An 8-year-old girl was burned when a pipe burst in her Queens apartment that is run by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). According to a report in the New York Post, the girl suffered injuries when a pipe in the apartment spewed scalding steam on her hand and had to be hospitalized after she slipped and fell on water that coated the floor.
Scalding and Slip-and-Fall
The pipe had ruptured in the Queensbridge Houses on Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City during the afternoon of Feb. 9 – hours after the girl’s mother had called NYCHA maintenance to report that a bathroom pipe was leaking hot water. Her daughter happened to be in the bathroom when the pipe burst and steam started pouring out. The steam burned her hand.
As the water poured out into the living room, the woman called maintenance, but she said no one came for three hours. The girl slipped and fell in the water and was transported by ambulance to an area hospital. When NYCHA workers arrived, they tried to vacuum the water and repair the broken pipe. A NYCHA spokeswoman said the agency would work with the resident and her family to “make necessary repairs and provide additional assistance.”
Issues at Queensbridge Houses
Queensbridge Homes is not just New York City’s largest public housing project, but also the biggest public housing project in the country. This housing development is one of 330 that is owned by the New York City Housing Authority or NYCHA, the city agency that is currently under scrutiny over reported issues of poor maintenance and lead poisoning complaints and a myriad of other problems from bursting pipes to broken walls in its dilapidated properties.
Numerous residents have filed complaints that the agency has long ignored its buildings that are falling apart and exposing residents not only to dangers such as ceiling collapse, slip-and-fall injuries and burn injuries, but also put them at risk of lead poisoning from chipping and peeling lead paint. Residents at Queensbridge, like residents of other NYCHA properties, have also complained about poor maintenance and dangerous living conditions on their properties.
Even though many people don’t realize it, hot liquids or even steam can cause burn injuries similar to a fire. The Burn Foundation estimates that more than 500,000 scald burns occur in the U.S. each year. The two highest risk populations for these types of injuries are children under the age of 5 and adults over 65. Hot steam and liquids have the potential to cause catastrophic burn injuries. Scalds are the number one cause of burn injuries to children under 4, according to The Burn Foundation. Also, hot tap water accounts for 17 percent of all childhood scald hospitalizations. Slip-and-fall accidents, too, frequently result in serious injuries such as head trauma, spinal injuries, multiple broken bones, internal injuries, etc.
Premises Liability Claim
It is the responsibility of property owners and/or managing agents to ensure that water pipes on the premises are properly inspected, repaired and maintained at all times. Property owners and/or property managers may be held liable for burn injuries caused by hot water, steam or scalding as well as for slip-and-fall accidents caused by leaking pipes or other dangerous conditions, which should have been repaired in a timely manner. Worn or broken parts must be repaired or replaced promptly. Property owners and managers have a duty to ensure that their property is safe for all tenants, visitors and guests.
Victims of hot water burn injuries and slip-and-fall accidents can file what is known as a premises liability claim against the property owner and/or manager. Injured victims can seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost income and benefits, hospitalization, cost of rehabilitation, surgery, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families of deceased victims in such cases can file a wrongful death claim seeking compensation as well.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has suffered burn injuries or slip-and-fall injuries as a result of dangerous conditions , the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. Our law firm obtained $2,250,000 for a child who was burned by hot bath water and $600,000 in another similar case. We also secured $750,000 for a woman who suffered second- and third-degree burn injuries and scarring after she was scalded by hot shower water in her apartment.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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Source: https://nypost.com/2019/02/09/girl-burns-hand-on-busted-pipe-slips-on-floor-in-nycha-apartment/