When a fire occurs in a home, business, or other building, we often rely on smoke detectors to make us aware of its presence. Fires can start unexpectedly from a variety of sources, including electrical malfunctions, overheating equipment, unattended cooking equipment, and cigarette butts. A well placed smoke detector can alert us of a fire long before we may have been able to detect it ourselves. For this reason it is essential to have functioning smoke detectors placed in all residences to keep people safe.

Get to Know Your Detectors

By law, every residential building must be equipped with working smoke alarms. When smoke detectors are not present or fail to function, people are not alerted of an impending threat that could place them in danger. One of the most important safety concerns that you should have as a prospective renter or homeowner is the presence and condition of smoke detectors. Determine how many smoke detectors your residence has and where they are located. If you are renting, find out whether the landlord will check detectors regularly and replace the batteries or if you have to do so yourself.

Checking Your Detectors

To ensure that your smoke detector will work in the case of a fire, check your detectors every month and replace the batteries every six months. Most detectors have a test button, but this really only tells you whether the battery is working, not whether the equipment is properly conducting smoke. To conduct a thorough test, hold a candle up to the detector and allow the smoke to waft towards the detector. If the alarm sounds, your unit is in working order. If it fails to sound with working batteries, replace the detector immediately.

If Your Unit Fails

If you have taken the necessary maintenance steps and your unit fails to work in the event of a fire, you may have a defective unit and the manufacturer may be responsible for any injuries and damages that you sustained from the fire. Likewise, if your landlord agreed to maintain your detectors but failed to do so, he or she may be liable for damages caused by an undetected fire. In either of these cases you may be entitled to compensation for accident.

For More Information

To learn more about fire damage and accident liability, please visit the website of experienced Waukesha personal injury lawyers Habush, Habush & Rottier, S.C. today.