When we buy products from a reputable store, we expect the items to be safe. Furthermore, if there are inherent risks in using the product, a clear warning label should be present on the packaging, and that warning should also be outlined in the operating instructions. Sadly, many products, even those that come from household name brands that we have grown up with, can make it through the manufacturing process with design flaws or critical errors that impact performance and pose hazards and risks to the public. Burn injuries are, unfortunately, all too common in the landscape of product liability law. If you or a loved one suffered a burn from a defective product, call the best burn injury attorney at The Ryan Law Group without delay to protect your legal rights and ensure you get the highest compensation possible for your pain and suffering.
Do I Really Need a Burn Injury Attorney, or can I File A Lawsuit on My Own?
In order for a court to award a burn victim compensation from a product liability case, one must be able to establish where that liability rests within the company that manufactured the faulty product. Just doing this requires a great degree of knowledge within the realm of personal injury law, product liability law, and advanced knowledge of how insurance companies work with their own legal teams to downgrade the severity of the case. In addition, the best burn injury attorney will be able to call in expert witnesses that range from medical professionals to industry-specific engineers to help prove negligence and liability. In some cases, liability can be shared in multiple departments within an organization. For example, some of the negligence might be on the shoulders of the distribution chain, while pockets of liability might be attached to the engineering team. Regardless, a burn injury attorney will need to prove all areas of liability and prove that the company failed to follow the right protocols to ensure that safe products are being sent to market. This is simply too much for someone to handle on their own, and when you work with a burn injury attorney in Los Angeles at The Ryan Law Group, you will be represented by an experienced burn injury lawyer that has more than a decade of experience collecting millions of dollars in settlements for clients.
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What are Some Defective Products that Cause the Most Burns?
There are a number of products that have the capability of burning people due to engineering and design flaws. However, according to 2021 data, these are the leading consumer products responsible for burning people in California:
Kitchen Appliances – Coffee makers, tea kettles, ovens, stoves, broilers, fryers, toasters, and anything capable of generating heat for cooking purposes or for preparing drinks.
Batteries and Battery-Powered Products – Fires started by lithium batteries. In 2020 a fire broke out aboard the dive boat Conception off the coast of California. The fire was caused by a defective lithium battery and as a result 34 people lost their lives.
Electric Blankets – Experts estimate that roughly 5,000 house fires are started every year due to defective electric blankets. In addition, thousands of people suffer from burns every year. When we fall asleep and our bare skin touches the part of the blanket directly over the heating component, painful burns can develop in our sleep. By the time we wake up from the pain, significant nerve damage can be present, as well as permanent scars.
Heaters – Radiators and space heaters are responsible for burning thousands of people each year. In some cases defective space heaters will radiate too much heat than what was intended by the manufacturer, and in other cases products that claim to be “safe to touch when turned on” will be defective and cause painful burns upon contact.
Flammable Clothing – Clothing containing rayon, triacetate and acetate are highly flammable. These components are sometimes blended with cotton and are capable of melting and causing severe burns. Clothing with materials that can melt when exposed to fire should come with warning labels, and if they don’t, the retailer can be held liable for consumer burn injuries.
Cleaning Chemicals – There are a number of household products that can cause chemical burns. These include bleach, ammonia, metal cleaners, battery acid, pool chlorinators, toilet and drain cleaners and tooth-whitening products.
E-Cigarettes and Vaping Devices – Defective vaping devices and e-cigarettes have exploded during use, causing severe burns to consumers.
Mattresses – A mattress must abide by the CPSC’s flammability standard which helps to ensure that the severity of ignited mattress fires from open flame sources is reduced.
Camping Equipment – Portable grills, lanterns, lighters, torches, kettles and other items have been reported to have defects that have severely burned campers who are miles away from hospitals.
Lamps and Lighting – Industrial lights and heat lamps are known for causing burns if the individual is exposed to the radiating heat for a prolonged time. If appropriate warnings or operation use is not made clear, people can experience first or second degree burns.
Keep in mind that anything that runs on electricity or that’s battery-powered has the capacity to cause painful burns if there is a present defect. Not sure what to do if you are injured by a dangerous product that causes burns to your skin? The best burn injury attorney will have experience in dealing with negligent products such as the ones above, and will be able to help you get the highest possible settlement, while ensuring you are not responsible for any of your medical bills.
A Burn Injury Attorney Will Help You Get the Right Medical Treatment, Without Delay
When it comes to treating burns, time is everything. In most cases the damage burns leave behind can be reduced if the injured person is able to get fast medical care, and the right type of burn care. Burn injury attorney Andrew Ryan will ensure that you get your burn injuries treated without delay, by the best doctors.
Burns are classified by degree and are based on the severity and depth of the burn’s penetration. They are as follows:
First Degree Burn – Also known as a superficial burn. A first-degree burn only impacts the outer layer of skin known as the epidermis. When this happens, the skin can turn red and become painful. In rare cases, long-term tissue damage can result from first-degree burns.
Second Degree Burn – Also known as partial thickness burns, 2nd degree burns impact both the epidermis and the lower part of the skin known as the dermis. The burn site will be red, have blisters and swelling is typical. Pain levels are also intensified.
Third Degree Burns – Also known as full-thickness burns, a 3rd degree burn destroys the dermis and epidermis and goes into the subcutaneous tissue. Generally, the burn site will appear to be blackened, charred, or even white.
Fourth Degree Burns – The most severe burn, a 4th degree burn penetrates both layers of the skin including underlying deep tissue, including muscle and bone. The burned areas will have no feeling because the burn destroys the nerve endings.
Depending on the nature of your burn injury, you may need to receive immediate care with special burn creams and bandages to restore skin health and prevent infection. In more severe cases painful skin grafts can be required. The more severe your injuries, the higher your compensation will be, and this is yet another reason why you need a skilled burn injury attorney to defend your case, and ensure you get the right medical care without delay.
Call Burn Injury Attorney Andrew Ryan for a Free Consultation Today!
Burn injuries caused by defective products require a great degree of legal expertise that extends beyond burn injuries occurring from other causes, and within other environments. Proving liability is usually far more complicated, and only an experienced burn injury attorney with a background in product liability law will be able to help you get the highest possible compensation. Call The Ryan Law Group for a free consultation with our compassionate and experienced burn injury attorney, and learn just how much your case is worth and what it will take to get you set up so that you are properly cared for.
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