A fire broke out in a building in Haverhill on a recent Wednesday afternoon. The devastating blaze affected 46 people in 16 apartments, including a mother and her 18-month-old baby. She reportedly grabbed the child and attempted to escape through the front door, but she was blocked by smoke and flames. She had to find another way to save her little boy. The only other option was to escape through the window of the third floor apartment.
Holding the child, the mother jumped and suffered a critical back injury but saved the child's life. He came away with only a bump to the head, although the mother was rushed to the hospital where she underwent surgery that evening. The cause of the fire was not known immediately. Property owners have a responsibility to keep their premises reasonably safe, including electrical wiring. Escape routes in the event of fires should also be accessible to all occupants of a building.
Massachusetts residents who have suffered a back injury, or any other personal injury may be facing high medical expenses as the result of such injuries. If the injuries were suffered as a result of the failure of the property owner to render the premises safe, he or she may retain the right to pursue monetary damages by filing a premises liability claim for personal injury in a civil court. Successfully presented claims may result in a court awarding such damages to cover medical and other expenses brought about by the injury.
Source: wcvb.com, "Woman forced to make life-or-death decision as fire inches closer", John Atwater, May 7, 2014
