Around five percent of the burn injuries experienced in the U.S. each year occur on roadways because of motor vehicle accidents. Accidents involving motorcycles involve a particularly high risk of burn injuries, as no steel frame protects the rider from rough surfaces that can cause friction burns, hot surfaces that can cause thermal burns, and caustic and combustible chemicals that can lead to chemical burns, not to mention an additional possibility of thermal burns. Watercraft are also a common culprit of burns in South Carolina, as chemicals and fumes can cause chemical or thermal burns.
Three-quarters of all burn injuries take place in private homes, meaning that a high percentage of burn injury cases involve premises liability claims. Beneath the wide umbrella of personal injury law, premises liability is a part of the law that deals with a property owner’s responsibility to ensure that their property is free from hazards that could cause injury to their guests.
This legal responsibility not only belongs to private homeowners entertaining guests, but also to landlords who must keep appliances and electrical wiring are up to code for rental units, and commercial property owners, including those in the hospitality industry, who must keep hotels and restaurants free from fire hazards that could harm their customers.
The workplace also accounts for about five percent of all burn injuries occurring in the U.S., with the construction industry—which often works with agents that can cause burns, such as chemicals, electricity, and flammable materials and equipment—accounting for many of the burns that occur in the workplace.