Bronx Child Burn Injury Lawyer
Burns are among the most painful and devastating injuries you can experience. As many as 300 children are seen in emergency rooms across the country every day, and two die. Hot water scalds are the most common cause of burn injuries in children, and 95% of these occur at home. Our experienced team of Bronx child burn attorneys is here to help if your child has been hurt.
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Burn injuries pose high risks for the following reasons:
- Their skin is thinner than adults, so they burn more quickly
- They are less likely to perceive danger
- They are less capable of escaping danger
Your Bronx home should be a safe place for your children. Landlords who fail to provide a safe environment, risk your children’s lives. At Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP, we find this unacceptable. If your landlord’s negligence has injured your child, our Bronx personal injury lawyers want to hold them accountable.
What causes hot water burns?
Exposure to scalding water can quickly cause severe burns in children. A difference of a few degrees drastically increases the speed at which your child can be burned severely enough to require medical treatment:
- 120 degrees: 10 minutes
- 125 degrees: 2 minutes
- 140 degrees: 6 seconds
- 150 degrees: 2 seconds
The most common causes of hot water burns in Bronx housing units are bathwater and steam radiators.
Scalding Bathwater
Children may be exposed to excessively hot water in apartments with poorly maintained faucets and improper hot water settings.
Broken Faucets
Faucets that are leaky, old, rusty, or improperly installed may break and cause sudden changes in water temperature or an explosion of scalding water even if the water was not running.
Unsafe Temperature Settings and Faulty Hot Water Heaters
Your hot water heater should be set to 120 degrees maximum to prevent scalds. Studies show 41% of American homes have unsafe hot water temperature settings. Renters were more likely than homeowners to have unsafe settings. You have the right to report scalding water temperatures. Your landlord can remedy this by adjusting your hot water heater temperature and installing an anti-scald device in your faucet.
Steam radiators
Two toddler girls lost their lives in 2016 when a steam radiator in their Bronx apartment exploded and spewed hot steam into the room. This was one of many faulty radiators in the building, and despite united efforts by tenants, faulty radiators continue to plague residents. Radiator steam reaches temperatures as high as 212 degrees.
Who’s liable for hot water burns?
New York landlords are required to safely provide heat and hot water to their residents. When they violate safety standards, they are liable for the tragic consequences.
Your landlord is negligent when you can prove the following:
Your Landlord Owes a Duty of Care
Bronx landlords have a duty to deliver hot water and heat via safe equipment.
The Defendant Breached the Duty of Care
Bronx landlords breach their duty when they fail to provide hot water or heat, when their equipment is faulty, and when they fail to address tenant safety complaints.
The Injury Would Not Have Occurred Except for the Breach of Duty
The landlord’s safety violations caused serious injuries that wouldn’t have happened without the breach.
The Breach Is the Sole Cause of the Injuries
The landlord’s breach of duty, and nothing else, caused the injuries.
The Negligence Has Caused Damages
The injuries are serious enough to require hospitalization, pain and suffering, and financial consequences.
How can I keep my child safe?
The following measures can help prevent an unthinkable hot water accident from happening to your child:
- Report scalding water coming into your apartment to your landlord. Request a hot water setting of 120 and an anti-scald device for your bathtub.
- Always supervise your child in the bathtub, and never place your child in the bathtub while water is running.
- Report faucet defects to your landlord.
- Report malfunctioning steam radiators to your landlord and avoid using them until the problem is fixed.
If your landlord doesn’t quickly remedy reported defects, report the violations to Housing Preservation and Development by calling 311.
Consider joining or starting a tenant association for your building. Tenant associations offer strength in numbers through a collective voice. If you reside in city-owned housing, the Tenant Interim Lease program offers support to tenants wishing to start associations.
What should I do if my child is injured by hot water in my apartment?
Seek medical assistance immediately. Jacobi Hospital has achieved worldwide recognition for its burn center. It’s located in the Bronx at 1400 Pelham Parkway South, on the corner of Eastchester Road and Pelham Parkway South.
Gather documentation showing any contact you have had with the landlord about the defects, pictures of the defective product, and dates of verbal contacts.
Gather your child’s medical documentation and medical bills. Take photos of your child’s injuries before and after treatment.
Contact an experienced Bronx personal injury attorney as soon as possible.
How can an attorney help me hold my landlord responsible?
The attorneys at Mierowitz & Wasserberg are passionate about defending the rights of Bronx residents against negligent landlords who care more about profits than tenants. Our firm has the resources and experience to hold your landlord accountable, pursue the maximum compensation available, and help you obtain the best care available for your child’s injuries.
We’ve won millions in settlements and verdicts for our clients, and we promise to give your case the same dedication that helped us win our past clients’ cases. If your child has suffered hot water burn injuries, call Mierowitz & Wasserberg today at 866-313-0803 or contact us online using our convenient contact form.
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