector had been inoperative for several years. There was also no evidence that the smoke alarm had been inspected or tested by the landlord as required by state law.

Source of Fire
The source of ignition was never determined. It may have been one of the children playing with a butane utility match, according to the state and local fire marshals who investigated the case. According to Pritzker, a re-enactment of the fire proved that it took less than 10 seconds for the chair to ignite when exposed to a small flame.

Personal injury lawyer Fred Pritzker, has over 30 years of experience and has established a national reputation for excellence in the areas of fire accidents, foodborne illness and product liability. In recognition of his achievements other lawyers selected him for inclusion in the 2005-2006 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. To contact Fred Pritzker or another attorney at the firm for a free case evaluation, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900, e-mail info@pritzkerlaw.com or fill out the online, attorney-consultation form.

Minnesota Cities: Twin Cities, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Moorhead, Mankato, Brainerd, Bloomington, Eagan, Eden Prarie, Apple Valley, Maple Grove, Edina, Plymouth, Minnetonka, Stillwater, Thief River Falls, Bemidji, Grand Rapids, Austin, Worthington, Woodbury, Maplewood, Golden Valley, Shoreview, Blaine, Anoka, South St. Paul, White Bear Lake, Roseville, St. Cloud, Arden Hills, Brooklyn Park, Forest Lake.

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We are Not Paid Unless You Win

Our attorneys work on a continguency fee basis, meaning you do not have to pay our law firm for representing you unless we win you money.

Firm News

AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell

Attorneys Fred Pritzker and Eric Hageman have been given the highest rating by Martindale-Hubbell for an attorney, AV Preeminent. An AV® certification mark is a significant rating accomplishment - a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence.

Fred Pritzker Listed in The Best Lawyers in America

Fred Pritzker is listed in The Best Lawyers in America for his work in personal injury and wrongful death litigation.

Adjunct Teaching Position At U of M Law School

Attorney Brendan Flaherty has accepted an adjunct teaching position at the University of Minnesota Law School. For the 2011 spring semester, Flaherty will teach a course entitled "Practice and Professionalism," which will introduce students to foundational lawyering skills and professional responsibility issues.

Named Super Lawyer

In recognition of their achievements, attorneys Fred Pritzker, Elliot Olsen and Eric Hageman were named "Super Lawyers" by Law & Politics magazine. According to Super Lawyers, "The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource to assist attorneys and consumers in the search for legal counsel."

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