Could injured victims pursue a premises liability claim?
A dramatic explosion rocked downtown Los Angeles at around 10 pm on August 21, as smoke and flames shot out of the basement windows of a 19-story building on Wilshire Blvd. Fortunately, only four people were injured in the incident, and only two of these individuals required hospitalization.
The building is believed to have suffered serious structural damage and has been red-tagged by the Los Angeles Department of Building & Safety. As of this writing no one is allowed to enter the building. Authorities are working hard to restore electrical and fire safety systems to the building so that repairs can begin.
Who Is Responsible for the Explosion?
Although the investigation into the cause of the explosion is still ongoing, the Los Angeles Fire Department has announced that they believe a generator malfunction was responsible. This opens up several related questions:
- What exactly caused the malfunction?
- Was the malfunction preventable?
- Who was responsible for maintenance of the generator?
The answers to these questions will determine whether or not it may be possible to seek compensation for losses associated with the alleged malfunction and resulting explosion. For example, if it is determined that a lack of maintenance or some other type of negligence on the part of the building owner or property manager caused the malfunction, they could be held liable via the concept of premises liability.
Who Could Benefit from a Lawsuit?
Though only two individuals were injured in the explosion, they both may have suffered injuries severe enough to justify compensation. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, one female victim was taken to the hospital complaining of a headache, and other male victim was hospitalized with a back injury.
Both head and back injuries have the potential to have serious repercussions on future quality of life. Even if the initial injury was not very expensive to treat, victims may run into significant costs for pain medications, physical therapy, and other types of ongoing care. Victims may also experience changes in personality or cognitive ability in the case of a head injury and mobility in the case of a back injury that could impair their ability to work and justify compensation for lost wages or lost earning potential.
Though we do not know the details of this case, what is certain is that if negligence is confirmed to have caused the explosion, the victims will need an expert personal injury attorney to represent them.
If you have been injured due to a dangerous property condition, you too should seek expert legal advice immediately. Call the Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 now for a free consultation.
