An Arizona burn injury can be sustained in a multitude of accidents ranging from car crashes to industrial accidents and everything in between, and as experienced attorneys we know that these types of injuries are most often serious, permanent, and costly. Between 2004 and 2006, the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) reported that 2,195 people sustained burn injuries requiring a hospital stay of at least one day or more. According to AZDHS, the average cost of a hospital stay for a burn injury victim in 2006 was more than $10,000, and the cost has gone up substantially over the past six years. Additionally, AZDHS reported that between 1999 and 2009 an average of 46 people died each year as a result of burn injuries sustained in exposure to flames or fire.
What to Do If You’re Involved in an Arizona Burn Injury Accident
If you are injured in an Arizona burn injury accident it may be difficult to think of the steps you should take in order to protect yourself and to ensure your safety. If you are hurt and have sustained burn injuries you should:
- Seek immediate medical attention at the nearest emergency room. Burn injuries are serious and must be treated by a medical professional to ensure that they heal properly and do not become infected.
- Call the police if necessary. If you have been injured by the fault of another person and you suspect negligence or intent to harm you, you may have reason to involve the police.
- Report the incident to the authorities or have a family member report it if you are unable to do so.
Why Call a Personal Injury Attorney to Help With Your Arizona Burn Injury Accident
A serious Arizona burn injury can affect you for the rest of your life, leaving you unable to work and enjoy life in the same ways that you did prior to your accident. An AZ burn injury attorney can help you get the compensation you need to bring as much normalcy back to your life as possible. The Husband and Wife Law Team helps burn injury victims by negotiating medical costs to make care and treatment more affordable as well as coordinating the best care possible for our clients. We work hard to ensure that victims of burn injuries receive adequate compensation to cover lost wages and the loss of earning potential, medical care, personal pain and suffering, and additional life expenses. If you’ve sustained burn injuries in an accident and you have questions, call us today so we can help you.
Decorating for Halloween is a great way to enjoy the holiday, but some Halloween decorations may be fire hazards. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends taking several steps to reduce the risk of fire in your home this October.
Candle Selection
Strategically placed candles create an eerie ambiance, but their flames can start fires if they come into contact with curtains, carpets, furniture, and other objects in the home. Instead of lighting candles, choose flameless candles that are operated by batteries.
Costume Fitting
Believe it or not, the fit of your costume affects more than your appearance. If you or your kids wear loose costumes, the loose costumes can get caught in candle’s flames and start fires. You could also trip over loose clothing and burn yourself on candles. Choose a costume that fits well and does not have dangling sleeves or pant legs.
Costume Materials
Some of the synthetic materials used to make Halloween costumes are not flame-retardant. This means you are at risk if your costume does happen to come into contact with an open flame. When shopping for a Halloween costume, look for labels that say “flame-retardant.” This means that they inhibit the spread of fire and could protect you and your family members from serious injuries.
Even when you take these precautions, it’s possible that a defective product or negligence on the part of someone else will lead to a fire in your home. If this happens, you have the right to collect compensation for your medical expenses, property damage, lost work time, and other factors. The Arizona burn injury lawyers at the Breyer Law Offices, P.C. have a track record of success when it comes to helping those who have been hurt in a fire by a defective product or the negligent actions of others. Call us at (602) 457-6222 to schedule a free and confidential review of your case.
Restaurant workers are at a high risk of burns simply because of the nature of their work.
Every day, workers handle hot plates and work with a number of hot liquids, such as coffee and fryer oil. BurnSurgery.com, an education portal for burn care specialists, has compiled statistics on the different types of burn injuries sustained by restaurant workers.
The most common causes of burn injuries in this field are:
- Hot coffee and water scalds;
- Burns with hot oil;
- Scalds with soups and heated sauces; and
- Flame and steam burns;
Most burns commonly occur at the lower extremities, but burns can also affect the torso, face, and upper extremities. Serious burn injuries cause significant amounts of pain and can lead to shock and infection if not treated immediately. Restaurant managers and workers should take precautions to reduce the risk of burns.
- Adjust burner flames so they only cover the bottom of each pan.
- Do not wear loose clothing when working around machines, ovens, and stove burners.
- Turn pot handles away from burners to prevent the handles from heating up.
- Always use hot pads when moving items from the stove or oven.
- Do not completely fill fryer baskets.
- Avoid leaning over fryers, as hot oil can cause burns.
- Use splash guards on fryers.
- Wear protective clothing when working at a fryer.
- Keep the floors clear of clutter to prevent tripping and falling.
Restaurants have an obligation to protect their workers from burns and other serious injuries. Even when workers follow all safety precautions, they cannot prevent injuries if their employers fail to provide needed safety equipment or repair fryers or stoves that are not working properly. If you suffered a serious burn while working in a restaurant, contact the Arizona burn injury lawyers at The Breyer Law Offices P.C. for help. We will fight to protect your rights and help you get justice. Call us at (602) 457-6222 to discuss your case.
The Arizona Department of Health Services reports that Arizona’s injury rate “exceeds the national average in most major categories.” Although burns rank fifth among all causes of unintentional injury and death in Arizona, they rank third for children ages 1 to 14. Native Americans, rural residents, children, elderly adults and residents living in poverty are at an increased risk of sustaining burn injuries.
Arizona residents should educate themselves about how to prevent some of the most common injuries, particularly burns that occur in the home. Proper prevention tactics can prevent unnecessary deaths and reduce the risk of injuries.
