Fast Moving House Fire Kills Three
Aug 2, 2011
Austin, TX (Law Firm Newswire) August 1, 2011 – Death by fire is a horrible way to die, and this story involves the death of a mother and her two children, horribly burnt in a massive inferno at their home.
“This is a bizarre story that may well involve murder, but there is still not enough evidence to proceed on. A deadly house fire engulfed the residence of a Texarkana woman, while she was home with her two children, an 8-year-old and an 11-year-old. By all reports, the oldest child was pulled out of the fire by grandparents, but the child died or was dead at the scene. The police and fire Marshal will be investigating the situation further,” said Robert W. Lee, a personal injury attorney of The Lee Law Firm in Austin, Texas.
There are rumors swirling that the bodies found in the burnt out shell of the house were already dead prior to the fire, which may also suggest that the fire was set deliberately to obliterate evidence. This will be a tough investigation for authorities as most of the clues, if not all of them, will have gone up in smoke. The coroner will conduct autopsies to determine actual cause of death.
“This case demonstrates another real concern for all of us; home fires. There are far more than we might realize and many of them tend to involve kids and either badly burn them or snuff out their lives. Unfortunately, it’s the children who usually stand to lose the most in a house fire,” Lee said. The frightening thing is that a fire could break out at any time, without warning, and do deadly damage to those in its way. Fire plays no favorites.
“Typically, when there has been a fire like this one, the state fire marshal will be assigned to investigate the fire scene to determine if the fire may have been the result of arson. If the fire marshal rules out arson, their investigation ends. Due to budget constraints, they usually won’t spend tax dollars conducting further investigations to determine the exact cause of the fire. What that means is if the cause of a fire was a defective electrical device, such as a heater or fan, much like the Lasko fans that have been recalled recently, the fire marshal won’t make that determination. They only look for evidence of a crime such as arson,” Lee said.
What does that mean for a family who has lost loved ones? “It means they need to seek experienced legal counsel who can hire a private expert fire investigator to determine the cause and origin of the fire,” said Lee, the Austin personal injury lawyer. While it does shock many fire survivors to know that the fire department will only pursue an investigation if they suspect arson, they still have an alternative route available to them by speaking to skilled legal counsel.
If a fire has destroyed a home, taken a life or lives, and a private fire investigator determines the fire was caused by a faulty product, the family has the right to file a personal injury product liability/wrongful death lawsuit. “If you’re in a situation like this, don’t hesitate to call my office. I have extensive experience handling fire cases and should you choose to hire me, you get effective and aggressive representation to protect you and your legal rights,” Lee said.
To learn more, visit Austin personal injury attorney and http://www.rwleelaw.com.
The Lee Law Firm
11824 Jollyville Road, Suite 302
Austin, Texas 78759
Phone: 512.478.8080
