Tap water, when overheated, can cause painful burns. And these can easily occur if there is a defective water heater. So for example, let’s say you are washing your hands in the sink. Then, all of a sudden, the warm water becomes boiling. If not, but for a problem with the water heater, you would not have scalded your hands. Now you are likely burned. You are in a heap of trouble too.
Who will pay for your hands? Who will cover your time off work? Tell us about your case, and a personal injury case management expert will contact you, or pick up that phone and call now. Also, these tragedies are unsafe and expensive to treat.
Often they can result in 3rd-degree burns. Furthermore, the associated scarring and disfigurement can be emotionally damaging to the burn victim. And these are often lifetime injuries too. Ehline Law Firm leads the way to the recovery of millions of dollars for consumers in California. Mainly, these consumers were the people harmed by another’s fault in accidents causing bad injuries. Because of this risk, burn cases are part and parcel of our law practice when assisting the public.
The Dangers Of Water Heaters. Are They Designed To Be Unusually Hot?
We think so! The design of water heaters allows them to be set much higher than above 150 degrees. And this is a higher temperature than safe for human contact. The temperature of 110 degrees is the human pain threshold for hot water.
So typically, this remains considered a safe water temperature. But many heaters are not just for human use. Sometimes hotels, for example, want to kill bedbugs in sheets. So they will set laundry water higher than the human threshold.
And this is why there is a thermostat connected to the heater mechanism. Because of this, you can set the correct temperature for humans.
Do These Water Heaters Cause Third-Degree Burns?
They sure can. Even water at the safe temperature of 110 degrees can result in third-degree burns. But this is only after approximately ten (10) hours of exposure. Of course, most people won’t have water on them at this temperature for ten hours.
But water heaters must be set at a reasonable temperature. Most of all, don’t ever set a thermometer at the highest temperature setting. After all, it is foreseeable a situation could arise where a burn could occur.
Are Elders Most Likely to Suffer Burns?
The most likely people to suffer water heater burns are the elderly and children. But toddlers are especially at risk, and often when drawing water for a bath. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards set the safe temperature for people. CPSC says water heaters should get set to a maximum of 120 degrees. But sometimes the heater fails. Other times, there is a problem with the cold water mixture.
Maybe the cold water is not flowing, but there is still pressure from the water heater. So, in that case, perhaps only hot water flows out of the tap with no hot/cold mixture.
One can see it is not always so cut and dry here as to how these injuries happen. But there is data collected by the National Safe Kids Campaign, highlighting injuries to children by water heaters.
And this data shows that between 4,000 and 5,000 children get scalded each year. And most of these injuries are from hot tap water and in bathtubs.
The bottom line is, get out of the tub:
- Draw the water.
- Make sure the water is a safe temperature for you or your child.
- Verify that the water gets turned off.
- Bathe.
What About Hot Baths and Burns?
The bathtubs burn over an average of 12% of the body. In any event, most of these result in a third-degree burn.
Statistics from the National Safe Kids Campaign show:
- 95% occur in residential settings.
- 54% of these were in apartments.
- 46% of these took place in single-family residences.
How Do You Hold Negligent Landlords Accountable for Heater Burns?
Water heaters can be at too high of a temperature because the maintenance guy or homeowner screwed up. But it could even be a hired plumbing professional who wasn’t following proper procedures.
Some Injuries are from a defective product, a:
- Thermostat,
- Heating element.
It is sad if this causes grievous harm to a person’s body, mind, and soul. But alas, it happens. And it happens quite a bit. However, the Ehline Law Firm has been successful in helping people hurt from defective heaters.
How Do You Get Compensation for Water Heater Negligence?
Getting compensation means conducting special investigations and sending experts to the accident scene. You may have rights under the law when a hot water-related ailment occurs. Our California firm has the experience it takes to investigate a case like this before you blow the statute and the evidence permanently disappears. Assuming your lawyer does their job right, the next step is knowing the types of compensation available below.
The compensation recovered can include:
- Time lost from work,
- Medical expenses,
- Scarring and disfigurement.
But we also will fight for money for emotional stress, along with pain and suffering. Hot drinks, heated water pots, or other warm splashed, or spilled liquids cooking on a stove all cause terrible burns. And this type of burn is similar to what happens if you set a water heater to high or if a defect superheats the water.
So obviously, this can be dangerous. And this can be especially hazardous to young children. Rarely do kids realize the unsafe risks associated with grabbing a cooking pan containing heated liquid or grease.
Can You Get Paid for Exacerbation and Worsening of Previous Conditions?
Yes, you can! Overly hot water can be dangerous for people with diabetes and other people too. Because they have lost sensitivity to temperatures, they may not feel the burn. So even it is too hot in their extremities, they stew in a pot.
How Do You Go About Getting a Lawyer to Help You?
When you or a family member has been the victim of a severe water heater burn, you need help from a lawyer. Usually, it gets caused by the negligence or carelessness of another. And the same goes for injuries from a defective water heater.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Local Los Angeles Hot Water Heater Injury Lawyers
Do you honestly think the heater company is just going to send you a check? No, they will fight tooth and nail to blame you, the consumer. Never fear. The experienced attorneys at Ehline Law Firm have the skill it takes to represent you. Reach us at (213) 596-9642.
