MASSACHUSETTS FIRE & EXPLOSION ACCIDENT LAWYER
Smoke and flame took so much from you.
A fire or explosion injures in seconds and can leave burns, smoke damage, and trauma that take years to heal, and behind most of them is someone’s negligence that should answer for it.
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An explosion accident lawyer finds who is to blame.
A fire or explosion is rarely a pure accident. Behind most of them is a cause that a careful person, company, or utility should have prevented: a gas leak left unaddressed, faulty wiring, a defective heater or appliance, improper storage of flammable materials, a landlord who never installed working smoke detectors, or a contractor who ignored a safety code. Massachusetts knows the toll of these disasters; the 2018 Merrimack Valley gas explosions damaged dozens of homes across Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover and showed how a single failure can devastate an entire community. When a fire or explosion injures you, the legal question is who was responsible, and the answer almost always turns on a cause-and-origin investigation, the specialized analysis that traces a fire back to its source. That evidence, the burn pattern, the failed component, the utility records, the inspection history, can be lost or altered within days, which is why these claims have to be built immediately. Depending on the cause, a claim may rest on ordinary negligence, on product liability against the maker of a defective device, on premises liability against a property owner, or on a utility’s failure. Larson Law handles these claims across Massachusetts. If a fire or explosion hurt you, an explosion accident lawyer can review your situation at no cost.
What our clients say
Fire and blast cases turn on cause and origin.
- We handle fire and explosion injury claims statewide, from building fires and gas blasts to defective-product fires
- We bring in cause-and-origin experts to trace the fire to its true source before the evidence is gone
- We identify every responsible party: a negligent owner, a utility, a contractor, or a product maker
- We pursue the full cost of burn and smoke injuries, including future surgery, scarring, and trauma
- We deal with the insurers directly so a complex fire claim is not undervalued or denied
- No fee unless we win your case
- No upfront costs
- Direct attorney access throughout
- Same-day and hospital visits anywhere in Massachusetts if you cannot travel
$300K+ Won For Clients
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8+ Years of Legal Expertise
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100+ Injured Victims Helped
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Massachusetts law makes negligence pay for a fire.
The many ways fault is proven in a fire case
A fire or explosion claim can rest on several legal theories at once, and identifying the right ones is the heart of the case. Ordinary negligence applies when a person or company created or ignored a fire hazard. Product liability applies when a defective heater, appliance, battery, or wiring caused the fire, and the maker, distributor, or seller can be held responsible. Premises liability applies when a property owner failed to keep the premises safe, including the duty under MGL Ch. 148 Sec. 26F to install and maintain working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. A utility or its contractor may be liable when a gas leak or service failure caused an explosion.
Comparative fault and the filing deadline
Massachusetts follows modified comparative fault under MGL Ch. 231 Sec. 85, so you can recover as long as your share of the fault is not greater than the other side’s, with the award reduced by your percentage. Insurers in fire cases often try to blame the victim for the ignition source to avoid paying. The deadline to file most fire and explosion injury claims is three years from the date of injury under MGL Ch. 260 Sec. 2A, though the practical window to preserve the scene and the failed components is far shorter.
When a public entity or utility is involved
Some fires and explosions trace back to a municipal gas system, a public housing authority, or another government body. A claim involving a public entity is governed by the Massachusetts Tort Claims Act, MGL Ch. 258 Sec. 4, which requires written presentment within two years and limits the damages available. When a fire or explosion takes a life, the family may bring a wrongful death claim under MGL Ch. 229. Each of these paths carries its own deadline, so early legal review is essential.
Fire and explosion injuries strike across Massachusetts.
Where fire and explosion injuries happen in Massachusetts
Fire and explosion injuries strike in every kind of Massachusetts setting: in apartments and multifamily homes where detectors or wiring fail, in restaurants and commercial kitchens, on construction sites where flammable materials are stored, and in the gas distribution systems that run beneath dense Massachusetts cities and towns. The 2018 Merrimack Valley disaster showed how a utility failure can level homes across several communities at once. Wherever it happened, the claim depends on tracing the fire to its source and the source to a responsible party.
Why these cases are won on the evidence
A fire destroys much of its own evidence, which makes the cause-and-origin investigation decisive. Fire marshals, electrical engineers, and origin experts examine burn patterns, failed components, and the scene itself to determine where and how the fire started. Utility and inspection records, product histories, and witness accounts fill in the rest. Because cleanup, repairs, and disposal can erase this evidence within days, securing the scene and the failed parts quickly is one of the most important things a fire and explosion lawyer does.
Where these cases proceed
A Massachusetts fire or explosion claim is filed in the county where the injury occurred, in the District Court for smaller claims or the county Superior Court for larger ones, confirmed from mass.gov. These cases often involve significant damages and multiple defendants, so Superior Court filings are common. Larson Law handles fire and explosion injury claims across all of Massachusetts, and the first review of your claim is always free.
Burn injuries cost far more than the first hospital stay.
What a claim may support depends on the severity of the burn and smoke injuries, the cause of the fire, and who is responsible. Burn injuries are among the most costly in all of personal injury, reaching far past the first hospital stay into surgery, rehabilitation, scarring, and lasting trauma.
Medical Bills and Future Surgery Costs
Lost Wages and Earning Capacity
Pain, Suffering, and Permanent Scarring
Wrongful Death of a Loved One
The first steps after a fire or explosion.
Get care and protect the scene
Get emergency care for any burn or smoke injury right away, and keep every record. Note where the fire started and who saw it happen, because early evidence is what proves the cause and assigns blame.
Talk to a fire and explosion lawyer
Call us or send the form. A fire and explosion accident lawyer will review how it happened, explain what Massachusetts law allows, and map your next steps, completely free of any cost, today, for you.
