California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
At least 14 People were injured in a motel fire in San Pedro, California today. The motel fire occurred at approximately 3:30 this morning and 150 firefighters responded and had the fire extinguished by about 4:00 a.m. Of the those who were injured, 12 had to be hospitalized for their fire and burn injuries. The motel fire injuries included third degree burns and smoke inhalation. Of the 12 who had to be taken to the hospital, three victims were listed to be in critical condition.
The motel fire, which occurred at the Palos Verdes Inn, may have injured as many as 17 people, including a police officer who reportedly suffered a smoke inhalation injury.
According to the Los Angeles Times, some guests at the motel climbed to the roof to escape the fire, and apparently one guest jumped from the roof to escape. Due to the speed at which the fire moved through the motel and because of the heat it generated, the Los Angeles Fire Department is investigating the fire as a possible arson. The fire department also said that smoke detectors were quickly overcome by the heat of the fire.
Motel and hotel fires can be particularly dangerous for residents and guests of the hotels and motels. As opposed to a fire in a family’s home, guests and residents of hotels and motels often are not aware of safety procedures and evacuation routes in the hotels and motels. This can lead to much confusion and severe consequences. Also, if smoke detectors are not working properly, guests and residents may not get adequate warning time before the fire reaches their room.
A fire in a hotel or motel can be very dangerous and lead to severe injuries and death. If a hotel or motel does not take adequate safety measures, they may be liable for personal injury or wrongful death damages from a fire. If you or anyone you know is injured or killed in a hotel fire or motel fire, including burn injuries and smoke inhalation injuries, it is important to call a Los Angeles personal injury attorney right away. Our burn injury lawyers handle fire injury, burn injury and smoke inhalation injury cases throughout the greater Los Angeles area and we are available for a free consultation at 1-866-INJURY-2 [1-866-465-8792].