Practice Areas > Fire

Dealing with fire claims is an area of heavy emphasis for the firm. Christensen & Jensen has handled dozens of high-profile fire cases, from defending clients whose products allegedly caused the fire to pursuing claims against negligent parties. The firm also handles business / insurer and landlord / tenant disputes that often arise after a fire. One would be hard pressed to find anyone who has tried more fire cases than co-chairs Roger P. Christensen and George W. Burbidge.

Christensen & Jensen’s cases have included fires in houses, buildings, restaurants, motor vehicles, manufacturing plants, warehouses, and even a fire station. Fires have been caused by a wide range of sources, from appliances, space heaters, faulty wiring, power line surge, negligent construction, light bulbs and ballast, to overheating of ATV and other motors.

Examples of fire cases defended or pursued by Christensen & Jensen include:

• Multiple homes in subdivision destroyed by brush fire from power line surge
• Death of child resulting from alleged failure of smoke alarm
• Substantial damage claims against U. S. Army from fire caused by machine gun firing practice
• Homeless shelter destroyed by fire of unknown origin
• Fire station burnt down by ATV catching fire
• Campground fire caused by leak from five-million gallon propane storage, causing five deaths and seven catastrophic injuries
• $5 million condominium complex fire
• Major fire in gold refinery allegedly caused by pollution control system
• Airbag manufacturing plant shutdown from fire sparked by burst light bulb
• $1.5 million helicopter destroyed by fire from aviation fuel truck spill
• Multiple cases involving allegedly faulty wiring, including $4.5 million damage to commercial building, destruction of residential houses
• Numerous cases involving motor vehicle fires, including cars, trucks, trailers, and ATVs
• Destruction of large military facility by fire from ignition of polyurethane insulation by welder
• Car rollover fire causing the death of a passenger
• Plumbing company warehouse fire started by adjoining tenant, causing major property damage and environmental hazard issues
• Months-long trial defending claim involving multiple deaths and massive property damage caused by polyurethane foam fire in mine
• Explosion of built-in camping trailer stove allegedly caused by defective design of pilot light
• Catastrophic injuries in mobile home fire caused by gas company employee’s failure to plug gas line
• Contesting and pursuing allegations of arson
• Multiple post-fire disputes with insurers over business interruption losses, amount of loss, timeliness of payments, and related issues
• • Multiple post-fire disputes with insurers over business interruption losses, amount of loss, timeliness of payments, and related issues
• • Numerous cases involving motor vehicle fires, including cars, trucks, trailers, and ATVs