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Consult a Houston Personal Injury Attorney Today for Burn Injury Cases

Consult a Houston Personal Injury Attorney Today for Burn Injury Cases

Houston Burn Accident Lawyers

Burn injuries result in nearly 4,000 fatalities each year. About half of all burn injuries affect children under 18, who are burned from playing with matches, fireworks, or around stoves, fireplaces or flammable material.

If a serious injury or wrongful death results from the negligent conduct or omission of a responsible party, a Houston personal injury attorney should be consulted to investigate the facts and potential liabilities.

There are four categories of burn injuries based upon the depth of the burn injury:

First Degree – These are superficial burns to the top layer of skin, or epidermis. Sunburn is generally a first degree burn. These usually heal within one week.

Second Degree – These are dermal injuries, or partial thickness injury, as the burn penetrates down to the dermis or second layer of skin. Grafts may need to be performed with the possibility of scarring.

Third Degree – This is also referred to as a full thickness injury. These burns go down to the third layer of skin, or subcutaneous, which includes fat. The burn damages skin follicles, hair and sweat glands. Grafts are necessary with these types of burns.

Fourth Degree – These are full thickness injuries to the underlying muscle. Ligaments and muscle are affected and the burn is life-threatening. Plastic surgery along with skin grafting and other burn therapies are typically required.

Causes

Fires, electrical problems, friction and exposure to ultraviolet light are general causes of burns. Other more specific causes include the following:

  • Cooking equipment
  • Cigarettes and matches
  • Kerosene heaters
  • Fireplaces
  • Flammable chemicals
  • Flammable materials
  • Explosions from gas lines, water heaters or defective wiring

Smoke Inhalation

The leading cause of death in a fire is not from burns but from smoke inhalation. Most people who succumb in a fire do so from inhaling the carbon dioxide, hydrogen cyanide and other poisons generated in a fire. They may also succumb to asphyxiation as a fire in a tight or enclosed area will consume all the oxygen, causing death within minutes.

A consequence of smoke inhalation is permanent lung damage.

Liability

Some burn cases are brought under the laws and rules of premises liability. A property owner who does not provide a smoke alarm or who leaves flammable material in an area may be liable. Faulty wiring in an apartment or office building that causes a fire can subject the owner and vendor responsible for repairing or maintaining it may also face liability.

Construction workers are particularly susceptible since they often work with flammable materials, gas lines, boilers and water heaters, and electrical wiring and equipment. If there was a defect in any of these items from its manufacture or design, or the manufacturer failed to warn of reasonably foreseeable risks in use of these products, the burn victims may have a product liability cause of action.

In any burn case that may have been caused by the negligent conduct of another person or entity, you should immediately contact a Houston personal injury attorney. These cases involve difficult issues of proof that only an experienced and knowledgeable attorney can handle.

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