House Fire Lawyer: Burn Injury and Wrongful Death Lawsuits

If you or a loved one suffered burn injuries, smoke inhalation, or died in a house fire, Pritzker Hageman’s Fire Injury Legal Team will investigate what happened, identify who is liable, and help you pursue compensation.

House fires account for 75 percent of civilian fire deaths and injuries in the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Association. When a catastrophic fire may have been caused by negligence, unsafe property conditions, or a dangerous product, survivors and families deserve answers, accountability, and experienced legal help.

Can You Sue After a House Fire?

Yes. If someone else’s negligence or a defective product caused the house fire that injured you or someone you love, you may have the right to file a lawsuit. If the fire claimed a loved one’s life, your family may also have the right to bring a wrongful death claim seeking accountability and compensation for the loss.

Who Is Liable for a House Fire?

Liability depends on what caused the fire. In many house fire cases, more than one party may be responsible. At Pritzker Hageman, we conduct an independent investigation to determine how the fire started, identify every liable party, and pursue the full compensation you and your family deserve.

Manufacturers of Appliances, Products, and Safety Equipment

A house fire may begin with a defective appliance, heater, stove, dryer, battery, charger, smoke alarm, or electrical component. In other cases, a product may not start the fire but may make it far more deadly, including upholstered furniture, mattresses or other materials that ignite quickly and spread flames rapidly.

In one of our cases, a young child started a fire while playing with matches on a living room sofa. The sofa ignited and the fire spread through the home, killing the child and his mother. Our investigation found that the sofa’s materials were more dangerous than safer, feasible alternatives and did not provide the level of fire safety families should expect. We brought a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the surviving family and recovered millions from the manufacturer.

Electricians, Contractors, and Maintenance Companies

Improper wiring, negligent repairs, unsafe renovation work, and code violations can all contribute to residential fires.

Gas Companies, Propane Providers, and Utilities

Some house fires and explosions are caused by gas leaks, propane system failures, service-line problems, meter defects, or other fuel-related hazards. Gas and propane companies have serious legal duties to operate their systems safely and to prevent leaks from going undetected. One of those duties is to properly odorize the gas to prevent a phenomenon called odor fade, so people can smell a leak before it ignites.

Landlords and Property Owners

Landlords and property owners of rental homes and apartment buildings may be liable if they failed to correct known fire hazards, ignored electrical problems, violated safety requirements, or failed to provide working smoke alarms or other required protections. In a recent case, our firm represented families after a deadly apartment fire in a building that lacked sprinklers and was not maintained in compliance with state and local safety codes.

Compensation in a House Fire Lawsuit

The compensation available in a house fire lawsuit depends on the severity of the injuries, the losses the fire caused, and the evidence showing who is responsible. Depending on the facts of the case, survivors and families may be able to recover compensation for:

• Medical bills
• Future medical treatment
• Surgeries, hospitalization, and rehabilitation
• Lost income and loss of future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Disability and long-term care needs
• Wrongful death damages for surviving family members

Recent $10 Million Lawsuit Settlement for Man Burned in a House Fire

Our client suffered indescribably painful and disfiguring burn injuries, including third-degree burns over almost 60% of his total body surface.  He had a total of eight operations to achieve wound closure through various skin grafting techniques. His total hospitalization was 55 days and was complicated by a graft infection. Due to the severe nature of his burns, he developed severe protein-calorie malnutrition and required nutrition via a feeding tube for 43 days. He was on a ventilator for four days. He developed acute stress reaction, which progressed to persistent symptoms consistent with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We also obtained a settlement for his wife.

How Pritzker Hageman Investigates House Fire Cases

For our fire investigation lawyers, the goal is to find the cause and origin of the flames. The first thing we do is examine the scene with the experts that we hire:

• Where is the area of the most severe damage?
• Where is the lowest level of damage?
• How did the smoke and flames ventilate?
• What materials burned and what was the pattern of damage?
• What was the arc damage?

We also interview eyewitnesses to find out where they first saw the flames, analyze the accelerants in the debris, look at all appliances to determine if one of them could have been the cause, and analyze the pattern of damage. Each case is unique and should be treated as such.

“It’s crucial to do an independent investigation in any case involving third-degree burns or wrongful death, so we work closely with experienced investigators to determine the actual cause of an explosion,” said Eric Hageman, a lawyer who has won third-degree burn lawsuits. “In doing so, we have found liability for things such as failure to comply with safety regulations, product defects and, in a recent case, for failure to protect against a phenomenon known as odor fade.”

One of our jobs is to find as many parties to sue as possible to make sure you and your family are fully and adequately compensated. For our cases, our fire and explosion lawyers work with highly experienced investigators and cause-and-origin specialists.

Smoke Inhalation Lawsuits After a House Fire

Not every serious fire injury involves visible burns. In many fatal and life-changing fires, smoke inhalation is the most serious injury.

Smoke inhalation may cause:

• Airway burns
• Lung damage
• Respiratory failure
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Long-term breathing complications
• Death

Wrongful Death House Fire Lawsuits

When a loved one dies in a house fire, surviving family members may bring a wrongful death house fire lawsuit against the party or parties responsible.

Recoverable losses often include funeral and burial expenses, the lost future income of the person who died, and loss of companionship and support for a surviving spouse, children, and parents.

Why Families Choose Pritzker Hageman for House Fire Cases

Pritzker Hageman represents burn survivors and families nationwide in catastrophic fire, explosion, and wrongful death cases. Our firm understands that a serious house fire can change every part of life in an instant. These cases demand a legal team that understands both the complexity of fire litigation and the life-changing impact of burn injuries.

National Burn and Fire Injury Experience

Pritzker Hageman has decades of experience handling serious burn injury, explosion, and wrongful death litigation across the country. Our attorneys have secured multi-million-dollar recoveries and know how to build complex house fire claims involving unsafe property conditions, dangerous products, negligent repairs, utility failures, and other preventable hazards.

A Focus on Investigation and Accountability

House fire cases often depend on answering difficult questions about how the fire started, what safety failures occurred, and who had a duty to prevent the danger. Our firm works with qualified fire investigators, engineers, and other experts to preserve evidence, determine the cause and origin of the fire, and identify every person or company whose negligence may have contributed to the harm.

Commitment to the Burn Survivor Community

Burn injury cases are different from other personal injury cases. Survivors often face a long recovery that may include repeated surgeries, rehabilitation, visible scarring, and lasting emotional harm. Pritzker Hageman has a longstanding commitment to the burn survivor community and approaches these cases with the care, seriousness, and experience they deserve.

No Fee Unless We Win

Pritzker Hageman handles house fire cases on a contingency fee basis. That means there is no upfront cost to hire our firm and no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you. If you have questions after a serious house fire, we are here to listen, explain your legal options, and help you understand what steps may come next.

Speak With a House Fire Lawyer Today

If you or a loved one suffered burn injuries, smoke inhalation, or died in a house fire, Pritzker Hageman is here to help. We offer free consultations to survivors and families nationwide. There is no fee unless we win.

Call 1-888-377-8900, text 612-261-0856, or contact us online for a free case review.