Your Advocate In Serious Injury Claims

Where do most burn injuries happen?

It may come as a surprise to many Houma, Louisiana, residents that the most dangerous place, at least when it comes to the risk for burns, is one’s own home.

According to statistics compiled by the American Burn Association, almost three out of four burn injuries, 73 percent, that get referred to burn trauma centers happen in one’s residence. By comparison, 8 percent happen at one’s place of employment, and only five percent happen on the street or highway, such as in the case of a car accident. Almost 10 percent of burn injuries happen at other undisclosed locations.

What exactly causes burns is also interesting. Over 40 percent of all serious burns are caused by open flames of some sort, while an additional 34 percent of all burns are caused by scalding, that is, by hot steam or water. Additional common causes of burns include corrosive chemicals and electrical burns.

The good news is that the vast majority of people who visit a burn center survive their injuries, as victims enjoy a survival rate of over 95 percent. However, this does not mean recovery from a bad burn is easy. In addition to medical problems and the like, burns also leave a person scarred and disfigured. A burn can be particularly traumatic in this respect if it affects one’s face, hands or the like.

While some burns truly are freak accidents, they are often preventable tragedies caused by someone else’s carelessness. In such cases, a victim of a burn injury can seek compensation for their losses. These losses can include non-economic factors like pain and suffering and disfigurement.