Boston Injury Lawyer Blog
A Massachusetts in her 90’s died Sunday morning when her clothes caught fire while she was making coffee in the kitchen of her Somerville home that is located on Boston Avenue. The woman passed away before firefighters were able to arrive at the scene.
According to Somerville Fire Deputy Chief Jim Lucia, the fire appears to have sucked up the majority of oxygen in the kitchen. Although the fire was contained to that area of the three-bedroom house, some $75,000 in property damage was sustained. Lucia says that the victim appears to have died from severe burns and smoke inhalation.
At this time, our Boston injury lawyers do not know what caused this deadly fire. However, if a product defect allowed the clothing to catch fire too easily, then the woman’s family could have grounds for a products liability case against the manufacturer, distributor, and/or seller of her clothes and/or its fabric.
There is a federal standard in place to ensure that clothing is made with materials that prevent them from being highly flammable. Unfortunately, there are some fabrics that ignite more quickly than others, which means that once they catch fire they can spread more easily over the rest of the fabric and the body of the person wearing them, making it difficult for the victim to get away from the flames. Serious second- and third-degree burn injuries and even death may result.
If the clothing caught fire because another product, such as an appliance, malfunctioned, the victim or his/her family may be able to pursue Boston products liability damages from those responsible for the chain of manufacture and distribution of that particular consumer good. Another possible liable party might be the owner of the property where the fire occurred if he/she could/should have prevented the accident from happening.
Elderly woman dies in Somerville kitchen fire, Boston.com, February 19, 2012
Somerville woman, 94, dies in fire, Boston Herald, February 19, 2012
More Blog Posts:
Landlords Found Guilty in Quincy Fire that Killed a Father and Two Sons, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, February 19, 2012
Seven Boston University Students Injured in Allston Apartment Fire, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, January 22, 2012
Worcester Building that Collapsed During Fire, Killing One Firefighter and Injuring Another, May Have Been Poorly Maintained, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, December 10, 2011
To schedule your free case evaluation, contact our Boston injury lawyers today.
