Burn Injuries and Accidents

A family cookout, a fondue party or a Thanksgiving meal featuring all the trimmings with a turkey or two, fried to perfection. These are lovely outings where family and friends – young and old celebrate and enjoy each other’s company. Unfortunately, they are also frequently the site of burn accidents, usually caused by someone’s failure to use reasonable care in the cooking and/or serving process.

The National Fire Protection Association says two out of every five home fires involve cooking equipment, including fryers, fondue pots or grills. Unattended food accounts for one in three fires, and half of these originate from highly flammable grease, fat or oil. If the remnants aren’t disposed of properly or grease catches fire, the ensuing chaos can lead to containers of oil, hot pans or flaming potholders accidently being dropped, thrown or splattered on nearby family and friends. The results can be life altering.

In the case of a burn, it is vital to remove the source and seek medical attention as soon as possible in order to minimize the injury. Serious burn injuries can originate from a wide variety of sources including:

• Grease/Hot Liquids/Food
• Collisions/Car Accidents
• Chemicals
• Electricity
• Violent Attacks/Acid
• Kitchen Equipment

The onset of burn symptoms are typically immediate resulting in excruciating pain, disfigurement, and/or difficulty breathing. Exposure to chemicals burns often include more subtle internal symptoms that can cause long-term medical issues like emphysema, cancer, or even death.

Burn symptoms can include:

• Uncontrollable pain
• Difficult or shallow breathing
• Burns, blisters or red rash on the skin
• Bright blue or red skin/lips/fingernails
• Fainting
• Shock, clammy skin
• Seizures
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• White or charred skin
• Unconsciousness

In addition to other serious health conditions, burns can leave the victim disfigured, in chronic pain, with contractures and sometimes even require amputations. Whether a medical necessity or for cosmetic benefit it is common for serious burn injuries to require multiple surgeries on the road to recovery. Beyond the obvious physical pain, burn victims and their families are at a heightened risk for emotional pain and mental anguish, including PTSD.

Depending on the circumstances and cause of the burn, you may be entitled to:

• Workers’ compensation benefits
• Personal Injury Protection (PiP) benefits
• Medical payments benefits

Further, you may receive compensation from the at-fault party for your:

• Medical expenses
• Rehabilitation costs
• Lost wages
• Lost earning capacity
• Disfigurement
• Damages
• Pain
• Mental distress and suffering

The parties potentially liable for your injuries and damages could be:

• Homeowner
• Employer
• Contractor
• Product manufacturer
• At-fault driver