Cambridge Man Killed in Fire – 1st Fatality of the Year

At around 12:30 a.m. on November 13, 2012, 57-year-old Thomas Hunt was killed in a fire in his third-floor condo unit in Cambridge’s Wellington-Harrington neighborhood.

The cause of the fire and the cause of Hunt’s death are unknown and under investigation by Cambridge fire officials, the Massachusetts Fire Marshal’s office, and the Massachusetts Medical Examiner’s office. The residents from the lower two floors of the 3-story building were fortunate enough to escape uninjured, according to officials. Hunt was the only resident of the apartment at 294 Columbia Street, where his body was found in the front room of the unit, which is also where the fire was the heaviest, according to firefighters.
Residence fires unfortunately are a fact of life. Although we hope of course that we and our loved ones will not be involved in any fire incidents at home, it is important to understand your rights should such a fire occur. Proper investigations will focus on the existence, placement, and operation of smoke and fire detectors; access to emergency exit routes; and other related potential building code violations. The first step is knowing whether or not you even have grounds to file a claim for your injuries. The accident scene should be investigated, coordinated (when necessary) with a proper team of professionals and experts, examining all evidence relating to the cause of the fire.
If you or a family member have suffered significant burn injuries as the result of a fire, or if a loved one has suffered a wrongful death as the result of burn injuries, please contact one of our personal injury attorney at Swartz & Swartz, P.C.. You can call us at (617) 742-1900, or if you are outside the Boston area, call toll-free at 1-800-545-3732. We are here to answer your questions and discuss how to protect your legal rights.