Burn injuries caused by defective products or careless acts often result in victims’ horrific pain and permanent effects. These injuries provide the basis for lawsuits filed by our Philadelphia Burn Injury Lawyers.
Over one million burn injuries serious enough to require medical attention occur every year in the U.S. In each of those years, about 4,500 people die from burns that cover at least 25 percent of their bodies. Another 10,000 die from burn related infections.
Reasonable care for the safety of others and the production of safer products could have prevented many of these burns. Our Philadelphia Burn Injury Lawyers have seen the anguish felt by people who sustain serious burn injuries. Our law firm has fought for the rights of burn injured clients since 1988. We can help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
Someone who wrongfully caused another person’s burn injury may be liable for damages suffered by the victim. These damages may cover:
- costs of long-term care
- reconstructive surgeries
- surgeries to repair contractures
- skin grafting
- other past and future medical expenses
- damages related to limb loss and disfigurement
- in-home care
- physical, emotional, and occupational therapy
- lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- pain and suffering
- lost enjoyment of life
Burn Injury Effects
People often fail to realize the devastating effects a serious burn can have on the human body. In addition to chronic and often unimaginable pain, burn injury victims may experience:
- permanent organ damage
- bacterial infections
- sepsis (leading to shock, organ failure, and death)
- corneal damage
- vision loss
- speech and memory loss
- paralysis near the burn area
- scarring that inhibits movement and fine motor skills
- skin, muscle, and tendon contractures
- amputation
- disfigurement
- bone and joint problems due to joints being pulled out of position
- low blood volume and hypothermia
A person who sustains burns in a fire may also suffer brain damage from smoke inhalation and oxygen deprivation. These cerebral hypoxia or anoxia brain injuries may also occur in people who sustain electrical burns.
Preventable Burn Injuries
Negligent individuals and makers of faulty products can be liable for burn injuries caused by their wrongdoing. These injuries occur in a number of ways:
Burn Injuries from Traffic Accidents
Careless drivers and defective cars can cause traffic accidents that result in serious burn injuries. Distracted driving or faulty brakes or steering systems can cause vehicle crashes with fires or explosions. Fuel tanks in dangerous locations and defective airbags can also cause burn injuries to traffic accident victims.
Burn Injuries Caused by Defective Products
Defects in many other products frequently cause burn injuries in children and in adults. Common examples include:
- defective household and workplace equipment, appliances, and tools
- faulty electrical systems
- products designed with glass or metal surfaces that attract and retain too much heat
- household cleaners with inadequate child protective caps
Burn Injuries Caused by Negligence
Many additional types of negligence can cause burn injuries. Careless behavior in workplace settings leading to fires or electrical accidents often cause burn injuries to workers. Negligence of hospitals or surgery room staff may cause surgical fires causal of patients’ burns. Negligently administered heat or radiation therapy or cancer treatments can also cause burn injuries to patients.
A building owner whose negligence caused a structural fire may be liable for burn injuries sustained by victims in the fire. Daycare centers and staff may be responsible for scalding burns sustained by negligently supervised children. (Scalding burns are the most common burn suffered by children.) Adults who are unable to care for themselves may also sustain scalding burns when someone carelessly leaves boiling water or other hot liquids within their reach.