Citrus Heights, CA- A child and two adults were taken to the hospital with significant injuries after an electrical fire broke out at a Citrus Heights apartment complex on September 9th. Two Citrus Heights police officers also suffered minor injuries. As reported on CBS Sacramento, the cause of the fire was determined to be accidental. Thankfully, five people survived the fire that broke out in the two-story building on Greenback lane.
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District personnel arrived on the scene and saw flames coming from a second-floor apartment. Firefighters searched the complex after they were told people were trapped inside. Metro Fire rescued a child and two adults from a balcony of an adjacent unit after they fled their burning apartment. Two apartments were burned and three other units were ruined by smoke and water with an estimated $200,000 in damages.
Premises Liability in California
Premises liability involves a property owner’s responsibility in maintaining a safe environment for those on the property. If an owner of a premises is to be held liable for an unsafe condition on the property, the plaintiff must prove the following:
- The defendant owned, leased, or controlled the property,
- The defendant was negligent in maintaining the property,
- The plaintiff was harmed, and
- Defendant’s negligence was a substantial factor in causing the plaintiff’s harm.
For a defendant to be found “negligent in the use or maintenance of property”, the plaintiff must show the following:
- A condition on the property creates an unreasonable risk of harm,
- The defendant knew, or through exercising reasonable care should have known about it, and
- The defendant failed to repair the condition, protect against harm from the condition, or give adequate warning of the condition.
Get Help Today
If you are injured on a property, as a result of the owner’s negligence, you may have a claim. If you believe the property owner is liable or at fault for the injuries, you are potentially entitled to compensation for accident related expenses including medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. If you or a loved one has been harmed by a premises owner’s failure to exercise reasonable care in the maintenance of his or her property, contact our office.