Children Are Most Susceptible to Burn Injuries

Burns are one of the leading causes of injury and death for children in the home. Many burns are minor and treatable with cold water and antiseptic. More serious injuries require professional care—and may even lead to permanent disfigurement or scarring. Burn injuries are more common in children because kids may not know the risks of hot surfaces and open flames.

Frightening burn statistics

According to the nonprofit organization Safe Kids Worldwide, “334 children ages 19 and under died from fires or burns in 2013. 87% (291 deaths) were in residential home fires,” and 126,035 ended up in the emergency room for fire and burn-related injuries. The Burn Foundation reports that every year, approximately 250,000 children sustain burns requiring medical attention, and 15,000 of those children are hospitalized for their burn injuries.

Younger children, four and under, are more frequently injured by scalding from hot liquids, hot objects, or steam. Scald burns make up 65% of burn injuries in this age group, and contact burns account for 20% of injuries. An estimated 75% of scalding burns in children are preventable, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Older children are more likely to sustain injuries from burns that are caused by direct contact with fire. This includes using matches and lighters, or playing with fireworks.

Burn injuries and negligence

Parents do their best to protect their children from burns. They teach them proper safety procedures and make sure they stay away from hot surfaces, boiling water, and open flames. Yet, parents cannot watch every move 24/7. Children go to school or daycare, stay with babysitters, play sports, and spend time on play dates. Even at home, an unanticipated fire could wreak havoc. All these variables leave your young ones susceptible to unforeseen childhood injuries, some of which can be serious.

In certain cases, your child may fall victim to a burn injury that was the fault of someone else, such as:

• A babysitter left the child alone with a boiling pot of water on the stove
• A school’s electrical problem caused a fire
• Daycare workers were preoccupied while a child put his fingers in an electrical socket
• A smoke detector in your home failed to go off when there was a fire
• A daycare failed to have appropriate safety equipment to protect children

The health and wellness of your child are of utmost importance. The Georgia burn injury lawyers at Harris Lowry Manton LLP understand the severity of childhood injuries. We know how devastating these experiences can be to your family. If your child has been harmed by a fire or burn injury, give our firm a call at 404-961-7650 for our Atlanta office, 912-651-9967 for the Savannah location, or complete our contact form and schedule a free consultation.