Residential Structure Fires – Fires in Homes, Apartments, Dormitories and Other Living Spaces

While fire safety measures like smoke detectors, overhead sprinklers and fire stairwells have gone far in reducing deaths and injuries from fires in residential buildings, poor building management, non-compliance with fire codes and improper action from emergency response personnel can still place lives at risk.

Home and Dwelling Space Fires

Residential house fires account for 81% of fire-related deaths and 79% of injuries in the U.S. (Data from 2006, the latest year with available data). For a ten year period beginning in 1997, an average of over 3,000 civilians were killed and another 15,340 were injured annually as the result of residential structure fires.

Residential structures fires encompass fires that occur in places where people live such as one- and two-family dwellings (including manufactured homes), apartments, hotels, motels, college dormitories and boarding houses.

The U.S. Government's Fire Safety website offers information on safety, smoke alarms, escape planning and what you can do after a fire, as well as statistical information on fire fatalities and injuries. They also provide information and educational resources for children.

On average in the United States in 2006, someone died in a fire about every 162 minutes, and someone was injured every 32 minutes (Karter 2007).
Four out of five U.S. fire deaths in 2006 occurred in homes (Karter 2007).
In 2006, fire departments responded to 412,500 home fires in the United States, which claimed the lives of 2,620 people (not including firefighters) and injured another 12,925, not including firefighters (Karter 2007).
Most victims of fires die from smoke inhalation and not from burns (Hall 2002).

Fire Injury Information

Our Promise

Our lawyers have years of experience successfully representing clients in personal injury cases.
There is no charge or obligation for our review of your case.
In death and serious injury cases, we are pleased to visit you where you live, at no cost, to discuss your legal rights and answer your questions.
We have retained product safety and medical experts nationwide to assist our clients with their claims.

Fires started by lighted tobacco products, principally cigarettes, constitute the leading cause of residential fire deaths. (USFA 2006)
Cooking equipment, most often a range or stovetop, is the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. (USFA 2007).

Contact Personal Injury Attorney | Lawyer

If you have been injured in a fire, please click here to contact an experienced personal injury attorney at Lieff Cabraser for a free, no obligation review of your case.

About Lieff Cabraser

Founded in 1972, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP is an over fifty attorney law firm with offices in San Francisco, New York and Nashville. For the last six years, the National Law Journal has recognized Lieff Cabraser as one of the top 20 plaintiff law firms in America.

For our personal injury cases, we bring a team of experienced lawyers. Each client is assigned an individual lawyer. In addition, we have on staff multiple nurses, legal assistants, scientific analysts and case clerks to assist the attorneys. To learn more about our firm, click here.

Trademark Notice: Personal Injury Lawyer America is an electronic newsletter from Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP. Lieff Cabraser represents clients in a wide range of cases, including personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Our personal injury attorneys | lawyers are committed to providing the very best representation and support possible for our clients. This website provides information on the legal rights of the injured and the latest news on product defects and related lawsuits.

     Lieff Cabraser is not affiliated in any way with any trademark owner. The use of any trademarks on this site is for product identification and information purposes only.
     About Lieff Cabraser: We have offices in San Francisco, New York and Nashville. Our lawyers have represented clients in personal injury, wrongful death and rollover crashes and product defect lawsuits across America, including residents of Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.
     Among the cases our personal injury attorneys are prosecuting are the Medtronic heart lead recall, the AMO contact lens solution recall, the Peter Pan peanut butter recall, Guidant pacemaker defects, SUV rollover accidents, popcorn workers lung injuries, and Ford switch fires.
     Disclaimer: The hiring of legal professionals is an important decision that should not be based on advertising alone. Please read our disclaimer.

Information Network: Guidant, Ortho Evra,
Car Accidents, Aviation Law, 15-Passenger
Van Accidents, SUV Rollover Crashes
Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP