Commercial fires may lead to extreme injury for everyone involved, especially when the fire may involve an explosion. Each year, Illinois sees an estimated 3.5 deaths and 15 serious injuries in all types of fires across the state.
If you have serious injuries due to a commercial fire or explosion, working with our experienced Chicago commercial fire and explosion attorney can obtain the compensation you deserve. Contact Zayed Law Offices today to learn more about your rights.
Zayed Law Offices: Help for Chicago Commercial Fire Victims
Since its founding in 2009, Zayed Law Offices has worked to aggressively pursue compensation for the injuries our clients may have sustained in a variety of situations, including commercial fires. We have a unique approach to personal injury law: our lawyers work as trial lawyers, and we work aggressively toward the goal of helping our clients obtain the compensation they deserve for their injuries.
We leave no stone unturned during the claim process.
At Zayed Law Offices, we believe in helping our clients maximize their compensation as much as possible. We do not want to leave any money on the table that our clients could use to better their lives following accidents like commercial fires, which can permanently change the course of their lives.
We start with a comprehensive investigation into the commercial fire's details. What caused the fire? Who bears liability for it? What fire safety steps did the property owner take or ignore in the process?
Our lawyers look for all the details so that we can help our clients put together comprehensive claims that fully reflect the compensation they should expect for their injuries.
We can handle some of the most complex claims in Chicago.
A commercial fire claim can prove incredibly complicated. Not only do you need information about how the fire took place, but you may also need a full evaluation of Chicago fire safety requirements and how the property owner either followed or failed to follow those requirements.
At Zayed Law Offices, we have the resources needed to handle that investigation and to take on some of the biggest corporations in Chicago. We help our clients with comprehensive support as they manage their claims and learn more about their rights.
We make it easy for clients to get in touch with us.
The Chicago office of Zayed Law Offices has a convenient location near Millennium Park. We aim to make it easy for our clients to get to us. Can't come in for a visit in person? We can schedule a virtual appointment that will allow you to share all the relevant information about your claim and learn about your rights, including how much compensation you should reasonably expect after the injuries you sustained in your accident.
At Zayed Law Offices, we start with a free consultation to help us assess your claim and give you a better idea of the compensation you should expect after your commercial fire or explosion injuries. Contact us today to start your consultation.
Compensation After a Chicago Fire or Explosion: What to Expect
As the victim of serious injuries from a fire or explosion, learning how much compensation you can realistically expect for your injuries can make it much easier to manage your finances as you prepare your claim.
At Zayed Law Offices, we cannot guarantee the compensation you will ultimately recover for those injuries. However, we can work with you to break down the damages you suffered because of the fire or explosion and provide you with a full assessment of the compensation you should expect.
Compensation for your fire or explosion injuries may depend on several factors.
- Who caused the fire?
- What fire safety precautions did the building owner or business take?
- What injuries did you sustain because of the fire or explosion?
We can help look at all those critical factors and put them together as part of your injury claim, which can help you interact with the insurance company and learn more about your next steps.
Your Medical Costs
Fires and explosions often cause severe injuries. Not only do you have to deal with the potential cost of burn treatment, which may rise exponentially depending on your burns, but you may also have serious chemical exposure to contend with, smoke inhalation difficulties, and a host of other injuries and medical problems.
At Zayed Law Offices, we will work with you to calculate the full cost of your medical treatment after an explosion or fire, including any long-term treatment costs you may face because of your injuries.
Your Income Losses
Frequently, fire and explosion victims will end up missing out on much-needed income during the recovery process. If you have severe burns, the pain and lack of mobility may prevent you from engaging in normal work tasks or even going to work. You likely cannot work in an environment like a kitchen or warehouse, where you might face extreme heat exposure that could cause additional pain or worsen the extent of your burns.
At Zayed Law Offices, we want to ensure that our clients receive compensation for those losses, so we help calculate the cost of missing income, including the value of vacation time you may have used to help cover your time off.
Your Pain and Suffering
A fire or explosion can prove incredibly traumatic. Many victims suffer from various emotional symptoms related to the incident, including depression, anxiety, or PTSD. Furthermore, you may find yourself dealing with the loss of independence related to severe injuries or struggling with the pain of severe burns.
If you have substantial scarring from the incident, you may find yourself with substantial emotional trauma as you adjust to those scars.
At Zayed Law Offices, we want to help our clients get compensation for more than just the financial difficulties they may have sustained because of the accident. We work with our clients to assess their emotional and financial losses, which can help make it easier for you to rebuild your life after the accident.
Chicago Fires and Explosions: By the Numbers
Structure fires cause approximately 81 percent of fire deaths in Illinois, with 77 percent coming from residential fires. Chicago sees an estimated 3,000 fires, including structure fires, each year.
