Causes Of Severe Burn Injuries

Severe burn injuries can occur in a variety of ways including car, truck, motorcycle, airplane, cruise ship or construction accidents. In vehicle accident cases, severe burns are frequently caused, in whole or in part, by defects in the design or manufacture of the vehicles themselves or their component parts such as seat belts, tires, air bags or gas tanks.

Our firm has extensive experience handling automotive products liability cases, and over the past 24 years we have seen numerous severe burn injuries caused by defective auto parts.

Vehicle fires and explosions caused by defective gas tanks can be particularly dangerous and frequently lead to devastating burn injuries. When a vehicle’s gas tank has been defectively designed or manufactured, even a somewhat minor traffic accident can compromise the integrity of the tank. Once compromised, the tank can leak gas onto the ground and into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The volatility of gasoline allows it to be easily ignited, and even a small spark can cause a serious fire or explosion. If a driver or passenger is knocked unconscious or cannot quickly exit the vehicle under his or her own power, he or she can be trapped behind the flames outside the reach of emergency responders. Thousands of people in California and around the country have suffered severe burns or perished as the result of gas tank fires and explosions under these circumstances.