Personal Injuries Lawyer: Two Seriously Injured in Car Fire
Over the weekend, two Ellington, Missouri residents are lucky to have escaped with their lives after a one-car crash. One-car crashes are fairly common and usually result in less serious injuries than those involving more vehicles. However, this weekend’s one-car crash was especially dangerous because the vehicle caught fire immediately after the collision.
A 36 year-old man was driving the vehicle, a Jeep Cherokee, when he drove off the road and struck a tree. According to the crash report, he must have been unrestrained because he was thrown from the car. His female passenger was even less fortunate. She was restrained at impact and was trapped in the car as it caught fire and burned. Both were severely injured. The man was airlifted to St. John’s Hospital in Creve Coeur, and the passenger was rushed to Reynolds County Memorial in an ambulance.
Automobiles catch fire upon impact because of the flammable gasses in the engine. Any slight spark can cause a fire. If the battery ruptures or if the grinding metal produces sparks, the gas or fuel lines in the engine can catch fire very easily. Keep in mind that poorly maintained cars tend to catch fire more often than well maintained cars. Leaking gas lines or head gaskets, cracked engine blocks, and cracked radiators are all fire hazards.
Burn injuries after a car crash can turn a seemingly simple injury like a broken arm into a very serious, possibly life-threatening injury. A burn erodes the skin. Our skin protects our internal organs from dirt, debris, liquids, and infection. When an injury like a broken arm is covered in skin and opened by a burn, the injury is at a much greater risk of becoming infected. A blood infection, or septicemia, can be a fatal complication of a burn.
Medical professionals categorize the severity of burn injuries in degrees. A first degree burn affects only the outermost layer of the skin. A second degree burn damages two layers of the skin, and a third degree burn means there is damage to all the layers of the skin and to the tissue underneath. First and second degree burns are very painful, but third degree burns usually do not hurt because the nerves that sense pain have been destroyed.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car fire, contact the top personal injury attorneys at Page Law today. Not every injury claim needs a lawyer, but an experienced personal injury lawyer at Page Law will evaluate your claim with no cost or obligation. Call (314)241-2273 today.
