Having the right smoke detector in your home is the key to surviving a fire. The two most common smoke detectors are ionization and photoelectric. The biggest mistake you can make in your home is installing ionization smoke detectors rather than photoelectric. 

Ionization smoke detectors have two plates that create an electric current when smoke enters the chamber. The issue with having ionization smoke detectors in the home is the amount of time it takes for smoke to enter the chamber.

Photoelectric smoke detectors detect smoke much quicker than ionization even with slow-moving fires by using a light source that senses smoke rather than waiting for the smoke to enter the chamber of the detector.

House fires almost always start with smoldering and continue as a slow-moving fire. It could take up to 45 minutes for an ionization detector to detect the smoke and produce the alarm. By the time the alarm begins, a home can already be too filled with smoke or engulfed in flames to escape.  

We have reason to believe that the fatalities from the fire that occurred in the Fairmount neighborhood in the morning of January 5th, 2022 that claimed the lives of seven children was the result of using ionization smoke detectors.

Messa & Associates is experienced in defective smoke detector cases and unfortunately, this is not the first time we have seen fatalities due to ionization smoke detectors. 

We are currently handling a case that involves a house fire caused by a space heater. The fire occurred when the family was asleep and the ionization smoke detectors never sounded causing two of the children in the home to not escape in time.

Messa & Associates urges you to check the fire detectors in your home and replace any ionization detectors with photoelectric. We handle many cases involving defective smoke detectors that end in fatalities or burn injuries.

Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers at Messa & Associates, P.C. Experienced in Defective Smoke Detector Cases

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.

The Philadelphia personal injury lawyers 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 lawyers 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.