Severe lung injuries as a result of smoke inhalation are quite common in fires. In
the Jan. 9 Bronx fire, which killed 17 people including eight children and critically injured 15 others, all of the victims who died suffered severe smoke inhalation injuries, officials said. Smoke inhalation injuries and carbon monoxide poisoning are a factor in many fires that result in fatalities.
If you or a loved one has suffered smoke inhalation injuries in a fire, or if you have lost a loved one in such a traumatic incident, it is important that you contact an experienced New York smoke inhalation injury lawyer, who will help protect your legal rights and help you secure maximum compensation for your losses. Lung injuries caused by smoke inhalation can have devastating and permanent effects on victims and usually require lifelong medical care and treatment.
Symptoms and Medical Complications of Smoke Inhalation
Signs such as soot in airway passages or skin color changes can determine the extent of injury and trauma. Here are some of the common signs of smoke inhalation injuries:
Shortness of breath: This often happens because of injury to the respiratory tract leading to decreased oxygen getting to the blood. The blood itself may have decreased oxygen-carrying capacity as a result of chemicals in the smoke or the inability of cells to use oxygen. This may lead to severe respiratory distress or difficulty breathing.
Cough: Because the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract get irritated, they secrete more mucous, which may lead to reflex coughing. The mucous may be black depending on the amount of burned particles that have been deposited in the lungs and trachea.
Skin color: When you have suffered smoke inhalation and burn injuries, your skin color may range from pale to bluish to red.
Soot: Soot in the nose or throat may also give a clue as to the degree of smoke inhalation injuries suffered. Smoke inhalation may cause the nose and the nasal passages to swell up.
Eye irritation: The victim’s eyes may become red and irritated from the smoke. The corneas may also have burns on them.
Hoarseness: This may be a sign that fluids are collecting in the upper airway. Chemicals may also irritate vocal cords causing spasm, swelling or even blockage of airways.
Changes in metal status: Chemicals and low oxygen levels may cause burn victims to suffer from confusion, fainting, seizures or even a coma.
Compensation for Smoke Inhalation Injuries
When your smoke inhalation injuries were caused by the negligence (carelessness) of others such as property owners, property manager or other parties, you may be able to file a premises liability lawsuit seeking compensation for damages including:
Medical expenses: If your smoke inhalation injuries were severe and you had to seek medical treatment, you may be able to recover the costs associated with your treatment and care. You may even be able to seek compensation for future medical treatment.
Lost income: If your smoke inhalation injuries required you to miss work, your compensation or settlement may include the wages you lost as a result of your injuries.
Past and future pain and suffering: Smoke inhalation injuries are usually the result of extremely traumatic events. These types of events may potentially trigger mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, panic attacks, etc. You may be able to seek compensation for non-economic damages including the physical pain and mental agony that you have endured.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a fire or explosion, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys with 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. For 50 years, our skilled attorneys have established a proven track record of assisting injured victims. One of our clients — a hot water burn victim — secured $750,000 in damages from the property owner and manager.
Our firm also obtained a $985,000 settlement out of a $1 million policy for two people who suffered smoke inhalation injuries because the homeowner did not have smoke detectors installed and the $15,000 that was left on the insurance policy was for a person that we did not represent. Another client recovered $2,500,000 due to a faulty space heater. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
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/or 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.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com