Commercial fires occur for several reasons. The cause of Chicago structure fires commonly fits into one of these key criteria.
Kitchen Fires/Cooking Equipment
Chicago contains more than 7,300 restaurants. Some of those restaurants may have poor safety precautions, which may increase the risk of kitchen fires. Commercial kitchen equipment requires regular attention to grease buildup to reduce fire risk. Cooking equipment can also lead to serious fires in offices, schools, and healthcare facilities.
Electrical Problems
Electrical issues can cause a fire to spark in the blink of an eye. Old, defective wiring can spark, as can overloaded connections or loose wiring. Many fires begin in commercial facilities because workers do not recognize those problems until they become much more serious. Unfortunately, electrical problems often remain invisible until they cause serious issues.
Improper Disposal of Smoking Materials
Youth tobacco use has reached an all-time low in Chicago. However, many Chicago workers still smoke regularly. Employees who do not take adequate precautions following their smoke breaks can end up improperly disposing of smoking materials. Hiding smoking materials may also increase the risk of a dangerous fire, as in cases where workers smoke in warehouses or on the job instead of smoking in designated areas. Those materials may catch other problems in the area.
Heating Equipment Malfunctions
Most businesses in Chicago require commercial heating equipment to keep those businesses warm during the cold winter. Unfortunately, that heating equipment can malfunction, leading to fires. Overheating can significantly increase the risk of a fire in a Chicago business.
Injuries Caused by Commercial Fires and Explosions in Chicago
Most commonly, fires and explosions cause severe burns.
However, they can also cause:
- Broken bones
- Amputations
- Severe lacerations
- Smoke inhalation damage
Those injuries can lead to substantial, long-term consequences for many victims, who may find themselves fighting to recover as much mobility or strength as possible after an accident.
Fighting the Insurance Company After a Chicago Fire or Explosion
After a serious fire or explosion in Chicago, you may find yourself fighting with the insurance company to get the compensation you deserve for any injuries you sustained in the event.
Insurance companies often have several key worries after a dangerous commercial fire. First, they may have to deal with multiple people, all of whom have serious injuries to mention and immense challenges to deal with. Second, they may want to reduce their compensation to pay those individuals as much as possible. Finally, insurance companies may try to alleviate any potential damage to the company's reputation by the commercial fire or the lack of proper safety precautions.
If you try to deal with the insurance company yourself, you may have to fight for the compensation you deserve. The insurance company may pressure you to accept a low settlement offer, even when you know you deserve more compensation than the insurance company has put on the table. The insurance company may try to avoid admitting liability for the accident. Unfortunately, each interaction with the insurance company could end up filled with traps designed to limit the compensation you can ultimately recover for those injuries.
At Zayed Law Offices, we have the experience and resources necessary to help fight those insurance companies and help you get the compensation you deserve. We fight aggressively to help our clients protect their rights following devastating explosions and injuries.
What to Do After a Chicago Fire or Explosion
After a fire or explosion, you likely sought emergency medical care immediately. That initial trip to a medical care provider can prove essential to your ability to recover full compensation for your injuries, so you should prioritize that visit and care.
Next, follow these steps to protect your right to compensation.
- Contact Zayed Law Offices to discuss your right to compensation and the steps you may need to take next. We can help our clients navigate their interactions with the insurance company in a way that can often help maximize compensation for those injuries.
- Keep up with all your medical appointments and any instructions issued by your medical care provider. Those visits can prove essential to recover reasonable compensation for your injuries. If you do not attend those appointments, the insurance company may claim that you have limited your recovery, and you may not receive compensation for any further perceived limitations caused during your recovery.
- Document your medical care and your recovery. Keep notes about your mental and emotional state and any complications you may experience along the way. That documentation can prove essential to establishing your suffering after the accident.
- Get a copy of the incident report. You may need to provide a report to your lawyer that will lay out the possible causes of the fire. Your lawyer may also look at the fire safety report before the incident since that report may establish what precautions the company took to help prevent fires and protect guests.
- Keep track of all medical expenses, including co-pays and deductibles you may already have paid and any bills coming in. Those costs can help serve as the vital foundation of your claim.
- Do not post on social media about the event or your accident. A commercial fire can become an extremely high-profile claim, and you do not want your posts to muddy the waters or interfere in any way with your ability to recover the full compensation you deserve for those injuries.
We know how complicated a Chicago commercial fire or explosion clam can turn at Zayed Law Offices. We aim to provide our clients with maximum support at every stage of the process so they can increase their odds of recovering that much-needed compensation.
Contact Zayed Law Offices for Help After a Chicago Commercial Fire or Explosion
Commercial fires and explosions can cause severe injuries. You may deserve substantial compensation for your injuries and financial losses. Contact Zayed Law Offices today at (312) 726-1616 for your free consultation.