Each year more than 150 people die or are seriously injured when their clothing ignites from even the slightest exposure to household heat sources.
In most cases the clothing they were wearing met the minimal Federal Government’s flammability standards which have been in place for over 50 years. But as early as 1967, US government experts have documented the weakness and inadequacies of the existing Federal Standards for the Flammability of Clothing textiles. The thing that most people don’t know is that, even if the clothing has met the flammability standard, it doesn’t mean that the victim can’t bring suit against the manufacturer.
We represent the family of a 56-year old woman who died a horrific death when her nightgown caught fire and burned her to death. Our client was cooking rice on a stove when she turned around. The sleeve on her nightgown, as well as the area covering her chest, touched the flame on the stove for a brief second. The garment immediately caught fire and burned. She then ran into the shower and turned on the water to douse the flames, but, unfortunately, by then she suffered burns on 80% of her body. Eventually she was taken to a local burn unit where she was placed in a medically induced coma and died approximately a month later.
We have sued both the manufacturer and the importer of the nightgown. The nightgown was designed in the US, but manufactured in Pakistan. Our allegation is that the garment instantly combusted and was designed so as to create a chimney effect causing flames to virtually shoot straight up. We also contend that there were no warnings on the garment about its susceptibility to fire.
It is vitally important that people know their rights and that, should they, or a loved one, sustain serious burns from the faulty design and/or fabrication of their clothing, they seek the legal help of an attorney who is not afraid to hold large manufacturers accountable for their defective products even though they may meet current government standards.
If you or anyone you know, has been seriously injured from faulty clothing, please contact us immediately.
