The American Burn Association reports over 3,200 smoke inhalation deaths every year. This total includes 2,855 deaths from residential fires, 300 from vehicle crash fires, and 85 from other sources. On average, one fire death occurs every 2 hours and 42 minutes. As these statistics demonstrate, fires can occur at your job, in your home, or on the highway. And while fire is most often the cause of burn injuries; chemicals, hot liquids and high voltage electricity can also cause serious burns.
Burns can be the result of negligence at work or a defect in a product in your home
Burns can be caused by the negligence of others whether the burn occurs at a refinery or home. The fires and explosions resulting in burns can be caused by:
- Release of scalding hot liquids
- Faulty electrical wiring
- Failure to properly assemble or design a product
- Fiery car crash
- 18-wheeler accidents
Burn injuries are considered one of the most painful injuries.
Burn injuries are not limited to the skin and can include injury to the muscle below the skin as well as to the nerve endings, causing extreme pain. Approximately 40,000 people are hospitalized as a result burns each year. Burns can cause a number of life altering injuries including:
- Permanent Scarring
- Contractures
- Need for repeated cosmetic surgery
- Loss of limbs
- Crippling nerve damage
- Wrongful death
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
These injuries can require extended hospital stays and excruciating painful debridement procedures. Leaving the hospital is often only the beginning of the medical care necessary. Burn victims can face years of ongoing care including cosmetic surgeries to address contractures and multiple skin grafts, especially for child victims. In the case of child victims, the children must endure multiple skin grafts over time to adjust to their growing bodies.
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious burn injury, it is crucial that you gain the assistance of a catastrophic injury attorney with the expertise in fires and burn injuries. The Nigam Law Firm is here to help determine the actual cause of the accident and hold the responsible parties accountable.
