Burn injuries can lead to permanent disability.
Woman Sets Fire to Apartment Then Assaults Officer
A 53-year-old woman was arrested and charged with a first-degree felony after setting fire to her apartment and assaulting an officer, according to San Antonio Express-News. For reasons unknown, the woman set fire to a pillowcase in her Forest Oak Apartment, leaving it in the middle of her floor after pouring juice on the flames. She reported the fire to maintenance employees and then walked down the street, where she was stopped by an officer, whom she punched before being arrested. She has been charged with three counts of arson of a habitation since the fire spread to two other apartments. No injuries were reported as a result of the crime.
Did You Know?
1st-degree felonies bear a minimum of five years of prison time and up to $10,000 in fines with no previous criminal record.
Arson Laws in Texas
Fires can start accidentally for numerous reasons, but if someone recklessly starts a fire on purpose, this is known as arson and is a crime in Texas. This crime is typically perpetrated with the intention of damaging property. However, even if the perpetrator does not intend to injure someone with the fire, serious and life-altering injuries can and often do occur as a result of intentional fires.
Arson can simply be the result of reckless endangerment. For example, a person may illegally start a fire to burn vegetation on their property which results in injury or damage to another person’s property. Or the fire can be intended to damage homes, cars, or other buildings and be arson. Either way, the crime is incredibly dangerous and comes with some steep penalties.
Consequences of Arson
Depending on the nature of the crime and the circumstances surrounding the incident, arson can be punishable in the following ways.
- State Jail Felony – this can carry a prison term of anywhere from 180 days to 2 years prison time.
- Third-Degree Felony – this can carry a prison term of 2 to 10 years in prison.
- Second-Degree Felony – this can carry a prison term of 2 to 20 years in prison.
- First-Degree Felony – this is the worst charge arson can get and carries a term of 5 years to life.
All of the above charges can also come with a monetary fine of up to $10,000.
Burn Injuries
Burn injuries can have life-altering consequences for the victims. In fact, fire-related burns (as opposed to chemical and electric burns) are a leading cause of disability in low and middle-income families worldwide. If you or a loved one was burned as a result of an intentional fire, you may be entitled to compensation.
Burn Injury Lawyers in San Antonio
Arson is not a victimless crime – if you or someone you love was burned as a result of an intentional fire, contact the legal experts at the Carabin Shaw law firm. We have thirty years of experience representing burn victims and their families in San Antonio and the surrounding area with their personal injury claims. Contact our team today at 800-862-1260 and receive your free consultation.