A Monroe fire official says a 76-year-old man has died of burns suffered when his clothes caught fire after he backed his wheelchair into an open flame propane heater during last week’s cold snap. Family members put out the flames and called for help last Friday. The King County medical examiner’s office says the man suffered burns to 40 percent of his body.
He died at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Monroe Fire Department spokeswoman Richelle Risdon says it’s not uncommon to use alternative heat sources during cold winter months but notes that heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire deaths. She says it’s important to keep any flammable material at least three feet away from a heat source. If clothing does catch fire, stop, drop and roll or smother the flames with a towel or blanket.
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A wrongful death in Washinton is one of the toughest cases to settle, but it can be done with help of proper legal counsel. If a member of your family has died due to the recklessness of another there should, at the very minimum, be financial compensation. Here is a priority list of who is to inhearit a Lynnwood wrongful death settlement:
1. Spouse and no parents or children– everything to spouse.
2. Spouse and children - spousetakes the first $50,000 plus ½ of the balance of the estate if thechildren are also the spouse’s. If they are not, spouse only takes ½ of the estate. Remainder is divided equally among the children in the same generation.
3. Spouse and parents (no children) - spouse takes the first$50,000 plus ½ of the balance ofthe estate. Remainder is divided equally among parents.
4. No children but parents –parents share equally.
5. No parents — the parent’s children take all (i.e. brothers and sisters or their descendants). Shares are divided equally among the children in the same generation.
If you are unsure if you have a wrongful death claim we welcome you to schedule an initial consultation at a time and place of your convenience free of charge. Contact our Lynnwood Wrongful Death Law Firm Today.