ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Smoke Detector Liability

Hey guys, listen to this story. Something to definitely think about. I went for my Code Refresher last Summer(last available before the deadline,as usual). Been thinking about this a lot.

We had a speaker come in to talk about Smoke Detectors and other fire related issues such as Fire wall Penetrations.

Short story long.......The story goes as this....Joe Sparky does electrical work to include Hard Wired Smokes in single family residence.

Middle of the night they go off. Woman who was on second floor in bed looks around....nothing. Goes to first floor......nothing. They are still going off, so she opens the basement door and she is overcome by smoke and she dies in the fire.

The electrician was found liable.

The reason: He did not "brief" the homeowner that when the smokes activated, you are supposed to leave the house immediately. The instructions with the smokes supposedly address this.

Most of us thought this was common sense, but the guy said it was a true story. God Bless the Lawyers.

I find this story impossible to believe.

Having seen a number of really screwed up court rulings, some by juries, and some bu judges, I find it entirely plausible to believe one or two cases like this really could happen. Others equally stupid really have happened.

How did the courts know, he did not brief her?

She's dead.......

No way is this true. NO WAY!

I agree with Dnkldorf. While I can believe that the courts and juries are stupid enough to make such a ruling, how do they know she went searching around the second floor, and then around the first floor, and then to the basement? And how do they know the electrician didn't brief her? She didn't tell them--she's dead. So the story just isn't credible, as least as it's told.

I go with Dnkldorf too.

Although, in todays world, I would not say it is impossible for a jury to find this way.

GovtVoltage, welcome to the forum.


Roger

[This message has been edited by Roger (edited 03-30-2005).]

I would not be all that surprised if this was true.

Logic has little to do with jury decisions.

Burnt by a hot cup of coffee and win money.

Take a look at some of the cases on this web site.

http://www.power-of-attorneys.com/StupidLawsuit.htm

I can't look at that web site as I will become infuriated. Stuff like that really gets me. Almost as much as a dopey idea like charging you a toll to drive into the City of Boston. No, not a toll on a particular road or bridge (ridiculous enough) a toll to enter the city itself. Friggin brilliant.

Scott, common sense died and rational thinking is in bad shape.

Roger