Texas Accident & Injury News
Auto accidents can result in serious burns.
(January 4, 2022) New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are by far the worst time of the year for major auto accidents, usually because of drunk driving. This year was no exception. San Antonio Express-News reported an accident on New Year’s Day that resulted in at least two people burning to death after their crashed automobile erupted into flames. The vehicle reportedly swerved across three lanes on I-35 before crashing into a concrete on-ramp pillar and catching fire at 4:30 a.m. on the Northeast side of San Antonio. Burn injuries from auto accidents can be extremely painful and debilitating for their victims and are almost always the result of another party’s negligent actions. Let’s take a look at some ways auto accident victims are burned and the legal recourse available to them.
Did you know?
The American Burn Association (ABA) reports an average of 480,000 people are hospitalized for burn injuries every year.
Fire is Not the Only Reason for Burn Injuries in Auto Accidents
Cars are manufactured in a way to make it difficult for them to erupt into flames, even in an auto accident. Because of this, auto accident fires are relatively rare – a fire was involved in only 0.1% of all traffic accidents in 2010. However, a car does not have to erupt into flames as in the above case for a victim to become severely burned after an auto accident. A victim could receive a severe chemical burn if they or another vehicle was transporting toxic cargo. Additionally, boiling hot water could potentially escape from a radiator damaged in the accident. Contact burns from coming into contact with extremely hot surfaces are another way burn injuries occur in auto accidents.
Determining Negligence
As with any personal injury claim, it is important to determine who the responsible party is to claim damages from. However, especially in cases involving burn injuries and auto accidents, there may be multiple parties responsible. Each case is unique, so in order to determine if there is a negligent party/parties in your case, we encourage you to contact our highly experienced burn injury legal team at Carabin Shaw. Some parties who may potentially be legally responsible for a burn injury in an auto accident include:
- A Negligent Driver – if the cause of the auto accident in which the burn injury was received as a result of another driver’s negligent actions, then they may be held accountable in court.
- The Vehicle Manufacturer – Fuel system integrity is a crucial part of reducing the risk of burn injuries in auto accidents, as reported by the NHTSA. If the burn injury was the result of a manufacturing flaw that exposed the driver to an unnecessary amount of risk, the vehicle manufacturer might be legally responsible for the burn injury.
- Establishments That Sell/Serve Alcohol – If a drunk driver is involved in a burn-injury auto accident, Texas Dram Shop Law allows for establishments that overserve alcohol to be held at least partially responsible for a drunk driver they served. This includes restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and even concert venues.
Burned in a San Antonio Auto Accident?
The Law Office of Carabin Shaw has been representing burn victims in San Antonio and across Texas for thirty years. If you have been severely burned and/or tragically lost a loved one in a San Antonio auto accident, contact our legal team today for a free case evaluation at 800-862-1260. Call lawyers who care. Contact Carabin Shaw today for help with your personal injury or wrongful death claim. We look forward to serving you.