Jan. 29, 2015
Dr. Cathy:
My cousin and his new wife who have always been my best friends moved into a new home that they had built from scratch. He recently passed away from smoke inhalation when their house caught on fire. He had come home early from work because he wasn’t feeling well and the house caught on fire when he was asleep.
Even though the firemen were able to get him out before the fire reached him, since a neighbor saw the fire, he still passed away that night in the hospital from smoke inhalation. The fire department eventually ruled it a wiring problem. What exactly does that mean and what else should we be doing to investigate the fire? Seeking Justice in the Carolinas
Dear Seeking Justice:
First of all sorry for your loss. Many times when a house catches on fire, we (fire investigators, the police, media, the community, friends and family) write it off when they say “it was a wiring problem.”
When people pass away in these types of predicaments in used or new homes -- builders and contractors still need to be held liable even if it was a wiring problem.
According to many whistleblowers, builders and contractors are committing fraud by putting up homes without permits and using cheaper materials such as less expensive sheet rock. This could result in easier access for intruders, ceilings caving in on residents, and even house fires so naturally there will be issues with many homes today.
Some builders do not install wiring in metal pipes, which could cause massive fires to spread rapidly. Often people are killed from the fire or smoke inhalation. Families need to be proactive and seriously investigate the causes of all fires and determine if the builders or contractors are at fault.
Families should hire a private investigator to investigate these companies to see what other issues they have had in the past. A lawsuit might need to be filed because accountability has to start somewhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment