Faulty Wiring Injuries

As any good premise liability lawyer will tell you, property managers and/or owners are required by law to take all necessary steps needed to insure that their property is safe for any tenants, customers, or guests.  If they fail to do so, by law the property owner and manager is responsible for any accidents or injuries that may occur as a result of faulty wiring, or other unsafe conditions.  Thousands of homes catch fire every year as a result of faulty wiring, causing hundreds of faulty wiring injuries. Those injuries can range from small burns to serious burns to wrongful death cases in Massachusetts.  If you or a loved one has suffered injury due to faulty wiring, give the experienced personal injury attorneys at Burns & Jain a call to receive your free consultation.

House Fires As A Result of Faulty Wiring

Frequently a house fire, especially in older houses in the Boston area, can be traced to faulty wiring.  We work with the fire department inspectors to look at liability in many areas, including:

• Was the landlord responsible?
• Was an electrician who recently undertook work on the premises responsible?
• What notice did the landlord have prior to the fire that there could be a wiring problem?
• Did anyone call Inspectional Services or other local officials prior to the fire?  If so, the information in that file could be critical in proving liability against a landlord or property owner.

What Causes Faulty Wiring?

There are several known causes of faulty wiring, and signs that you can look for to see if the wiring in your home is faulty.  Although you cannot see all of the wiring that is inside your walls, you can check the wiring in your basement, attic and/or crawlspace to make sure that it is safe.  If the insulation around your wires is crumbling, or dried, or the wire is brittle, the wires may need to be replaced.  If the inner metal wire is exposed for any reason, this may need to be remedied immediately.  Any loose or unraveling tape should be replaced to avoid fires from faulty wiring. You should also look for any outlets that may look charred or make a buzzing noise.  Lights that flicker also signal bad wiring. The smell of plastic burning, even if it is a very faint smell, may be the result of faulty wiring. Breakers that trip often can also be sign of faulty wiring.

If you have any of these signs in your home or apartment, you may need to call an electrician immediately and have him or her inspect all of the wiring in the home.

The Cost of Faulty Wiring Injuries

The injuries sustained from faulty wiring can be both physical and financial.  There are over 52,000 fires each year in homes across the US as a result of faulty wiring.  Over 5 million Americans are killed each year as a result of faulty wiring.  Financially, the costs of medical bills, funerals, loss of time from work, and loss of property can go into the billions. In property damage alone, there is over $1.4 billion lost annually.

If you or a loved one has suffered faulty wiring injuries, the attorneys at Burns & Jain can help determine whether or not a premise liability lawsuit may be in order.  They have the experience to get compensation for any time loss from work, medical bills, pain and suffering and other financial hardships caused by injuries sustained from faulty wiring accidents, including compensation to help you relocate. Please call Burns & Jain today for your always free consultation to see if we may be able to help you too.