What To Do For A Scalding Injury?

A scalding injury can cause serious, long-term problems for the injured, often leading to expensive medical bills and lost time at work. With scalding injuries, you can experience second- or third-degree burns, which can require skin grafts and often result in long-term scarring. The elderly and young are especially prone to scalding injuries, as their skin tends to burn more easily than that of other groups. If you have been the victim of a scalding injury related to negligence on the part of another party, it is very important to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer to protect your rights. Here is some important information on scalding injuries, and on what you should do if you have been injured.

Where and why do they occur?

A scalding injury is any burn-related injury caused by hot water or steam. Improperly set or poorly maintained boilers are some of the most common causes of burns due to hot water. Landlords in most areas are required to set their boiler to a safe temperature level, typically 120 degrees Fahrenheit. If the boiler is improperly maintained or set, extremely hot water can come out of faucets and showers, resulting in severe burns for tenants. If you have been injured as a result of landlord boiler negligence, you may have the right to compensation.

Many industrial settings are also high-risk areas for scalding injuries. Whether in kitchens or factories, steam-related burn injuries due to broken valves or poorly maintained equipment can cause serious problems for unsuspecting employees. The resulting burns can leave the employee with large medical bills, and long periods spent out of work. This is another situation in which you may be entitled to compensation.

What should you do if you have been the victim of a scalding injury?

The first thing that you should is seek immediate medical attention. Burns can cause serious short and long term problems, especially if they are not properly treated. With serious burns, there is a high risk of infection, which can lead to long hospital stays and more serious problems than pain and scarring. For legal purposes, it is also important to have a trusted medical opinion to fall back on in describing the nature and severity of the injury. Quick treatment will keep you safe and healthy, along with minimizing some of the risk of future scarring.

After you have had your injuries tended to by a physician, it is a good idea to gather any evidence that might point to negligence on the part of the employer, business, or landlord. The first step is to identify any eye witnesses, if there were any. This serves the two-fold purpose of providing corroboration of your information in a legal setting, and helping you remember what happened in what was probably a painful and chaotic situation. Other key evidence may include any correspondence between you and a landlord or employer relating to the maintenance needs of a scalding risk, and photographs of the area in which you received your injury.

The most important part of the whole process, after obtaining medical care, is to contact an experienced, trustworthy personal injury attorney. A quality personal injury attorney will be able to guide you through the process of gathering any necessary data related to the occurrence of the injury, and to represent you in court to protect your rights. With the right legal counsel, you can be confident that you will receive the compensation you deserve as a result of a scalding injury due to employer, landlord, or business negligence.

Call the Law Offices of Mark E. Weinberger for a free consultation and case review at 516-441-0282.