California Injury Lawyers Blog

The family of Anita Ramirez says she sustained serious burn injuries after living less than two weeks at LifeHouse Parkview. The assisted living facility says it is investigating the allegations.

The 65-year-old woman, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, was admitted to the nursing home so she could receive nursing care for a bedsore. The assisted living facility workers were supposed to turn her every two hours. Ramirez was also placed on an IV antibiotic.

However, Ramirez's family soon began to worry about her care. They contacted police, who helped them remove the patient from the nursing home and she was taken to a hospital emergency room.

Doctors at the ER said they thought Ramirez was experiencing a reaction to the antibiotics she has been taking over the last year. The patient was taken to burn center where she was diagnosed with serious burns all over her body. Some parts of her body have no skin left.

If poor nursing care contributed to a patient's injuries, an assisted living facility can be held liable fo California nursing home neglect. It is the responsibility of facility workers to make sure that a patient isn't suffering from adverse reactions, skin conditions, infections, or other health complications. They also are required to report unexplained bruising or other injuries.

Sick residents oven have a weaker immune system than healthier people. They are more likely to suffer from health complications and infections can turn fatal if not treated immediately.

Nursing home facilities know that providing patients with the proper skin care is incredibly important. Residents should be checked for bedsores, which should be treated immediately upon detection, bathed/cleaned regularly. Unusual rashes, spots, burns, or bruises should be addressed and treated. Family members should be notified immediately of changes in a resident's health.

Family alleges woman got serious burns at nursing home, Bakersfieldnow, May 17, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Skin Care for the Elderly in a Nursing Home, DermaNetwork

Nursing Home Care & the Risks of Infection: Issues to Consider, Associated Content, August 17, 2010

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A Temecula boy is seeking over $500,000 in Orange County, California personal injury compensation from the city of Huntington Beach. Chad Kanon claims that he tripped and fell on a sand covered-fire pit at the Huntington State Beach last September.

As a result of the accident, Kanon, who sustained third- and second-degree burn injuries on his foot, suffered disfigurement and permanent scarring. He is accusing the city of failing to clean, maintain, and landscape the beach and the fire pits.

City officials say they will turn down the Huntington Beach trip and fall claim. They contend that the accident happened on a state beach, which the city is not required to maintain.

Kanon is not the first person to allege that a beach fire pit caused his injuries. The parents of a 2-year-old boy filed their Huntington Beach injury claim last February after their son climbed into a fire pit and suffered serious burns. Autumn Williams, the 13-year-old girl who rescued the toddler from the pit, also sustained burns. Her parents, Lesslie and Lisa, are seeking Orange County, California injuries to children damages on her behalf.

Premise owners must make sure that there are no hazards on a property that can cause injury. Otherwise, they can be sued for Orange County, California premises liability.

Burn Injuries
Fire, heat, hot liquids, sunlight, chemicals, fire, steam, electricity, flammable liquids/gas, or radiation can cause burn injuries.

Kinds of Burn Injuries:

First-Degree Burns
Second-Degree Burns
Third-Degree Burns

Third-degree burns are the most serious kind of burn injury and involve damage to the skin and tissue. Blistering, scarring, swelling, shock, disfigurement, and death can occur from burn injuries, which can be extremely painful. Serious burn injuries may require skin grafts and other painful treatments.

If your injury occurred because you believe another party was negligent, you may have grounds for an Orange County, California burn injury lawsuit.

Boy burned in H.B. fire pit wants $500,000, Orange County Register, March 17, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Burn Injuries, Burn-Recovery.org

City of Huntington Beach, California

The daughters of 81-year-old Evelyn Rogoff and her 83-year-old husband Murray are suing bathrobe maker Blair Corp. for California wrongful death. The Rogoffs sustained fatal burn injuries when Evelyn's bathrobe sleeve caught fire on their stove's electric burner last February.

The fabric quickly caught fire, engulfing Evelyn and Murray who rushed to help his wife. The two of them died months later from their burn injuries. If they hadn't died so tragically, the couple would have been married 50 years.

The Rogoffs' daughters are seeking at least $1.9 million in damages from Blair Corp., which recently has come under fire for its highly flammable bathrobes, which is a product defect.

Evelyn and Murray are not the only ones who have suffered burn injuries because of the Blair bathrobes. At least nine burn-related fatalities have been linked to the Blair robes.

In April, 162,000 Blair Full-length women's chenille robes were recalled. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 138,000 more women's apparel products last month.

In Connecticut, Sharon Davis is suing Blair for $30 million for her mother's wrongful death. Atwilda Brown's robe caught fire in 2005 while she was making tea. She was able to call 911 but did not survive her injuries. Police and fire workers who arrived at the accident scene said they hadn't seen material burn so fast before.

While the robes had previously passed flammability tests, testing since then have proven the robes to be a fire hazard.

At least five of the victims were women whose robes caught fire while they were cooking. The majority of the victims were elderly persons. Three of them were in their 80's.

Defective Clothing
While all clothing can catch fire, garments must meet certain standards under the Flammable Fabrics Act. Failure to comply with these standards can create a highly flammable product that can prove fatal for the wearer and those around. It can also be grounds for an Orange County, California products liability or wrongful death lawsuit.

Bathrobe company sued in deaths of elderly Oceanside couple, Sign on San Diego, October 28, 2009

Woman Blames Robe For Mother's Death, WFSB, October 27, 2009

Blair LLC Expands Recall of Highly Flammable Robes, Consumer Affairs, October 30, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Flammable Fabrics Act

Consumer Product Safety Commission