With winter weather comes a whole slew of weather-related possible accidents, and not just on local icy roads. The danger can be right in your own home, when you do nothing more than try to stay warm. Medical director for the emergency room at LMC Dr. Luis Pellicia told Pro 8 News that, “patients with burns from space heaters is something they deal with every winter,” and that using space heaters should be taken seriously. “Usually the biggest mistake is to leave them unattended around children,” Dr. Pellicia told Pro 8 News, and it’s not just space heaters that can lead to seasonable burns such as this. Heating blankets and pads used for both the weather and to treat those aches and pains that flare up in the winter are also to blame.
Children tend to get curious around the machines, and oftentimes stick their fingers inside, resulting in a nasty burn. But adults aren’t immune—simply propping your feet up too close to a space heater can result in the rubber melting from your shoes or worse, a burn through socks to the sole of your foot. Blankets and pads can also be dangerous. Dr. Pellicia said that people “need to understand that if you fall asleep on one of these and your skin is close to the heat element of it you will cause a burn.”
Products like space heaters can cause injury oftentimes due to the negligence of the user, but sometimes the manufacturer can be to blame. Last August, according to the Southeast Texas Record, Suarez Corp. Industries faced a lawsuit for a house fire in Canton, Texas that was allegedly caused by an EdenPURE infrared space heater. The plaintiff in the case asked for an award of more than $230,000 in damages, claiming that the company “failed to provide adequate warnings about the risk of the heater overheating or catching fire, and failing to apply and provide adequate safety technology to reduce the risk of malfunction.”
If you or someone you know has been injured by a space heater, you may be eligible for compensation. Contact a dedicated Texas personal injury attorney today.
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