Rochester, New York, Hot Liquid Burn Injuries

Rochester Hot Liquid Burn Injuries

When Reckless Individuals or Negligent Businesses Fail to Protect You from Hot Fluids, They Put Your Health in Danger. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Navigate the Aftermath of a Life-Changing Hot Liquid Burn Injury.

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While you may not consider purchasing your morning coffee to be the most dangerous part of your commute, scalding beverages and other hot liquids are an often-overlooked source of serious injury. Even innocent mistakes, like someone forgetting to properly secure the lid on a coffee cup, could have devastating consequences.

Unfortunately, these very avoidable accidents happen with alarming regularity. Every year, nearly half a million Americans are forced to seek medical treatment for liquid-related scalds and burns. Although most of these burns are minor, some require emergency care, surgery, and skin grafts. If a burn is serious enough to warrant hospitalization, the costs for individual patients can quickly accrue, eventually totaling in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Although some liquid burn injuries happen alone at home, others are caused by acts of negligence. When another person’s wrongdoing causes you harm, you could be entitled to seek recompense through an insurance settlement or personal injury lawsuit. Since 2005, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has helped Rochester residents and people across New York State successfully fight for their rights. Our award-winning team of attorneys has secured more than $175 million in damages—money our clients have used to clear their medical debt, move past disability, and provide for their loved ones.

If you have been injured by another person’s negligence, you do not have to suffer in silence. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. could help you get the compensation you need and the justice you deserve. Please send us a message online or call us at 585-939-3939 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.

The Most Common Causes Of Liquid Burns

Liquid burns have many potential causes, including but not limited to:

1. Restaurant Accidents: Restaurant guests are at increased risk for liquid burn injuries. While some restaurant accidents are unavoidable, others are caused by negligence. If a restaurant server is careless when serving coffee, for instance, they could injure unsuspecting guests.
2. Improper Safety Procedures: Restaurant workers are also at increased risk for liquid burn injuries. In some instances, these injuries are caused by improper safety procedures. If an employer demands that workers push past their limits and ignore obvious hazards, such as oil-covered stoves and surfaces, they could be held liable for any resulting injuries.
3. Workplace Accidents: Construction contractors and factory workers are often exposed to pressurized liquids, steam-producing machines, and near-boiling industrial fluids. While employees are expected to exercise a reasonable level of awareness when working around dangerous items, businesses also have a legal obligation to ensure that workspaces and sites are free from unexpected obstacles and hazards, such as slippery floors and poorly maintained equipment.
4. Automobile Accidents: The sheer physical force involved in even a low-speed car crash could destroy engine components and other automotive parts, releasing large amounts of dangerously hot fluids.
5. Semi-Truck Crashes: Semi-trucks sometimes carry hazardous cargoes, including oil and combustible industrial goods. If a reckless semi-truck driver causes an accident, their cargo could pose a significant danger to other motorists.

Irrespective of how they happen, liquid burn injuries can inflict incredible pain and suffering. While no amount of money can compensate for irreversible physical injuries, a personal injury award could help you and your loved ones secure high-quality medical treatment and the best available physical rehabilitation services.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. believes that nobody should have to pay the costs of another person’s negligence. We have decades of experience standing up for our clients, both in the negotiating room and in front of a judge and jury. We know the strategies insurance companies use to devalue and deny claims—and how to counter them. Please call us at 585-939-3939 to schedule your free consultation and discuss your potential options for legal relief.

The Liquid Burn Severity Scale

Hot liquid injuries can be just as serious as fire-inflicted burns and are rated on a similar scale. The University of Rochester Medical Center provides the following classifications for different types of burns:

1. First-Degree Burns: A first-degree burn is a superficial injury that only affects the outermost layer of skin, the epidermis. A first-degree burn may be painful to the touch, appearing red, dry, and shiny. Most first-degree burns do not require significant medical intervention.
2. Second-Degree Burns: A second-degree burn involves both the epidermis and part of the lower layer of skin, the dermis. A second-degree burn may blister, turn the skin red, and become swollen and painful.
3. Third-Degree Burns: A third-degree burn is a serious injury that destroys the tissue of the epidermis and dermis, potentially penetrating the innermost layers of skin. A third-degree burn may appear black and charred.
4. Fourth-Degree Burns: A fourth-degree burn goes through both layers of skin, affecting tissue and, in some instances, muscle and bone. Fourth-degree burns destroy nerve endings and usually require long-term medical care.

While hot liquid burns often affect a limited area of the body, they can still cause serious injuries. Depending on the severity of your burn, your doctor may order treatments including:

1. Water-based treatments to stimulate injured tissue;
2. Pain and anxiety medications to help regulate physical discomfort;
3. Burn creams and ointments;
4. Wound dressings;
5. Skin grafts; and
6. Reconstructive plastic surgery.

If you have been seriously injured in a hot liquid accident, you could find yourself facing an increasingly expensive road to recovery, especially if you need skin grafts or plastic surgery. Even if you have a good health insurance policy, you may be forced to pay thousands of dollars out-of-pocket.

You should never have to pay the price for someone else’s mistake. However, securing a fair and equitable settlement after a Rochester hot liquid accident could be difficult. You likely stand your best chance of recovery with a seasoned attorney by your side. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has decades of experience advocating on behalf of burn accident victims and other injury victims. Please send us a message online or call us at 585-939-3939 to schedule your free consultation.

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Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 585-939-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Rochester, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!

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