For the last few years, when people heard about wildfires getting out of control and destroying thousands upon thousands of land and acreage, their mind’s eye automatically went to California—and with good reason, too. California has the highest risk of wildfires in the United States. What types of burns are compensation-worthy? With wildfires, aside from property damage, what about burn injuries? What common types of fires exist, what common household items cause them, and how can a Riverside burn injury lawyer help? These critical questions need immediate answers, so read on to discover more.
What Are Burns?
An injury to the skin, known as a burn, comes from excessive heat or other sources. The heat can emanate from thermal, electrical, chemical, or electromagnetic energy sources.
While most burn accidents happen at home, of which 75% of them regarding children are preventable. Older adults experience burn injuries most closely related to smoking and open flames. Scalding is the leading cause of burn injuries in young children.
The five leading types of burns cause the most devastating burn injuries.
Thermal Burns
These burns happen when external heat elements raise the temperature of the skin and its tissue.
Radiation Burns
Prolonged exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays can significantly burn the skin as well.
Chemical Burns
Chemical burns result in the contact between the skin and eyes with strong acids, alkalis, detergents, or solvents.
Electrical Burns
Two forms of electrical current, alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC), can significantly burn the skin.
Friction Burns
Direct damage to skin cells from generated heat, known as the friction, causes burns that may sometimes need medical treatment.
Riverside, California Burn Injury Statistics
From 2010 to 2019, the total number of burn injury incidents in California increased by 2.48%. The total number of burn victims in 2010 equaled 117,859 and rose to 170,103 by 2019, thereby increasing the daily average of burn injury incidents from 322 to 466. Statistics came from burn injury incidents, including:
- Commercial structural fires
- Vehicle fires
- Wildland fires
- Multi-family dwelling fires
- Hazmat incidents
- Other fires
- Residential structural fires
- Traffic collisions
From 2018 to 2019, the number of burn injury incidents rose from 37,185 to 38,607, an increase of 3.82%.
Fire Disasters
Starting with the Girasol Fire on April 9th, 2019, until the Sobrante Fire on November 1st, 2019, California’s Riverside County endured a total of 33 fires and suffered the loss of approximately 7,000 acres of land. Suffice it to say, the worst of these fires within the referenced time frame came on October 10th—the Sandalwood Fire—a calamity so powerful it destroyed an astonishing total of 1,011 acres of land alone. During these stressful and emotional times, seeking legal advice about restitution for victims is paramount.
Common Types of Burn Injuries
Flames and scalding create the most common types of burns—the use of alcohol or the lack of a smoke detector greatly increases the risk of these injuries. The most common burn injury types occur during the winter.
Flame or Fire
Riverside, CA, has a population of 318,678, and burn injuries from this population totaled 44%. Improperly building an outdoor or indoor fire, experiencing cooking complications, problems with fireworks, unattended cigarettes, and many other factors can lead to flames, which lead to fires.
Scalding
Of the said population, scalding ranked second for the highest number of common types of burn injuries, bringing in the total to 33%. Many things cause scalding, such as hot liquid, steam, or scented oils. Scalding is the number one burn injury for children under the age of four. Over 200,000 children are seen in hospitals each year for scalding injuries, 50% of which result from spilled food or drinks. For kids under the age of 17, 250,000 need treatment for scalding on a yearly basis, while 15,000 need to be hospitalized. Unfortunately, approximately 1,100 children do not survive their injuries.
Burns from Other Sources
Direct contact makes up 9% of burn injury cases, while electrical burns make up 4%, chemical burns make up 3%, and other or miscellaneous burns make up the last 7% of injuries.
How a Riverside Burn Injury Lawyer Can Help
The proper Riverside burn injury lawyer can help you with the compensation you may not know you are due. They may also assist you with things like:
- Medical care costs
- Medical care and treatment for future needs
- Lost income and a loss of future income because of long-term recovery due to the burn injury accident
- Loss of property or any property damage
- Non-monetary damages such as emotional distress, trauma, post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD) resulting from the burn incident, pain, as well as suffering, and anxiety
If you need legal advice, have questions, or would like a free consultation, contact TorkLaw today! You will be glad you did!