There are many differing degrees and causes of burn injuries. According to healthcare.utah.edu, the leading causes of accidental injury at home include burns, making “burns and fires the fifth most common cause of accidental death in children and adults.”

No person is exempt from the chance of incurring a burn injury and it is in your best interest to understand the severity and the causes so you can prevent you, your loved ones and those around you from being the victim of a burn injury.
The Severity of Burn Injuries

First-degree burns are when only the top layer of skin is involved. “The skin is red, painful and dry, but usually heals on its own without scarring within a week,” (burninjuryonline.com). “Long-term, chronic pain may result even after the redness and swelling have subsided.

Second-degree burns are sometimes called partial-thickness burns. They “involve the top layers of skin. It is red and blisters and may weep clear fluid.” Second-degree burns usually heal in anywhere from three to four weeks. These burns can sometimes result in a scar.”

Third-degree burns are the most severe. They are also called full-thickness burns. They “destroy all layers of skin and can penetrate the underlying fat, muscle, bone and nerve structures. They appear brown or black with underlying tissues appearing white.” Third-degree burns are more likely to leave disfiguring scars. They involve ongoing treatments like therapy, vocational rehabilitation, plastic surgery and sometimes skin grafts.

Some of the most common causes of burn injuries include: heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation or friction, (healthcare.utah.edu).

Awareness and caution are key in preventing you or a loved one from becoming another victim of a burn injury. If you are a victim of a burn injury Utah, the burn injury attorneys at Christensen Law Firm can help. Call us today at 801-506-0800 to find out what options are available to you.

Summer connotes fire. What most people wouldn’t guess is that a study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found that the winter season increases the number of children who suffer from burn-related injuries.

Burnsurvivor.com says, “burn injuries have reached epidemic proportions in recent years and are considered a health care problem which is more serious than the polio epidemic at its peak.”

Fortunately at least 50% of all burn accidents are preventable.

There are many different causes of burn injuries. They include but are not limited to: electrocution burns, building fires, thermal burns, chemical burns, smoke/heat inhalation, gas explosions, fume ignition, gasoline spills and water heater fires.

There are about 2.4 million burn injuries per year in the United States and that only includes the injuries reported. There are many more injuries that go unreported. 8,000-12,000 of these people dies from their injuries, which make burn injuries the second cause of accidental death in the United States (behind car crashes).

Children newborn to two-years-old and senior citizens aged 75 and above are most likely to sustain burn injuries in the kitchen while persons aged 5 to 74 are more likely to sustain burn injuries outdoors.

Burns are also one of the most expensive injuries to treat. According to Burnsurvivor.com “a burn of 30% of total body area can cost as much as $200,000 in initial hospitalization costs and physician fees.”

Awareness and caution are key in preventing you or a loved one from becoming another victim of a burn injury. If you are injured in a burn accident the attorneys at Christensen Law Firm can help. Call us today at 801-506-0800 to find out what options are available to you.

McDonalds, hot coffee, is it a legitimate personal injury case? The case was decided nearly two decades ago, but people still talk about it, especially when they are talking about “crazy lawsuits.” Or at least people think about this case every time they are in a McDonald’s drive-thru.

But, there’s a story behind the case of the hot, hot coffee.

Keep smiling because it’s actually really interesting. Take notes and impress your friends and family at the next gathering.

The victim was a 79-year-old woman who was a passenger in her grandson’s car. She ordered a cup of coffee for 49 cents which was served to her in a Styrofoam cup. The grandson stopped the car to allow his grandmother to add cream and sugar to the coffee. She held onto the cup between her legs, trying to remove the lid. Unfortunately, during the process, the entire contents spilled onto her lap, burning her.

She was burned over 6 percent of her body and hospitalized for eight days while the doctors skin grafted her groin area with new skin. After this process, she asked McDonald’s for $20,000 to settle her claim. McDonalds refused.

The case went to trial and McDonalds had to admit that between 1982 and 1992 there were more than 700 similar claims for burns, some even third-degree burns. McDonalds did not act and refused to change anything.

McDonalds served its coffee at 180-190 degrees to “maintain taste” but they never considered the safety ramifications of serving coffee that hot, even knowing that anything between 180-190 degrees would cause third degree burns in two to seven seconds.

McDonalds admitted that anything served over 140 degrees would cause burns and was not fit for consumption, which should have been a concern to an establishment that served food, but they decided to keep the temperature 50 degrees hotter regardless. Though they argued that customers bought hot coffee to enjoy later, for example, at work, their own research showed that customers tried to consume the coffee as soon as they got it. Well, at least they tried once. And probably not again.

And yes, the victim was awarded $2.86 million but McDonalds appealed, the two sides settled, and a final amount remains confidential.

As for the original award of $2.86 million, it is believed that the jury came up with that number from the victim’s attorney who asked for what McDonalds made only in coffee sales for one or two days. That number in 1994? $1.35 million per day.

Some people may continue to look at this case as ‘crazy’ or ‘frivolous’ but it also stands as a good warning to companies to not disregard hundreds upon hundreds of injuries.

If you’ve been injured by a product, make sure to protect yourself. Enlist the help of an attorney from Christensen Law Firm. They have handled numerous cases and ensure accident victims are fully compensated and protected. They offer free consultations, peace of mind, and excellent results. Contact them today at 801-506-0800.

Another fire has struck Utah. According to KSL News, a house fire claimed the life of a Lehi resident January 31, 2009. A detached garage/apartment behind a house near 900 North and 400 East became engulfed in flames, trapping a man inside the building. When fire crews arrived at the scene, the flames were already too strong to attempt to rescue the trapped victim. After 30 minutes of battling the flames, firefighters were able to find the man’s body in the attic. Authorities believe he was trying to escape, but was unable to after the roof collapsed. The man’s name has not been released at this time, but we do know he was in his mid-to-late 20s. Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the fire. The garage/apartment is considered a total loss, while damages to the nearby house and two cars are estimated at $75,000.

We offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victim.