WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF FIRES?

Burn injuries are some of the most painful types of injuries anyone can deal with. Because of the increased risk of infection, these injuries often mean long hospital stays, including the possibility of skin graft surgeries, and recovery can take months. Victims often need extensive physical therapy and may never regain full range of motion in the affected areas. Burn victims also often struggle with the emotional aftermath of the accident, especially if there are significant levels of scaring.

Understanding the most frequent causes of fires is the first step toward being able to prevent them and the serious injuries they can cause. According to the National Fire Protection Association, some of the most common causes of fires include malfunctioning appliances, unattended candles, electrical malfunctions and fireworks. It is also possible for a fire to be started due to spontaneous combustion of chemicals of flammable gases, lightening and smoking.

The vast majority of fires can be prevented by taking the proper safety precautions, but there are many situations where someone may be operating under the assumption that everything has been handled by another party. For instance, if someone goes up in a chartered plane, there is the reasonable assumption that the plane has been assessed and determined to be in working order. If maintenance or safety checks are not done and a fire is caused by an electrical problem that would have been caught, the victims may have legal recourse against the at-fault party.

These types of cases can be challenging to prove in court because fires by their very nature are unpredictable and can start with very little warning. However, a knowledgeable personal injury attorney will be able to discuss the particulars of your situation and let you know whether civil litigation is an option.

Source: National Fire Protection Association, "Fire Causes," accessed June 05, 2015