Moving Through Your Personal Injury Journey

Homeowners often use space heaters to give them more control over the heating of their homes. But space heaters can be dangerous when they overheat. They're especially likely to cause fires when they tilt over. If your home has recently caught fire due to a defective space heater, you might be entitled to compensation for your sustained burn injuries.

Space Heaters are Dangerous

A space heater is a portable heater powered by electricity that you can place anywhere. When it falls over, it tends to overheat and cause fires.

The space heater should have a safety feature that causes it to shut off whenever it tilts over or when a sensor detects it's about to overheat. If your space heater does not have this safety feature or the safety feature fails, you could consider the product manufacturer liable under strict liability laws. 

Product Liability

To hold the manufacturer of the space heater liable, you must first prove that you were using the product as intended and followed all safety instructions. You must verify that the product had a manufacturing defect and that the product caused you to suffer burn injuries. You must also prove the product was defective when you returned from the store.

What to Do After a Fire

If there is still a risk of a fire, leave your home quickly and contact the fire department. After the fire, you must seek medical attention as soon as possible. Burn injuries worsen if a doctor does not treat them as quickly as possible. 

How a Personal Injury Attorney Can Help

After being treated for your burn injuries, speak with a personal injury attorney about how to build a legal case. They will be able to inform you about your legal rights and your options when seeking compensation for your burn injuries.

Taking Legal Action

Your attorney will help you go after the correct party. The individual who designed the space heater might be at fault for your injuries, or it might be the business that sold you the space heater. There might be other parties who are at fault.

For example, if your fire occurred in an apartment and the state of the apartment contributed to the accident, you may also hold the apartment liable. Your attorney will assist you in thoroughly investigating the accident, what caused it, and the injuries you have suffered so they can then negotiate a fair settlement. 

Contact a law firm like Borbi, Clancy & Patrizi, LLC to learn more.