NY Police Officer Survived Fire & Released from Hospital

Police officer injured in fire released from New York hospital

A deadly fire took the life of one New York police officer in April, and it put another one in the hospital. That officer was recently released from Weill Cornell Medical Center. She was proudly wearing her police jacket at the time, though she was riding in a wheelchair and breathing with the assistance of a oxygen tank.

There was much fanfare as she left. Other officers had come, and they clapped and cheered as she left the medical facility. Bagpipes could be heard, playing a song to celebrate her recovery. Also in attendance were both Mayor Bill de Blasio and Bill Bratton, the New York Police commissioner.

The woman, who thanked the crowd as they cheered for her, had fought significant injuries. She was in the hospital for around a month, recovering. When she first got there, she spent an entire four days in a coma.

Back in the beginning of April, when she was first brought to the Weill Cornell burn center, one of the officials would not give her any more than a 50 percent chance to live through the ordeal. Her partner, who also inhaled too much smoke and was overcome while responding to the call, lived for only a few days before passing away.

According to reports, the 16-year-old who decided to start the fire by burning a mattress said that he was feeling bored, which led him to set the blaze in a housing project. That teenager is now waiting for his trial, having been charged with murder.

Anyone who has been injured in a fire needs to know their rights when it comes to negligence and liability. Even if it is clear who started the fire, a case could still have significant grounds for a lawsuit if those who were injured in the fire show that negligence — such as missing or non-functional fire alarms — contributed to the injuries.

Source: Oneida Daily Dispatch, “NYC police officer badly hurt in fire leaves hospital” Verna Dobnik, May. 20, 2014