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What Are the Most Common Causes of Burn Injuries?

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What Are the Most Common Causes of Burn Injuries?

If you’ve ever gotten too close to a hot stove, you know how painful a burn injury can be. Burn injuries come from several sources, including heat, chemicals, electricity, sunlight, and radiation. Still, being around heat, chemicals, or even the sun is not enough to cause a burn injury. Usually, burn injuries involve some type of negligence or carelessness.

Burns in the Home and Workplace

According to the World Health Organization, burns occur mainly in the home and workplace. Some of the most common causes of burn injuries include cooking and hot liquids, house fires, and occupations that increase exposure to fire, chemicals, and electrical hazards. Within the workplace, many burn injuries are the result of inadequate safety precautions. Defective products can also cause burn injuries at home or work. For instance, consider a sink that runs too hot, a space heater that catches fire, an electrical device that short-circuits, or an oven or stove that fails to keep heat and flames contained.

Burn Injuries Are Preventable

Everyone has a responsibility to reduce the risk of accidental fires and burn injuries. Landlords and property owners must install smoke detectors and fire extinguishers; employers and business owners must establish and implement safety protocol, and manufacturers must adhere to federal flammability regulations when creating products. If you suffer a burn injury because someone else failed to take the appropriate care, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other accident-related expenses.

Some examples of preventable burn injuries that may justify legal action include:

  • Scalds from hot coffee at a restaurant
  • Chemicals without warning labels
  • House/apartment fires in homes without smoke alarms or fire extinguishers
  • Thermal burns from defective stoves
  • Electrocutions from faulty wiring
  • Working in the sun without access to shade, sunscreen, etc.
  • Injuries that occur in car, truck, or motorcycle accidents

Children are especially susceptible to burn injuries, so always supervise your children around heat and chemicals. If your children get burned while they are at school or under another adult’s supervision, you may want to speak to an attorney.

Recovering From a Burn Injury

Depending on the severity of your burn, you may experience swelling, blistering, scarring, and body-wide problems such as shock. To recover from a serious burn injury, you will need medical care, which may include skin grafts and other surgeries, and plenty of time to rest.

Medical bills can add up quickly, and you may be unable to return to work. Filing a lawsuit can help you access the resources you need and take the time you need to recover.

The Law Offices of Charles R. Gueli has over 2 decades of legal experience, and we are ready to put it on your side. Don’t face the aftermath of your accident alone.

Instead, call us at (516) 628-6402 or contact us online for a free consultation – we are available 24/7 to take your call.
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