San Francisco fire injury lawyer

Wildfires: Northern California Fire Injury Lawyer on Liability and Compensation

August 16, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Years ago, if you asked someone to name the biggest meteorological threat facing California, they would probably have answered “earthquakes” without a second thought. In recent years, however, two closely-related threats have risen to the top of the list – drought and wildfire. Given the “wild” moniker, many people assume that they have little or no legal rights when a wildfire causes damage, injury, or loss of life. This is not necessarily true and our California wildfire attorney helps ensure that wildfire injury victims recover money from insurers and, when there is a human cause, from those responsible for the blaze.

Wildfire Roars through Lake County

On Monday, San Jose Mercury News reported on a wildfire that is roaring through parts of Northern California. The Lower Lake Fire, broke out on Saturday and quickly grew to cover 5 square miles, aided by winds, bone-dry vegetation, and soaring temperatures that hindered firefighters’ efforts. After seeming to calm later Saturday, wind gusts kicked up flames again on Sunday and the fire tore into parts of Lower Lake, a town of 1,200 located some 90 miles north of San Francisco. Fire officials compared the blaze to a wave of water pouring over the city. More than 100 homes were destroyed over the weekend and Cal Fire said thousands remain in the threat zone.

Smoke Inhalation: Dangerous and Deadly

July 29, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Many of us recall fire safety education that included the advice that you drop to the floor and crawl in the event of a significant blaze. The reason behind the advice — Smoke inhalation is one of the biggest dangers in any fire and smoke rises. Whether it is a home fire or a wildfire, smoke is always a threat. When a fire is caused or exacerbated by human negligence (or all-out wrongdoing), victims of smoke inhalation in Northern and Central California can count on our San Francisco fire injury law firm for help recovering compensation for their injuries.

Doctors Report on the Danger of Smoke Inhalation from California Wildfires

The dangers of smoke inhalation are becoming far too real for some California residents as our state faces yet another wildfire. ABC7 reports that smoke from the Soberanes Fire in Monterey County has begun drifting north into San Jose and the South Bay area. According to the article, doctors have been seeing an increase in patients complaining of eye and airway irritation as the haze has moved into the area. One asthma specialist explains how the particulate matter in smoke impacts the lungs: “These are the small areas of the lungs, and the particulate matter can actually get down into the small airways of the lung and can cause asthma, mucous overproduction, wheezing, and can even cause decreased oxygenation to the blood.”

San Francisco Injury Lawyer Examines the Danger of Residential Fires

June 3, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

The ability to make and use fire is one of the things that has set the human race apart from other species. We use fire to stay warm, provide light, and cook food. However, fire is strong and when it is out of control it can cause serious injuries or death. When residential fires happen because of human negligence, such as when an apartment is not equipped with working smoke detectors or when a wiring issue causes a home to ignite, our San Francisco fire injury lawyer helps hold those at fault financially accountable.

Home Fire in San Francisco Leaves Man in Critical Condition

Earlier this week, CBS SF reported on a residential fire that left a man in critical condition in San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley. The fire department was called to the first block of Cora Street at 2:10 PM on Tuesday afternoon. Upon arrival, firefighters saw flames and smoke inside a single-family home and there was smoke emanating out of the residence. It was only after they forced their way into the home and began a search that firefighters found a male victim inside. Emergency officials transported the man to the hospital in critical condition.

Propane Fires: Statistics and Prevention Tips from Your Santa Rosa Fire Injury Law Firm

March 2, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Fire is truly one of the most powerful forces on Earth. When controlled, fire can provide heat, light the darkness, and cook our food. When out of control, fire can do extensive damage to property, cause life-altering injuries, and claim lives in a matter of moments. As a Sonoma fire injury law firm, we believe in helping fire victims and also in providing information that can help prevent fires in the first place. Today, we look at the danger of propane fires and propane fire injuries as investigators consider whether propane caused a Petaluma trailer fire that caused both minor injuries and substantial financial loss.

Investigators Eye Propane as Potential Source of Petaluma Fire

According to The Press Democrat, fire struck a travel trailer on Skillman Lane in Petaluma, just west of Petaluma Boulevard North, on Monday night. Officials from the Rancho Adobe Fire Department told reporters that a man was watching television inside the trailer when he realized the structure was on fire. He attempted to extinguish the fire himself and suffered minor facial burns. The blaze caused approximately $8,000 in property damage.

Residential Fires: Causes and Forms of Injury

February 19, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Attorney Gregory Brod is a personal injury lawyer who serves as a fire injury lawyer in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area. Along with his legal team, he works with people injured by fires caused by someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing from fires started by faulty products, fires intentionally set by arsonists, and fires caused/exacerbated by a landlord’s failure to maintain a safe living environment. As we discuss in today’s post, there are a wide range of injuries caused by fires and our team is ready and able to help people facing all forms of residential fire injuries in Northern California.

Sixteen Homeless, One Injured After San Francisco Fire

Last weekend, as reported by ABC7, a three-alarm fire in San Francisco left 16 people without a home and injured one child. Firefighters were called to the North Panhandle building around 8:30 PM on Saturday. An assistant fire chief told reporters that Muni and power lines complicated the fire fight but they were able to contain the blaze in about an hour. A child was cut by glass during the blaze.

Water Heater Fires: A Threat on All Our Minds

August 21, 2015 | Gregory J. Brod

Wildfires continue to dominate the headlines in California and throughout our region. For some, fires are a hard-to-watch story on the news. For others, they are a very present danger, a threat to property and well-being. Some wildfires are sparked by nature, but others are manmade. Our San Francisco fire injury lawyer represents people who are injured or suffer the loss of a relative because of a manmade fire. Attorney Brod and his team also use this blog to provide information that we hope helps prevent future tragedies. Today’s topic is fresh from the headlines — water heater fires.

Water Heater Blamed for Massive Fire

On Wednesday, officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (“Cal Fire”) identified a faulty water heater located in an outbuilding as a significant factor causing one of our region’s massive fires. According to the Napa Valley Register, Cal Fire representatives said the gas water heater sparked one of two fires that eventually became the Rocky Fire. Flammable liquids in the outbuilding caught fire and then the blaze spread to nearby vegetation. The Rocky Fire consumed almost 70,000 acres, caused the evacuation of 13,000 residents, and destroyed 43 homes before it was contained late last week. Officials are still looking into the circumstances surrounding the fire and working to identify the cause of the second fire that became part of the Rocky Fire.