This weekend, a fire broke out on the 6500 block of Gesner Street in Southwest Philadelphia and tore through seven homes on the block. The fire injured four, displaced forty-two, and claimed the lives of four young children, all under the age of five. This horrific tragedy has the left the city of Philadelphia grieving for the innocent lives of four children and for those who now find themselves homeless.

Philadelphia personal injury attorneys are saddened that even after proper smoke detectors were placed in the home where the fire broke out, a tragedy of this kind took place. Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Derrick Sawyer (who took over for the retired Lloyd Ares in June) commented on the state of equipment in the Gesner street home, saying “We had visited this house just last year, and installed two smoke alarms, two brand-new smoke alarms.” It is unclear if the fire spread because of the alarms’ failure to sound or if other factors lead to the fire’s massive destruction. All that is clear is that four young lives were lost and over 40 are now relying on the Red Cross for financial assistance and shelter.

Personal Injury Attorneys Sue Smoke Detector Manufacturer

Philadelphia personal injury attorneys at Messa & Associates know that tragic fire cases are often times caused by defective or inefficient smoke detectors. Attorneys Tom Sweeney and Joseph Messa secured an eight-figure settlement after a family of seven perished in a fire that spread throughout their mobile home when a smoke detector failed to give timely warning. Messa & Associates has also secured a number of additional multi-million dollar verdicts regarding smoke detectors that did not sound.

Again, it is unclear whether or not a faulty smoke detector caused the spreading of this fire, but once an investigation is completed, we will know what caused this sad and horrible tragedy.

New Jersey and Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorneys

The Philadelphia personal injury attorneys at Messa & Associates are experienced at handling personal injury cases involving serious injuries resulting from, fires, burns and explosions. Our extremely skilled team of personal injury attorneys and medical experts is dedicated to ensuring you receive proper compensation for your personal injuries. If you have been injured in an explosion or fire, or have endured any other type of personal injury, contact the personal injury attorneys of Messa & Associates for a free consultation. Call toll free at 1-877-MessaLaw, or submit a free online inquiry.

***Affected residents can call the Red Cross at 215-299-4889 for help.
***The Red Cross says a community support center at Connell Park at 65th and Elmwood are taking collections for the affected families.