The holiday season in the United States is synonymous with cold winter weather. From “Baby, Its Cold Outside” to “Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!” it seems that every carol creates the images of a snow-filled paradise. Despite the cold, each song always seems to talk about the warmth of the season. So even if it is a “Winter Wonderland” outside, inside everything is always a warm, glowing, with lots of the hustle and bustle. Considering most of the country does not have a good chance of having a white Christmas, at least the second part of this carol-theme holds. So even if you are celebrating the season in Hawaii signing “Mele Kalikimaka,” inside you can be just as festive as if you were celebrating in Fargo, North Dakota. Because no matter where in the country you are over the holidays, homes tend to be a bit chaotic this time of year.
While festive warmth is good this time of year, a burn injury is not. But sadly, this time of year can be prone to certain kinds of burns. The good news is that you can take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones this season from getting burned. The following are the best tips to avoid each of the four most common types of holiday burn injuries:
- Kitchen Burns: Holiday cooking often means that the oven is on and every burner on the stove is occupied. All it takes is one pot handle to be sticking out for a person to receive a serious burn. Kitchen burn injuries are also caused by splattering cooking grease. To prevent a burn injury in the kitchen, have someone monitor the stove at all times. Do not let cooking food unattended and keep your pot handles out of harm’s way!
- Hot Liquid Burns: Sipping a hot drink by the fire is not just the stuff of Christmas carols! Nothing is better on a cool evening than enjoying a glass of hot chocolate or mulled wine. But to prevent someone from being accidentally burned, keep hot liquids away from curious youngsters and avoid filling cups more than ¾ full.
- Electrical Burns: When is the last time you purchased new lights? If you cannot recall you are not alone. Many people use the same lights as they did last year and years before that. The problem with old lighting is that it can become worn and the wires exposed and cause an electrical burn or even a fire. To prevent an injury, inspect your lighting each year and replace as needed. Also, never string more light sets together than what is recommended by the manufacturer.
- Thermal (Heat) Burns: When it is bitter cold outside, you may need some extra warmth inside. Maybe you turn on the fireplace or a space heater. Make sure that if you use any of these heating devices that they are never used unsupervised around small children who may be tempted to touch a heat source or open flame.
Burn injuries can be very painful and result in lifelong physical and emotional scars. Always seek immediate medical attention in the case of a burn injury.
If you or a loved one suffered a serious burn injury due to the negligence or recklessness of another, it is important to know that you have legal options. The Kansas City Catastrophic Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. have helped countless injury victims, in both Kansas and Missouri, obtain compensation for their injuries. Our caring team of attorneys will take the time to listen to you and carefully review the facts of your case. To schedule an initial consultation with one of our experienced Kansas City Attorneys, contact Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. today at (816) 472-4673. At Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P we are dedicated to helping injury victims!