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Utica Hospital Fire Injures No Workers Or Patients

The laundry room of Faxton St.-Luke’s Hospital, based in Utica, caught fire on Saturday. According to firefighters, the smoldering fire was caused by laundry lint and pipe insulation that had been ignited by sparks created by welding underway to repair a washing machine. The worker was not injured on the job and, fortunately, the fire was extinguished before any hospital patients were injured due to smoke inhalation or burned by flames.

Generally, hospital fires occur in the kitchen and other cooking areas — as many as 1,600 each year. According to the National Fire Protection Association, as many as 52% of hospital blazes arise out of cooking-related activities. Often, this is because there is a heat source, fuel source, and poor supervision.

Very few hospital fires cause fatalities. On average, only one death per year. By comparison, the Centers for Disease Control reports that as many an 99,000 people die each year from infections acquired during a hospital admission.

The trial lawyers at Bottar Law, PLLC, have decades of experience investigating, prosecuting and trying to verdict all types of injury cases, including those involving smoke inhalation and burns due to fires. If you or a loved one were injured in a fire, you and/or your family may be entitled to compensation for lifelong health care, medical expenses, medical bills, loss of income, and pain and suffering.

To discuss your case or concerns with an experienced Central New York hospital negligence attorney, contact Bottar Law, PLLC now at (315) 422-3466, (800) 336-LAWS, or by e-mail at info@bottarleone.com.

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