We prove the cause from here
We bring in cause-and-origin experts, prove who was negligent, deal with the insurer directly, and pursue every part of your claim through to a full and fair resolution, each step of the way, for you.
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Put an explosion accident lawyer on your case.
A fire or explosion claim depends on a cause-and-origin investigation, on evidence that cleanup and repairs can erase within days, and on a filing deadline that does not move. Tell us how the fire or explosion happened and where you are in your recovery, and we will explain what your claim may support and what to do now to protect it. When a fire or explosion takes a life, the surviving family may bring a wrongful death claim under MGL Ch. 229, which carries its own deadline worth securing early. The first review is free, and there is no fee unless we win.
By submitting this form, you acknowledge that doing so does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not include confidential information. Contacting us does not obligate you to retain our services.
Our Clients.
Our Practice Areas.
We handle fire, explosion, and burn injury claims across all of Massachusetts, from the cause-and-origin investigation to the final resolution. Whatever happened, we will tell you where you stand at no cost.
Fire and explosion claim questions, answered here.
What kinds of fires and explosions lead to a claim?
A claim can arise from almost any fire or explosion someone else’s negligence caused: apartment and house fires from faulty wiring or missing detectors, gas explosions, restaurant and commercial fires, construction and industrial blasts, and fires started by defective appliances, heaters, or batteries. The common thread is a cause that a responsible person, company, or utility should have prevented. A cause-and-origin investigation determines whether that is the case.
How do you prove what caused the fire?
Through a cause-and-origin investigation. Fire marshals, electrical engineers, and origin experts examine burn patterns, failed components, and the scene to determine where and how the fire started. Utility records, product histories, inspection reports, and witness accounts complete the picture. Because much of this evidence is destroyed by the fire itself or lost in cleanup, securing the scene and the failed parts quickly is essential to proving the cause.
Who can be held responsible for a fire or explosion?
It depends on the cause. A landlord or property owner may be liable for failing to maintain wiring or detectors required under MGL Ch. 148 Sec. 26F. A manufacturer may be liable for a defective heater, appliance, or battery. A utility or its contractor may be liable for a gas leak or service failure. A business or contractor may be liable for improper storage of flammable materials. Often more than one party shares the blame, and identifying each is part of the case.
My apartment had no working smoke detectors. Does that matter?
Yes, it can be central to the claim. Under MGL Ch. 148 Sec. 26F, property owners must install and maintain working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. When missing or non-functioning detectors allowed a fire to cause injuries that warnings could have prevented, that failure is strong evidence of negligence against the owner. The condition of the detectors at the time of the fire is one of the first things a fire injury claim investigates.
What if a defective product started the fire?
Then a product liability claim may apply. When a defective appliance, heater, lithium-ion battery, electrical component, or wiring caused the fire, the manufacturer, distributor, or seller can be held responsible. Preserving the defective product itself is critical, because it is often the key piece of evidence. These claims can proceed alongside any negligence or premises claim against other responsible parties.
What if I was partly to blame for the fire?
You may still recover. Massachusetts follows modified comparative fault under MGL Ch. 231 Sec. 85, so you can recover as long as your share of the fault is not greater than the other side’s, with the award reduced by your percentage. Insurers in fire cases frequently try to pin the ignition source on the victim. Holding any fault finding to what the cause-and-origin evidence actually shows is part of protecting the claim.
How long do I have to file a fire or explosion claim?
Under MGL Ch. 260 Sec. 2A, the deadline for most Massachusetts fire and explosion injury claims is three years from the date of injury. If a public entity or municipal utility is involved, the Massachusetts Tort Claims Act, MGL Ch. 258 Sec. 4, requires written presentment within two years. The practical window is far shorter, because the scene and the failed components can be cleaned up or discarded within days, so acting quickly protects both the deadline and the evidence.
What is a fire or explosion injury claim worth?
There is no fixed figure. Burn injuries are among the most expensive in personal injury, and what a claim may support depends on the severity of the burns and smoke injuries, the surgeries and rehabilitation required, permanent scarring and disfigurement, lost income, and the trauma involved, along with the available insurance. We do not promise a number; we build the claim so its full value, including future care, is documented and pursued.
Do I have to pay anything upfront?
No. Larson Law handles fire and explosion injury claims on a contingency basis, so there is no upfront cost and no fee unless we win. The first review is free, and you can ask every question before deciding anything. These cases require expert investigation, and we advance those costs, so injured people can pursue a strong claim while focusing on recovery.
What should I do right after a fire or explosion?
Get medical care for any burn, smoke, or blast injury immediately, even if it seems minor, because smoke inhalation and internal injuries can worsen. If you safely can, preserve anything connected to the cause, the appliance, the scene, the area of origin, and avoid discarding it. Photograph the damage and get witness information. Then contact a lawyer quickly, before cleanup or repairs erase the evidence the claim depends on.
Does Larson Law handle fire and explosion cases statewide?
Yes. Larson Law handles fire, explosion, and burn injury claims across all of Massachusetts, in every county. Wherever the fire or explosion happened, reach out by phone, text, or the form on this page at no cost, and we will explain how Massachusetts law applies, who may be responsible, and what your claim may support.
Where are fire and explosion cases filed?
A fire or explosion claim is filed in the county where the injury occurred, in the District Court for smaller claims or the county Superior Court for larger ones, confirmed from mass.gov. Because these cases often involve serious injuries and multiple defendants, Superior Court filings are common. When a fire is fatal, the wrongful death claim under MGL Ch. 229 proceeds through that county’s courts as well.
Results Disclaimer: Past case results, settlements, and verdicts mentioned on this website do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Every case is unique and depends on its own facts and legal issues.