Common Burn Injuries Around the Holidays
Thanksgiving is nearly here, and not long after millions of Americans will celebrate Christmas, New Year’s Day, and other holidays. While these are usually times of celebration, a holiday party or dinner with family can quickly turn tragic because of a burn injury. The Riverside burn injury attorneys of Heiting and Irwin see a number of different burn injury cases around the holidays, and many of these burn injuries can be prevented.
Common Types of Burns
- Some of the more common types of burns that are seen around the holidays include:
Heat or Thermal Burns: These burns are inflicted due to proximity to a heat source or flame. Standing too close to a fire or space heater, or attempting to hold or move a candle, are just a few of the ways a person can suffer a heat burn. Holding a hot cup of coffee or tea or passing a scalding plate of food can also cause a painful heat burn. - Liquid Burns: Winter is a perfect time for warm drinks like coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. While a warm drink might be comforting, a scalding hot drink can be dangerous. Superheated liquids can cause second- and third-degree burns if they are spilled and come into contact with skin. Similarly, steam from radiators or other sources can also scald the skin and cause serious (and in some cases life-threatening) injuries.
- Electrical Burns: Some individuals enjoy decorating a Christmas tree or their home with decorative lights. These lights can be expensive, which explains why many people reuse their holiday lights from year to year. Over time, the layers that enshroud the wiring for these lights can become frayed and expose the copper or metal wiring underneath. Or, the outlet into which lights are being plugged into may be improperly wired. In either event, a person can easily be electrocuted and suffer serious burns in the process.
What to Do After Being Burned
Your health (and not necessarily your legal rights) should be your first consideration after a burn. If the burn is minor, it may appear as red and painful to the touch – flush this type of burn with cool water and then apply aloe vera or an antibiotic ointment and wrap the wound lightly with dry gauze. If a significant amount of skin is burned, or if the burn appears to be deep (white, dead skin and/or exposed tissue), then you should seek immediate medical attention.
Many burns can be prevented through the exercise of reasonable caution. If you or a loved one suffered a serious burn injury because of a defective product or device, contact the Riverside burn injury firm of Heiting & Irwin as soon as possible. Treating a burn injury can be surprisingly expensive and require a number of procedures and treatments: Our firm can help you in recovering monetary damages to help you address the complications caused by a burn injury. Call our firm at (951) 682-6400, or write to us online for prompt and professional legal counsel and representation.
Photo Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/thebokeeffect/
