New Melle, MO (November 12, 2022) – An elderly couple has died as a result of the fire that took place overnight in New Melle. Calls for help came in surrounding a fire incident that took place on November 11.
According to law enforcement, a fire broke out inside a home that was located on Tall Cedar court. A fire at the house, which is located between Highway Z and Highway T, was reported at around 12:40 a.m.
The New Melle Fire Protection District responded to the scene to assist. When firefighters arrived at the home, they located smoke coming out of the roof.
Firefighters were aware that a man and woman, identified as Kenneth and Phyllis Zerr, both aged 84 years old, were trapped inside the structure.
Firefighters entered the structure and attempted to rescue the two victims. However, they were both fatally injured. The two victims were located inside a bathroom at the back of the home deceased.
Firefighters worked extensively to battle the blaze. The St. Charles County Police Department is currently investigating the cause. No other injuries were reported.
Our condolences are with the families of Phyllis and Kenneth Zerr at this time.
Fatal Fire Incidents in Missouri
In 2021, statistics show that the national average was six deaths and 21.7 injuries per 1000 fires reported. Unfortunately, we see people here in the state of Missouri lose their lives as a result of fire incidents. There are many cases where fires are caused by negligence. Some of the most common causes of house fires reported include:
- Heating unit malfunctions
- Electric wiring problems
- Candles
- Household appliances
- Holiday decorations
- Smoking
Following the loss of a loved one, Missouri law allows certain family members to pursue legal action to secure compensation to alleviate some of the damages they face.
In order to file a wrongful death claim, you must be the surviving spouse, child, or parent of the deceased party. If there is no surviving spouse, child, or parent, then the deceased person’s estate may file a wrongful death case.
In order to prove that the other party is responsible for your loved one’s death, you will need to show that they were negligent in some way. Once negligence has been established, you will need to prove that this negligence led directly to your loved one’s death.
Once liability has been established in your legal claim, you will need to demonstrate the damages that you face in order to recover compensation. These could include things like funeral costs, burial fees, lost earnings, and more. In some cases, you are able to recover punitive damages as well.
Wrongful death claims can be complex and emotionally draining. For this reason, it is important that you have a New Melle wrongful death lawyer by your side every step of the way.
Our team at Peterson & Associates, P.C. can help your family pursue legal action after losing a loved one in a house fire. Our team will investigate the incident and gather the strongest evidence on your behalf. Schedule a consultation with our personal injury lawyers today at 816-888-8888 to get started.
Note: Our team of writers utilized secondary sources in the creation of this accident post. For that reason, the specifics regarding this accident have not been independently fact-checked and verified by our writing staff. If you locate any information that is not accurate, please notify us immediately so that we can update the post to reflect the most accurate information available. If you would like the post to be removed from our site, please let us know and we will do our best to remove it completely.
Disclaimer: As a well-respected member of the Kansas City, Missouri business community, Peterson & Associates, P.C. is always looking to increase the safety of and bring overall safety for all Missouri residents. We hope that by bringing awareness to the dangers associated with driving that people will exercise additional caution when operating a motor vehicle and avoid being injured in a serious crash. This post is not intended to be a solicitation for business. This post should not be misconstrued as medical or legal advice. The photos depicted in this post are not representative of the actual accident scene.