Bathing Children
- Never put a child in a bath without testing the water temperature. Use your wrist to determine if the water is too hot.
- Keep the water heater at 120 degrees F to prevent scalding.
- Install anti-scaled devices in all bathrooms if you have young children.
Flammable Items
- Do not allow children to access lighters, matches, lighter fluid, gasoline and other flammable items.
- Do not leave a burning candle unattended. If you have young children, place burning candles on high shelves or counters.
- Unplug hot hair styling tools when not in use.
Cooking
- Turn pot handles away from the front of the stove.
- Cook on back burners when possible.
- Keep all hot foods away from children by putting them on the backs of counters.
- Keep young children away from the microwave.
- Avoid putting baby bottles in the microwave.
- Test the temperature of all foods before feeding them to children.
Even when you take all of these precautions, you cannot always prevent burns and scalds from occurring. If you purchase a faulty product or have electrical work done by a contractor who does not have the right credentials, you could experience a house fire or other related accidents. If you or a loved one experienced a burn due to someone else’s negligence, contact the Phoenix burn injury attorneys at The Breyer Law Offices P.C. We have a track record of success when it comes to handling fire, smoke and burn cases. For a free consultation, call us at (602) 457-6222.
A man in his 60s suffered multiple burn injuries in a Phoenix house fire that remains under investigation. According to a news report in The Arizona Republic, the house fire occurred near 15th Avenue in Phoenix. The property that burned is a sober living center that houses seven male occupants. The victim of this Phoenix fire sustained second-degree burns on his face, head and hands. It remains unclear how the fire occurred or how it could have been prevented.
Burn injuries often require extensive medical treatments over a prolonged period of time. These medical bills can add up fast. Depending upon the circumstances of the fire, compensation may be available for the victim. In order to determine liability, several issues must be addressed.
How did the fire start? Did the property owner have working fire alarms and fire extinguishers? Was the fire started by someone’s negligence? Did a defective product cause the fire? Did the property owner have sufficient sprinklers in the building? If so, were they in working condition?
Whenever negligence plays a factor in a fire, the negligent party may be held liable for the damages suffered. An experienced Arizona burn injury attorney can review the specifics of a case to determine if a civil lawsuit is a valid option for the victim. In cases where the fire was caused by a defective product, the manufacturer of that product could be held liable as well. Compensation may be available for all losses suffered like hospital bills, time away from work, cost of surgery, pain and suffering and the emotional trauma caused by disfigurement.
The knowledgeable Phoenix personal injury attorneys at The Breyer Law Offices P.C. have a successful track record of representing burn injury victims and their families. If you or a loved one has suffered burn injuries as a result of someone else’s negligence, please contact us at 602-978-6400 for a free and comprehensive consultation.
One person was hospitalized for smoke inhalation following an Arizona apartment fire. According to a news report, the fire accident occurred near Dobson and Ray roads in Chandler. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. Firefighters were able to contain the flames to the one ground floor unit. The three occupants were able to evacuate the building, but one of the residents required hospitalization due to smoke inhalation. Investigators are looking into whether the apartment had working smoke detectors.
Property owners are legally required to provide safe conditions for their tenants and visitors. Providing safe conditions includes repairing damaged steps, cracked floors and broken railings. Property owners also must also ensure that safety devices such as smoke alarms and fire extinguishers are provided and are in working order. When the negligence of a property owner contributes to an injury, they may be held liable for the damages.
House fires can result in serious Arizona burn injuries. The treatment for these painful injuries can be extensive. Recovering damages such as medical bills, surgeries, medication costs and time away from work can be a complicated process. The victims of Arizona fires would be well advised to speak to a skilled attorney regarding their legal options. An experienced attorney will be able to determine the various parties who may be held liable for the injuries suffered.
The Chandler personal injury attorneys of the Breyer Law Offices P.C. handle all types of injury claims including premises liability claim. If you have suffered serious injuries in an Arizona accident caused by someone else’s negligence, please contact our law office at 480-753-4534. We always offer free consultations and comprehensive claim evaluations to injured victims and their families.
Burn injuries can be some of the most painful and life-changing injuries you can suffer. Anytime someone is hurt in a building fire it will be important to determine who may be held liable for the burn injuries. In cases where burn injuries were caused by a negligent property owner, the victims can claim compensation from the at-fault party. However, these cases can get extremely complicated. In many cases, it requires a skilled Phoenix burn injury attorney to determine fault and liability.
Property owners are legally required to provide a reasonable level of care to residents and visitors. Property owners must ensure that a building is up to code and that safety devices such as smoke detectors and sprinklers are not only installed, but are always in working condition. If a property owner fails to install such safety devices or fails to maintain them in working order, they may face an Arizona premises liability lawsuit in the event of a fire that causes serious burn injuries.
In some cases, fire accidents occur due to a defective product. Poorly designed and assembled products like toasters, microwaves, stoves and heaters have been known to cause serious burn injuries. A skilled attorney will work with investigators to prove the product caused the fire, the product was used properly at the time of the incident, and that the product was defective in some way.
Burn injury victims often suffer extensive damage to their skin that requires many repeat hospital visits and expensive cosmetic surgeries. Medical bills and lost wages can add up very quickly in such cases. If you or a loved one has suffered a burn injury as the result of a negligent property owner or defective product manufacturer, please contact the experienced Phoenix personal injury lawyers of The Breyer Law Offices, P.C. Call us today at 602-978-6400 to find out how we can help.
