The Multnomah County Circuit Court in Portland, Oregon is now making expedited trials available in civil cases.  The amount in controversy is not limited.  Expedited cases are tried to a six-person jury.  The program promises to significantly reduce the expense and delay of resolving cases that require limited discovery.  Links to the media release and practitioner resources are available on this web page.

What Causes Burns, Electrocutions and Fire Injuries? 

 Most serious and fatal burn injuries occur in residential fires, automobile accidents and scalding.  In the home, the two most common causes of burns and death are home-cooking equipment and smoking materials such as cigarettes.  Scald burns account for almost two-thirds of burn-related hospitalizations of children ages 4 and younger.  Hot water burns cause more deaths and hospitalizations than any other hot liquid burns.  Children and elderly people who may fall and become unable to shut off the hot water are especially vulnerable to scald burns in showers and bathtubs.

Scores of children ages 14 and under suffer product-related burns each year from products including room heaters, humidifiers, vaporizers, hair curlers, curling irons, ovens, ranges, fireplaces, furnaces, boilers, radiators, portable heaters, water heaters, candles, matches, cigarette lighters, electrical outlets or receptacles, lamps, lighting, cords, pyrotechnics and fireworks. 

Burns can also occur in long-term care facilities with the use of heating pads. Facility staff should be extremely diligent in ensuring that the heating pads are closely monitored because the elderly resident is often immobile, medicated, and/or unable to fully communicate.

Electrocutions, including contact with electrical lines, cause hundreds more deaths each year.  Circuit breaker boxes, panel boards and outlets account for around 15 percent of product-related electrocutions.  Air conditioners, pumps, water heaters, clothes dryers, washing machines, and furnaces cause an additional 15 percent.  Metal poles, saws, pipes, chimney linings and ladders contacting overhead power lines are other major causes of death.

Chemical fires and explosions are a less common but serious cause of burn injuries.  Causes include industrial and agricultural products, as well as consumer products. 

Smoke inhalation injuries are another common fire-related injury.  These injuries can result from fire safety and egress design defects in homes, apartments, commercial buildings, garages, churches, schools, hotels, motels, rooming houses, townhouses, duplexes and other structures.

How Can I Prevent Burns and Fires?

Working smoke alarms and smoke detectors are the single most effective tool to prevent injury or death in the event of a fire.  Studies indicate that more than a quarter of smoke alarms in homes are not in working order.  Install smoke detectors throughout your home and garage in compliance with local requirements, ensure that the batteries are replaced, and check them frequently to make sure they function and are not defective.

Supervise children and elderly persons closely in baths, showers and kitchens, and in other situations where hot water is present.  Minimize hot water hazards by setting your hot water heater temperature as low as is acceptable for your washing needs.

Keep matches, lighters and other flammable materials out of the reach of children.  Most home fires caused by children begin in a bedroom or living room where children are left unattended.  The majority of these fires—almost 80 percent—are started by children playing with matches or lighters.

Keep flammable materials and dangerous products such as matches, lighters, cigarettes, gasoline, camp stoves, barbecues, hair dryers and ovens out of reach of children.

Children under age 6 die in fires more than twice as often as any other age group.  Over half of children under age 6 who die from home fires are asleep at the time of the fire.  Discuss your fire escape plan with your children so that they know what to do in case of a fire.  Check that their nightclothes and pajamas comply with requirements for non-flammability.  If you live in an apartment or other rental property, ask your landlord—in writing if necessary—to have your unit inspected for fire safety compliance, including smoke detectors.  Generally, it is a landlord’s responsibility to ensure such compliance.

What to do if you have suffered a burn injury, or lost a loved one to electrocution or fire.

If you have suffered a burn or lost a loved one, you may need the assistance of an experienced burn injury lawyer.  A lawyer can tell you your rights, negotiate with insurance companies for you and help ensure that you recover as much money as possible to compensate you and your family for your injury and losses wherever possible.  To get started, contact Vangelisti Kocher LLP for a free consultation. Our toll -free number is 1-800-800-1004.

The Chicago Tribune reported today that the death of an infant has resulted in the recall of approximately 30,000 Nap Nanny baby recliners. This recall is the most recent of several recent recalls involving potentially dangerous baby products.

Reuters reported this week a recall of drop-side cribs sold by Pottery Barn Kids from January 1999 through March 2010.  This recall could affect customers in Oregon and Washington, including the Portland and Seattle metro areas where Pottery Barn operates stores.  As of July 16, 2010, safety recall information is not posted on the  website potterybarn.com but is available at potterybarnkids.com, including the following: “The cribs’ drop-sides can detach when hardware breaks, creating a space into which a child can become entrapped, which can lead to suffocation. A child can also fall out of the crib. Drop-side incidents can also occur due to incorrect assembly and with age-related wear and tear.”  Portland-based products liability attorneys have posted additional information that may be of interest to families that have been harmed as a result of cribs or other defective products:

Oregon / Washington Defective Products Attorney Information

Law of Defective Products in Oregon

In the last few weeks, children have suffered window falls in Oregon, including one that resulted in death to the child.  Year after year approximately 50 children in Oregon enter the trauma systems with injuries from window falls.

Window Falls in Oregon and Nationally
It is estimated that each year approximately 18 children, ages 10 and under, die from a window fall-related injury each year. Most of the fall-related injuries occur in the child’s own home and the injury can range anywhere from a quick trip to the emergency room to hospitalization with severe brain injury or damage. An estimated 4,700 children ages 14 and under are treated in hospital emergency departments annually for injuries sustained from falling out of windows. Head and brain injury injuries account for the majority of these injuries.

According to a Register Guard article in 2002, in the year 1994, 3.5 out of 100,000 children in Oregon fell out of a window and were injured. The number of children falling from windows has been on the rise for a number of years. Nearly 11 out of 100,000 children in Oregon fell out of a window and were injured in 1999.

Window Fall Lawyer
Firm attorney Richard Vangelisti has handled two window fall cases in Portland, Oregon. The first child window fall case settled, and the second child window fall case resulted in a jury verdict for the child.  The property management company appealed the case. Mr. Vangelisti is working with Safe Kids Public Policy & Education Committee in Portland, Oregon on planning the Pediatric Window Falls Prevention Forum to be held in the Lorenzen Center at Legacy Emanuel on Tuesday, November 9th, from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Strict Deadlines for Child Injury Cases
Parents and their child have strict deadlines in which to bring any legal claim to recover for past and future medical expenses and other losses for injury. If a child has suffered an injury, it is critically important to have an Oregon lawyer evaluate any potential personal injury claim. A Portland personal injury attorney at Vangelisti Kocher LLP can provide a free, confidential consultation to discuss a child’s injuries and legal rights.

The AP reported today a recall of more than 2 million drop-side cribs that may cause suffocation or entrapment risks to infants and children. The recalled cribs are manufactured by Evenflo, Delta Enterprises Corp., Child Craft, Jardine Enterprises, LaJobi, Million Dollar Baby and Simmons Juvenile Products Inc.

Portland, Oregon personal injury law firm Vangelisti Kocher, LLP is pleased to announce the newest online publication by attorneys Richard Vangelisti and Scott Kocher. This Oregon personal injury lawyer blog is dedicated to helping Oregonians harmed by negligence and wrongful conduct to understand legal issues and protect legal rights after serious personal injuries or wrongful death.