Warren County Men Suffer Severe Burn Injuries in a Propane Explosion

Two men suffered significant burns in September 2014 in Wayne, Ohio when a propane-fueled furnace exploded. The explosion occurred when a landlord was trying to light the furnace, and the tenant was standing behind him. The force of the blast blew up the chimney, lifted the roof off of the house and caused significant damage to the rest of the house.

While a propane explosion injured these two men, there are countless other accidents that can result in severe burns. Structural fires in a residence or workplace, electrical accidents, or coming into contact with super-heated liquids are all common causes of burns. Car or truck accidents can also cause catastrophic burn injuries either when the vehicle explodes or when toxic chemicals come in contact with skin.

The burns suffered from a propane tank explosion are likely to be quite extensive, especially if the victim is quite close to the furnace when it explodes and bursts into flames. A burn like this might result in third-degree burns over much of the person’s body. Third-degree burns damage all layers of the skin, and can even cause damage to the fat, muscle and bone tissue. Second-degree burns damage only the top two layers of the skin and cause severe pain and blistering. First-degree burns cause damage limited to the outer layer of skin.

A person suffering from severe burn injuries will most likely require surgery that might include skin grafts and carries with it a serious risk of infection. Burn patients also suffer from psychological effects of burns such as post-traumatic stress disorder from the trauma of the accident and depression from dealing with the pain and disfigurement of the wounds.

Recovering from severe burns takes a lot of time and medical attention. Someone who is suffering from severe burn injuries caused by another person’s negligence can bring a claim for compensation for their losses. They might be able to recover damages, including current and future medical bills, current and future lost income, pain, suffering, disfigurement and emotional distress.

Talking to a personal injury attorney who has experience helping severe burn injury patients will give you a clear idea of the options available given the facts of your specific case.

The information contained in this blog post is general information, and should not be treated as legal advice. No attorney/client relationship exists between the reader and Lafferty, Gallagher & Scott, LLC without a signed Attorney Contract Agreement of Representation. Each case is unique and past results should not be treated as a guarantee of the results in your case.