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Daniel Clarke: Fire Safety Negligence? Fatally Injured in Kittery, ME Hotel Fire.

Daniel Clarke: Fire Safety Negligence? Fatally Injured in Kittery, ME Hotel Fire. (SpectrumLocalNews.com)

Could the death from this hotel fire have been prevented and are justice and compensation available to the victim’s family? Read Our Legal Take below to find out what legal options are available.

Local News

A hotel fire in Kittery, ME Wednesday afternoon, May 17, 2023, tragically claimed one life.

As reported by PressHerald.com, “[t]he fire ripped through [a hotel] on the Route 1 Bypass on May 17. It took hours and crews from 16 departments in Maine and New Hampshire to extinguish the blaze, and more than 24 hours for investigators to locate the victim.”

WMTW.com is reporting, “[t]he office of the chief medical examiner has identified the victim as 57-year-old Daniel Clarke of Manassas, Virginia.”

According tot he report, “Clarke’s body was found after fire crews spent several hours searching through rubble from the massive hotel fire on Route 1. Officials say he was found in the south side of the hotel, an area that had some of the most damage.”

Fire inspectors continue to investigate the cause of the fire.

Is Justice Available? Our Legal Take

FORMER CLIENT: I had lawyers calling me, and friends telling me who I should hire…I trusted in The Murray Law Firm and I’m glad I did.

As authorities continue their investigation, premises liability attorneys with The Murray Law Firm question whether a lack of fire safety measures at the hotel may have contributed to this incident.

  • What fire safety measures, such as working smoke detectors, fire sprinklers and emergency exits, were in place and working at the time of the fire?
  • When was the last fire inspection performed on the property?
  • Were any safety measures added after any previous inspections?
  • Was the property owner aware of any inadequate fire safety measures present prior to the fire?

As details of this fire continue to emerge, The Murray Law Firm suggests that it is possible that the hotel failed to undertake proper safety measures to protect those residents and guests legally on the premises. Under certain State law, the owner and management company of a hotel have a duty to protect residents and to keep the premises safe. If the owner or manager fails in this duty, they may be held civilly liable for any injuries or wrongful deaths that occur as a consequence.  Should the hotel be found at fault, the family of Daniel Clarke may elect to hold the owner and management company civilly liable for their loss and suffering.

As insurance companies and unscrupulous property owners are often concerned with limiting their financial exposure in these incidents, it is crucial that the family of Daniel Clarke retain an experienced premises liability firm as soon as possible to ensure all evidence, such as a faulty fire alarm or a poor evacuation plan, is preserved and the families best interests are protected. The Murray Law Firm has extensive experience in premises liability and apartment negligence cases, such as this, and we offer our legal expertise, if needed.

If anyone has information to share, or if anyone is seeking information regarding this incident, please contact us at 888.842.1616.

OUR RESULTS: OVER $125 MILLION IN VERDICTS AND SETTLEMENTS FOR OUR CLIENTS

The Murray Law Firm has a long history of representing victims of violence and security negligence.  We have obtained over $125 Million in verdicts and settlements for our Clients, including:

  • A $29.25 million dollar verdict for a victim of an unsafe property.
  • Settlement in excess of $10 million dollars for a victim of gun violence at an apartment complex.
  • Settlement in excess of $10 million dollars for a family who lost a loved one to gun violence at a commercial property.

We offer our legal assistance, if desired.  We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover.  Anyone seeking further information or legal representation is encouraged to contact us via e-mail (click here) or by telephone at 888-842-1616. Consultations are free and confidential.

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DISCLAIMERS:  The information contained in this post is from secondary sources and may therefore contain inaccuracies. We will gladly correct or remove this post upon request.  The material contained in this post is not intended to constitute legal advice. As each Client is unique, please contact us for a free consultation on your particular case.  “Contingent attorneys’ fees” refers only to those fees charged by attorneys for their legal services. Such fees are not permitted in all types of cases. Court costs and other additional expenses of legal action usually must be paid by the client.
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