Cases involving burn injuries are very serious. Such injuries can happen in New York homes, convalescent facilities or hospitals, businesses or various other types of scenarios. Burn victims can be of any age and many different types of injuries can stem from burns. Even a short period of contact with scalding hot water can produce significant burns on the body or face. These can require immediate and long-term treatment, and some of them may cause chronic health conditions, as well as disfigurement and scarring. A resource from the American Burn Association (ABA) discusses some facts about scalding burns and how they happen. Based on the fact sheet, the following types of people are at higher risk for scalding burns:
• Young children
• Elderly individuals
• Persons with disabilities
The ABA also points to some common conditions and situations where scalding burns may apply, including:
• Serving hot beverages
• Exposure to scalding tap water, often in baths or showers
• In workplace situations with high-temperature water for industrial processes In-depth research also shows higher risk for individuals with low socioeconomic status, possibly in relation to common housing scenarios.
The ABA estimates that tens of thousands of people are treated for burn injuries each year and that up to 15,000 children are hospitalized annually. This resource also provides a variety of tips on scalding water prevention, including precautions and safeguards in cooking areas, as well as common sense testing of bath or shower water.
Risk Factors in Scalding Burn Injuries
When considering a client’s burn injury case, many injury attorneys will seek to learn more about the way in which certain equipment is set up within a home or business. One of the most common issues concerns whether a hot water heater has sensible controls that limit the eventual temperature of tap water. Where these controls are not in place, tap water can become dangerously scalding hot very quickly. New York lawyers might also look at management protocols for boiling water on a stove in an enterprise care environment, such as a residential group home, nursing home or childcare facility. Prevention of burn injuries requires behavioral safety measures, as well as safe and sensible setups of plumbing and heating equipment by contractors. That is why a personal injury attorney who is brought in to look at burn injury situations will likely assess both of these areas of concern to see whether any third parties were responsible for contributing factors. Experienced attorneys do this to effectively represent their clients’ interests in court and try to get injury victims the compensation they will need for the costs of care and recovery. In New York City, the government regulates the maximum heat of tap and bath water in apartment buildings. In and around the five boroughs of New York City, residents who experience burn injuries can call the lawyers at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff. We have won many hot water scald and burn cases and recovered millions of dollars in tax-free settlements for our clients. Our dedicated local legal teams will keep you informed about your case every step of the way and advise you with respect to your legal options for bringing a personal injury case.
