South Carolina Mother Files Lawsuit Over Fire That Killed Her Son

SCnow.com reports a Lamar, South Carolina mother has filed a lawsuit against several parties, including her landlord and an electric company, over her 11-year-old’s death in a fire two years ago when the family lived in a manufactured home.

The lawsuit claims the home was “sloppily, recklessly and dangerously electrically wired and uninhabitable” as the suit cites several electrical wiring errors.  The lawsuit also claims gross negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress and wrongful death.  Knowledge of the electrical problems and the “defendants’ failure to exercise reasonable care and comply with the law” led to the child’s untimely death.

A fire investigator has testified the fire was a result of faulty wiring in the home’s stove.

The lawsuit alleges the landlord was aware of the electrical hazards and of other recurrent electrical problems at the home, and Carolina Power and Light Company had been given notice and also knew of the problems.

No evidence of a smoke alarm was found in the burned out home.  Not having a smoke alarm in a home being rented by a tenant is a violation of South Carolina law.

The young boy and his dog were inside the rented home when it was engulfed in flames.  They died of smoke inhalation.  His two sisters, ages 7 and 9, were rescued by two men who happened to pass by the home at the time of the fire.

Following the sudden and unnecessary loss of a loved one, families are expected to move quickly to pursue legal action against those responsible.  An experienced attorney is essential to getting the best verdict and settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit.  Contact our experienced attorneys at Munley, Munley, & Cartwright for a free consultation throughout the state of Pennsylvania, by submitting our online form or by calling us.