The most common place for a burn injury at home
(February 15, 2023) A four-year-old girl was found dead after being trapped in a trailer that erupted into flames on Sunday, February 12, 2023, on the southwest side of Bexar County. The flames also severely burned two residents of the trailer home, as well as a firefighter and sheriff’s deputy, and two other deputies needed to be treated for smoke inhalation after rescue attempts. This tragedy is currently under investigation by the sheriff’s and fire marshal’s offices, and the identity of the young girl has not been released at this time.
Did You Know?
Burn injuries from contact with flames are the most common burn injury, consisting of about 46% of all burn injuries treated in the United States, according to the American Burn Association (ABA).
Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are some of the most painful injuries a person can experience. Unfortunately, burn injuries do not always occur due to a catastrophic event like a house fire. In fact, the most common place for a person to be burned is in their own home, performing common daily tasks like cooking or lighting candles. Burns from scalding water are the second most common type of burn, accounting for roughly 36% of all burns treated in the United States, and can be the result of something as simple as spilling a hot drink. With an estimated 450,000 people affected by burn injuries every year in America, it’s important to understand that a severe burn injury could be something the victim never recovers from. Burn injuries range in severity between 1st and 3rd degree.
- 1st degree – this minor burn only affects the outermost layer of the skin, the epidermis. They are usually light red in color and can be mild to extremely painful.
- 2nd degree – these burns affect a deeper layer of the skin underneath the epidermis, known as the dermis. They can be darker red or white and splotchy and cause extreme pain. They may also swell and develop blisters. There is a type of 2nd-degree burn known as “full thickness,” which penetrates deep into the dermis and forms a dry layer of skin and is usually white in color. These are usually from explosions.
- 3rd degree – these burns affect beyond the dermis and into the fatty layer beneath it. Although these are the most severe type of burn, they can sometimes not cause pain due to nerve damage creating numbness in the affected area. The burn may be black, brown, or white and cause a leathery look to the skin.
This information is not intended to diagnose an injury. If you have been burned, please see a medical professional as soon as possible.
Burn Injury Lawyers in San Antonio
If you or a loved one have suffered a severe burn injury at work, school, or at home, it may be the result of another party’s negligent actions. Oftentimes, burns at home are the result of faulty electrical equipment or poorly designed appliances. Chemical burns from improper use of cleaning solutions at work or school can leave you or your child with severe inhalation burns, which are not always immediately noticeable. Additionally, workers are often exposed to dangerous electrical equipment while working in construction or while installing in-home appliances.
Contact Carabin Shaw today at 800-862-1260 for a free consultation to find out if you deserve compensation for your burn injury in San Antonio. We look forward to serving you.