Jennifer Sullivan, a Seattle Times writer, reported in an account on January 19, 2009 that the cause of the SeaTac apartment fire was still unknown to fire fighters. Two women who jumped from their balconies to avoid the fire sustained life-threatening injuries and were being treated at Harborview Medical Center. Flames broke out at the Emerald Place Apartments around 6:55pm, forcing young children to jump from their balconies to get away from the flames.
In all, seven people were taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries. Approximately 100 people were left without a home in the area of the 3000 block of South 192nd street. Those affected by the fire may need to contact a skilled premises liability lawyer.
Spokesperson for King County Fire District said, “Everyone in this complex did a great job notifying their neighbors.” Moreover, Nelson stated that the apartment units did not have sprinklers, but were not required by law due to the building’s age. Officials estimated that 15 of the 48 apartments would not be habitable. On a gracious note, the building management opened up empty units and several tenants stayed there while others stayed with family and friends.
Premises liability cases consist of accidents that take place as a result of unsafe conditions or negligent maintenance on property that is owned by someone other than the victim of the accident. Premises liability law also pertains to injuries that occur because of a failure to protect a person from harm caused by third persons on the premises.
If you or a loved one has suffered serious injury on someone else’s property, it is your responsibility to prove that the owner or occupant’s negligence was the cause of the accident. The Bernard Law Group’s Washington premise liability attorneys are experienced and can help in sorting out these types of complicated cases. Please call 1-800-418-8282 for a free consultation.