A Smoke Alarm May Not Wake up Your Child

Pritzker | Olsen, P.A. has recovered millions for fire and burn victims, including a settlement for $2,950,000. To contact a lawyer at Pritzker | Olsen, P.A. for a free consultation, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's online consultation form for review by an attorney.

Smoke Alarms and Children
While smoke alarms have helped save countless lives over the past 30 years, research has shown that children younger than 16 may not reliably wake up when the alarm goes off. The fact that children may sleep through the sound of a smoke alarm must be taken into account when creating the family fire escape plan.

CPSC, USFA, the National Fire Protection Association, International Association of Fire Chiefs, and International Association of Fire Fighters all recommend that families conduct a fire escape drill either late at night or early in the morning. This drill will help parents determine if their child/children are awakened by and able to respond to the sound of a smoke alarm. For those children who do not respond, the traditional fire escape plan of everyone meeting at a common location outside the home may leave them at risk. The fire safety community encourages parents and caregivers to assist children in getting to a safe location when an alarm activates at a time when they are asleep.

CPSC staff came to the following conclusions about children and smoke alarms in a 2004 report on this issue:

Children under the age of 16 have longer periods of deep sleep compared to adults
Current smoke alarms do not reliably wake children under the age of 16.
Various home configurations and locations of smoke alarms can limit the transmission of sound throughout the house.
Interconnected smoke alarms can provide earlier warning of smoke and fire and placing them inside bedrooms may provide improved warning when bedroom doors are closed.

Free Case Consultation

Firm News

Fred Pritzker Listed in The Best Lawyers in America

Fred Pritzker has been notified that he will again be listed in The Best Lawyers in America for his work in personal injury and wrongful death litigation.

Burn Injury Lawsuit Settled

Our law firm settled a case involving an apartment fire. Two people died, and two others were injured, one seriously. Learn about a burn injury lawsuit, scald burn, and apartment fire.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Attorneys Fred Pritzker and Elliot Olsen spoke at the annual Minnesota Association for Justice Brain Injury Seminar. They represent brain injury survivors in personal injury cases throughout the nation.

Burn Injury Compensation

Medical expenses
Pain and suffering, including physical pain, suffering, emotional distress, disfigurment, disability, mental impairment
Lost earnings, including lost potential earnings
Cost of care

Burn Attorney

Information on a burn injury lawsuit, including liability of any of the following:

An employer
A property owner
The owner of a vehicle
The driver of a vehicle
A manufacturer
A utility company
A propane company
A person who serviced a propane tank, vehicle, piece of equipment, etc.
A landlord
An insurance company

Burn Brain Damage

Brain damage associated with fires is usually cerebral hypoxia (also referred to as cerebral anoxia), a condition where there is an absence of oxygen to the brain.

This is attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The result of each case is determined by the specific facts and the applicable law.