With the summer upon us, the likelihood of accidental burns increases dramatically. Sadly, many of these burns are the result of negligence, people choosing to be careless with dangerous items and substances that can inflict burns on the unwary. But how exactly can negligent behavior result in burn injuries, and what should you do if it happens to you?
What Are Burn Injuries?
Burn injuries are essentially what they sound like: injuries caused by exposure to fire, intense heat, or caustic substances that can damage the flesh. These range from relatively minor burns that can heal with minimal treatment, to more serious injuries that may require surgery and other forms of emergency intervention. In the most extreme circumstances, burns can result in permanent damage with long-term consequences for a person’s health.
What Can Cause Burn Injuries?
The most obvious source of burn injuries, obviously, comes from fire, especially cooking fires. However, other sources of intense heat, such as hot metal or overheated electronics, can also cause burns. There are also a variety of other causes of burns that do not directly have anything to do with heat: radiation burns from overexposure in a tanning bed, electric burns from contact with an exposed electrical circuit, or chemical burns from acid or certain cleaning chemicals.
How Does Negligence Increase the Risk of Burns?
Generally speaking, most types of burns can be avoided through careful management of fire and other sources of intense heat, as well as from taking care with other burn hazards like damaged electronics or caustic chemicals. However, people may become careless, failing to take appropriate measures to ensure that fires remain contained and other sources of burn injuries are handled appropriately. When this happens, they put themselves and others at an increased risk of being burned.
What Should You Do?
If you or someone you love has suffered a burn injury due to someone else’s negligence, your first priority should be to seek immediate medical attention. After that, you should speak to a lawyer with experience handling personal injury matters. They can help you evaluate your potential legal options and ensure you get the compensation you deserve for the harm you have suffered.
For more than 50 years, the New York lawyers at Elovich and Adell have represented clients like you in personal injury cases. Our attorneys, conveniently located in Long Beach, handle personal injury, real estate, commercial transactions, criminal defense, and labor and employment claims all across New York State. For a consultation, please call us at 516-432-6263 or visit our contact page for more information.
