Representative Fire & Explosion Cases in SF Bay Area
The attorneys of Abramson Smith Waldsmith, LLP have represented plaintiffs in nearly every major explosion and fire case in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1975, including the following notable examples:
The Walnut Creek Gas Explosion:
In 2004, a Kinder Morgan high-pressure pipeline transporting gas erupted when accidently struck by a backhoe. The resulting ball of fire exceeded forty feet in height and killed five construction workers. Included among the dead were three welders, all employed by our client’s small welding company. Two other employees were severely injured in the explosion.
Defendants argued plaintiff’s welding equipment ignited the fuel, and thus plaintiff was at least partially at fault for the resulting damages. The attorneys of Abramson Smith Waldsmith, LLP established that the ignition of the gas was unrelated to the welding equipment used at the time of the incident.
The Oakland Hills Firestorm:
The 1991 Oakland hills firestorm was the first major wildland urban interface fire in the Bay Area in modern times. Abramson Smith Waldsmith, LLP obtained a $4.75 million settlement for two plaintiffs who suffered severe burns in the 1991 Oakland hills fire as they attempted to escape the flames. 
The attorneys of Abramson Smith Waldsmith, LLP established that the defendant owners of an apartment complex negligently ignored plans for fire retardant landscaping that were required by the City of Oakland. Instead, the complex left very flammable eucalyptus trees on the premises, which provided fuel for the fire, allowing it to grow and spread.
Plaintiff further alleged that the City of Oakland negligently maintained Charing Cross Road by failing to maintain an adequate fire exit despite numerous previous fires in the area. Abramson Smith Waldsmith, LLP established that this created a dangerous condition of public property.
Bayview Industrial Park Explosion:
Property and businesses were severely damaged when an illegal fireworks factory in a warehouse in an industrial park in San Francisco’s Bayview district, caught fire and exploded. The force of the explosion literally blew the roof off the major warehouse. The attorneys of Abramson Smith Waldsmith, LLP represented several of the businesses damaged by the explosion.
Hunters Point Fire:
The attorneys of Abramson Smith Waldsmith, LLP represented the heirs of two victims who died in a fire in a public housing development in San Franicsco. Plaintiffs established that the absence of proper smoke detectors contributed to the deaths. Further, the polyurethane foam in furnishings accelerated the fire and was toxic. The toxic gases resulting from the burning of the foam contributed to the deaths.
Cathedral Hill Hotel fire:
The inhalation of toxic fumes and smoke from the burning of furnishings (polyurethane foam), wall coverings, and floor coverings, caused serious injury and death during a fire at the Cathedral Hill Hotel in San Francisco. The fire allegedly was started by a Christmas tree. The attorneys of Abramson Smith Waldsmith, LLP reached a highly favorable resolution for a fire victim who was a tenant of the hotel.
Electric Blanket Fire:
Our Client v. Fieldcrest Mills
When a defective electric blanket, manufactured by defendant Fieldcrest Mills, caught fire in the middle of the night, plaintiff suffered second and third degree burns over 70% of her body. Defendant alleged that the fire, which occurred on a school campus, had been arson. Plaintiff successfully argued that the fire was a result of manufacturing and design defects, obtaining a $2.3 million settlement.
If you or someone you know has been injured in the San Bruno explosion and fire, contact Abramson Smith Waldsmith, LLP at 415-421-7995 or Toll-Free 888-745-2988.
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