Heart Attack & Stroke

NYC Attorneys Aiding Firefighters After Sudden Heart Attacks Or Strokes

According to the National Fire Protection Association, sudden cardiac death is the second leading cause of firefighter fatality, accounting for 30 percent of job-related deaths. The physical demands of fighting fires and responding to other emergencies are well known, but what is less widely understood is the toll that unnecessary strain puts on firefighters. By unnecessary strain, we mean the added exertion that is often required due to hazards created by negligent parties. If you or a firefighter you love suffered a cardiac event or stroke while combating a fire, you should seek advice from an experienced firefighter injury attorney. At Barasch & McGarry, we’ve recovered millions of dollars in compensation for our injured clients. We are prepared to put more than 100 years of combined legal experience to work for you.

I want to personally thank you and your whole law firm collectively for the unwavering devotion and professionalism to not only me, but the entire fire dept. family. The compassion and deep concerns I experienced by each and every one of your staff can not measure my sincere appreciation. It rivals the dedication we have of honor and duty.

P.O.
Retired Firefighter

Physically Demanding Job Made Worse By Third-party Negligence

Firefighters must often scale several flights of stairs carrying upwards of 70 pounds of equipment while exposed to intense heat. It’s a demanding job under the best of circumstances, but when a firefighter must deal with unnecessary hazards within the structure, the job can be overwhelming, and the additional stress can cause serious injury or death. A firefighter injured as a result of an exertion has rights:

• General Municipal Law § 205-a — If a landlord or tenant violated the law and that violation directly or indirectly caused a firefighter’s injury, the firefighter can sue for damages. If, for example, an exit was illegally blocked and in removing the obstruction the firefighter put an inordinate amount of strain on his heart, a heart attack could be compensable.
• General Obligations Law § 11-106 — If a landlord or tenant’s negligence results in injury to a firefighter, he or she is entitled to bring a premises liability lawsuit.
• Products Liability — If a defect in the firefighter’s personal protective equipment caused inordinate strain that induced a heart attack, the firefighter may sue under a theory of products liability. This might occur in the case of a defective self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) which deprived the firefighter of supplemental oxygen. If the firefighter had to remove the mask and suffered a heart attack due to carbon monoxide poisoning, the firefighter would have cause to sue the manufacturer of the SCBA.

When you retain our services, we thoroughly investigate the facts of your case to determine whether negligence or a legal violation played a role in your injury. If you have a cause of action, we prosecute your case aggressively to recover the maximum amount of compensation possible.

Consult Our NYC Law Firm If You’ve Suffered A Heart Attack While Fighting A Fire

Firefighting demands physical exertion, but that doesn’t mean that a heart attack is a natural consequence of the job. Let Barasch & McGarry investigate the circumstances of your fire injury to determine if you have the right to be compensated.