A severe burn injury can cause overwhelming pain and disfigurement requiring a long difficult course of medical treatment, including surgeries and rehabilitation. There are many types of personal injury accidents that can result in devastating burn injuries. This two-part blog article provides information related to personal injury accidents that result in catastrophic burn injuries. The life-altering physical injuries caused by an accident that causes catastrophic burns may be equaled by the extreme psychological challenges of coping with these painful debilitating injuries. More than two and a half million individuals suffer a burn injury annually. Over 600,000 of those burn victims suffer injuries serious enough to need medical treatment, and over 70,000 must be hospitalized.
Common Causes of Serious Burn Injuries in Mississippi
If you suffer a catastrophic burn injury caused by the negligent or reckless conduct of an individual, business or public entity, you may have a right to receive compensation for your injuries. Negligence in its simplest sense is a legal term to describe the failure to exercise reasonably prudent conduct to avoid injury to another. There are many causes of severe burn injuries including the following:
Residential/Commercial Structural Fire: Fires to structures are often caused by substandard construction or faulty wiring that violates building codes and other structural safety standards. Structural fires may also be caused by other forms of negligence including defective or faulty gas lines, faulty wiring, careless smoking, unsupervised fires in fireplaces and a multitude of other factors.
Motor Vehicle Accidents: Anytime you are involved in a motor vehicle collision involving a negligent driver, there is a risk of injury from fire or explosion. Damage to a motor vehicle may cause a gasoline leak, which can ignite and cause horrific burn injuries. If you are involved in a serious motor vehicle accident, it generally is advisable to get everyone away from the vehicles in the case of a fire or explosion. When a collision does cause a fire to ignite under the hood of your vehicle, it can be dangerous to open the hood because the sudden introduction of oxygen may cause the intensity of the fire to surge.
Defective Products: Some products have design or manufacturing defects that may cause a risk of fire. If you are injured in a fire caused by a defective product, you may be able to pursue a product liability lawsuit against anyone in the production or distribution chain for the defective product. There are certain products placed on the market that are known to pose a fire risk if not used properly. A product with such an inherent fire risk must carry adequate warning and instructions for consumers so that unsuspecting consumers are not exposed to injuries in a fire. Many small electrical devices may pose a risk of fire, but common examples include space heaters, portable camping stoves, wood stoves and other propane operated devices.
Industrial Accidents: Many manufacturing and industrial workplaces involve machinery and equipment that may have extremely hot components that can cause severe burns when they make contact with the skin. Industrial burn injuries may also result from Mississippi refinery explosions and other industrial explosions and fires.
Gas Pipeline Explosion: A defective or damaged gas pipeline can cause an explosion or severe fire.
Chemical Burn Injuries: Chemical burns can result in devastating injuries that may go beyond one’s skin and damage bone and muscle tissue. These burns, which may be caused by chemicals in industrial or construction settings, can be particularly dangerous because a burn victim may not be immediately aware that the chemical exposure is causing severe injury until it is too late. While many chemical burns occur in a construction or industrial setting, they may also be caused by exposure to household chemicals.
If you have been involved in a serious tractor-trailer accident in Mississippi, the attorneys at Barrett Law provides a thorough investigation of the facts, extensive legal research, meticulously drafted pleadings and motions as well as compelling courtroom advocacy. At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi. Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.