Fire And Explosions
Fires and explosions generate tremendous heat and energy, which can result in devastating physical injuries. If the victims survive, they are often left with severe disabilities and permanent scars. Those injuries can cause them to endure months of very, very painful treatment.
At Gismondi & Associates, we have years of experience in handling fire and explosion cases of all types.
Fires usually occur at homes or business properties. Either way, one of the major challenges in handling a fire case is to determine the so-called “cause and origin,” i.e., how did the fire start and where did it start. Getting the answers to those questions often requires us to rely on a team of experts such as professional fire investigators, engineers and chemists who must be prepared to sift through piles of charred debris. In some cases, extensive photographic evidence and laboratory analysis are needed to come to final conclusions. Whatever it takes to get those answers, we are prepared to do.
Gas explosions can be equally difficult to unravel. They typically involve propane or natural gas running through a pipeline or a pressurized container. Meticulous attention to detail is often required to reconnect the “pieces of the puzzle” to get to the bottom of what happened. Sometimes the fault lies with the supplier of the gas, whereas other times the problem is with the pipe or container through which the gas if flowing. Again, we use a team of experts including metallurgists, safety specialist and pipeline professionals to help us sort out exactly what happened.
Over the past 30 years, the attorneys of Gismondi & Associates have successfully handled a variety of fire explosion cases, including:
- A multimillion-dollar recovery on behalf of a teenage boy who suffered severe face and hand burns in a house explosion caused by a gas leak.
- A multimillion-dollar recovery on behalf of a husband and wife who suffered burns to the arms, legs and face in a gas explosion caused by a propane tank, which was overfilled at a convenience store.
- A recovery in excess of $1 million on behalf of the family whose children died in a house fire.
- A recovery in excess of $1 million on behalf of an elderly couple who were killed in a house explosion caused by a leaking natural gas line.