Your Landlord May Be Responsible for Your Apartment Fire

Intelligent, responsible landlords will take fire prevention very seriously, but not every property owner meets that description. An apartment building or multi-family house provides a landlord with income, but some are more careful about keeping it safe than others. If you’re injured in a structure fire, Satterley & Kelley, PLLC can help you obtain the compensation you deserve.

Apartment Fires They Happen Every Day

The majority of fire-related deaths in the US occur in structure fires. One—and two-family home fires are the most frequent, followed by apartment and multi-family building fires.

Over the past 50 years, the number of structure fires has gone down, but the number has increased recently, according to the National Fire Sprinkler Association. Since 1980, the worst year for fire-related deaths was 1982, when there were an estimated 6,700 killed in fires. By 2022, that dropped to about 3,790.

That year, there were an estimated 80,000 apartment and multi-family structure fires, or about 170 daily in the US. They made up 9% of the country’s fatal fires, killing about 150 people or about 12% of the fatalities.

The US Census Bureau estimates there are 33,675,570 apartment and multi-family housing units in the US. There is an average of 2.3 people per unit, and more than 77 million live in apartments or multi-family buildings (with three or more units). Almost a quarter of the country lives in these buildings.

How Your Landlord May Be to Blame for Your Fire

A Kentucky residential landlord must maintain the property so it’s safe to live in. They must also live up to their obligations in the lease and comply with state law and local building and fire codes. Failure to do any of these things may result in a fire that could injure you or anyone in the building.

Some issues that may cause the fire or contribute to your injuries include the following:

• Smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, and fire alarms may not be present or functioning correctly. The landlord may buy the right equipment but fail to install or maintain it properly
• Faulty or outdated electrical wiring may start a fire. A landlord may improperly do electrical work themselves or hire someone unqualified to do the job, resulting in building or fire code violations
• If you have natural gas in your building, a fire can be caused by an ignited gas leak. A landlord must keep the building safe, including maintaining gas lines and addressing gas leaks reported by tenants or visitors
• Landlords may allow fire escapes, doors, and exits to be blocked with clutter. You may be prevented from leaving the building or delayed long enough to be injured by heat or smoke
• There may be hazardous, flammable, and easily ignitable materials stored in the building in a location where a fire may start
• A landlord could be responsible for a fire if a tenant or visitor tells them about a fire hazard and they don’t respond before a fire starts. This can include warning that a tenant is causing a dangerous situation in their apartment
• Heating systems can start a fire or cause carbon monoxide poisoning if not maintained, repaired, or replaced. A landlord may allow space heaters or fail to enforce a rule against them and could be responsible if one causes a fire
• If they’re put on notice of a problem, a property owner may be responsible for a fire caused by a defective or unrepaired appliance that they provided
• If reasonable steps aren’t taken to prevent foreseeable criminal activity on the property, the landlord may be partially to blame if it results in a fire. This can include not taking steps to prevent break-ins, vandalism, and drug dealing on the property

A landlord who doesn’t live up to their legal obligations and causes a fire that results in your injuries, or something they did made your injuries worse, may be legally obligated to compensate you for the harm you suffer.

Lawyers Experienced In Kentucky Premises Liability Law

Satterley & Kelley PLLC attorneys have experience taking on insurance companies and winning when accidents injure innocent people. We have recovered millions of dollars for victims and their families in personal injury verdicts and settlements. We will fight for you to obtain the compensation you deserve due to a property owner’s negligence.

You can schedule a free initial consultation at our Louisville office by calling 855-385-9532 or completing our contact form.