A 50-year-old Alsace Township woman was critically burned while frying eggs in her home earlier this winter, as reported by WFMZ 69 News. Hot oil from the pan splashed onto her skin, causing severe burns, and the woman was transported to a local hospital by ambulance before being airlifted to another hospital for burn treatment. The majority of domestic burns occur in the kitchen, for obvious reasons, and usually burns are not the result of a faulty product. However, this is not always the case.
Products that are Known to Cause Serious Burns
Any household product that uses electricity can cause burns. From kitchen appliances to lights and children’s toys, products that are advertised to the wrong user group, do not have proper warning labels, or are defective in any way should be examined by an attorney when they cause a serious burn to you or your loved one. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issues recalls when enough people are injured by a particular defective object, which happens every day around the country. Common consumer products that can cause burns include:
- Electronic kitchen appliances;
- Gas and electric stoves;
- Kitchen ware, such as pans or pots;
- Electronic devices such as phones, TVs, desk computers, and laptops;
- Faulty wiring of a dwelling;
- Lights fixtures;
- Fire pits and barbecues;
- Children’s toys;
- Fireworks;
- Hairdryers;
- Batteries;
- Space heaters;
- Recreational off road vehicles;
- Electric massagers;
- Heating wraps (for aches and pains);
- Electric blankets; and
- Much more.
Chemical Burns
A chemical burn is a burn caused not by heat, but from the contact or inhalation of a hazardous chemical. If you take a quick look under your kitchen sink, you are likely to find a few, if not half a dozen, dangerous cleaning chemicals that can cause serious burns. Bleach can cause serious burns when it comes into contact with the skin or eyes. Ammonia, which is found in many cleaning products such as glass cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, oven cleaners, and multi-purpose cleaners, can also cause burns and irritation of the skin. When bleach and ammonia are accidentally mixed together, they can produce chloramine vapors, which can cause nausea, headache, edema, seizures, and death if inhaled. If the mixture contains higher amounts of ammonia, the two chemicals can produce liquid hydrazine, which can boil and spray toxic, hot liquid, according to Science ABC. When household cleaners are labeled inaccurately, do not have adequate warning labels, contain too high of a concentration of a hazardous substance, or they contain a substance that is not on the label, serious chemical burns can be caused as a result.
Call One of Our Experienced Personal Injury Attorneys Today For Immediate Help
Burn injuries cause serious pain and suffering, as well as large medical costs. If you were burned by a dangerous consumer product, you may have a strong product liability case on your hands. Call a Philadelphia attorney to find out more about your legal options for compensation. Contact the experienced Philadelphia product liability attorneys with van der Veen, Hartshorn, Levin & Lindheim today to get started on your claim.