There are obviously countless ways in which to get injured. But a category of injuries that does not receive as much attention and discussion as it should is injuries from burns. While burn injuries are often survivable, they are among the most painful and disfiguring injuries a person can suffer.
Burn injuries are also more common than most people realize. According to estimates by the American Burn Association, there were approximately 450,000 burn injuries that received medical treatment in 2013. Of these victims, about 40,000 were hospitalized.
It should come as little surprise that individuals are most likely to be burned in the home. After examining data on admissions to burn centers between 2003 and 2012, the American Burn Association found that 72 percent of patients had suffered burns at home.
It’s important to note, however, that even if you were burned at home, it may have been due to someone else’s negligence. Common examples include:
- Scalding injuries from a defective water heater
- Burn injuries caused by an defective product that overheated and caught fire
- Contact burns caused by an overheating product that did not catch fire yet was dangerously hot
- Electrical burns caused by faulty wiring in an apartment building or other rented property
- Burns suffered as the result of malfunctioning smoke detectors or fire alarms in a rented property
These are just a few of the many ways that victims can be burned in their own homes as a result of someone else’s negligence. If you or a loved one has been seriously burned and you’d like to pursue legal action, it is important to determine the cause of the burns and who may have been responsible. If you’d like to learn more, please visit the burns page on our website.
Also, please check back later this week as we continue our discussion about burn injuries.