A Queens man was hospitalized with serious injuries after an underground transformer exploded and engulfed him in fire. According to the New York Daily News, the horrifying incident, captured on surveillance video, showed the man walking on a sidewalk on July 22 and being struck by the sudden explosion. The Daily News reports that a similar fire erupted at the same spot a day earlier, but no one was injured in that incident.
Second-Degree Burn Injuries
The man, who talked to the Daily News, said he didn’t know what hit him as he
stepped on the sidewalk grate on Farmers Boulevard near 117th Road. He said he grabbed a metal fence post to gain his balance as he was dazed by the force of the explosion. The 57-year-old victim was hospitalized with second-degree burn injuries.
Surveillance video showed smoke coming from the sidewalk grate moments before the explosion occurred. Consolidated Edison has stated that their investigations are underway into both explosions and investigators are trying to determine what went wrong.
Ongoing Investigation
The Daily News also reported that state utility regulators are looking into the transformer that blew up twice. Part of this investigation will be looking into whether Con Edison inspected the equipment as required under state law. The New York Public Service Commission, which regulates electric, gas, water and communications utilities, launched the probe soon after the second blast, a spokesperson told the Daily News.
The Commission requires Con Edison to conduct stray voltage tests on underground transformers at least once a year to identify unstable electrical equipment that can electrocute someone or explode. After the first explosion at the Queens location, Con Ed workers went to the scene and worked there for several hours, area business owners said.
Types of Burn Injuries
Burns injuries typically fall into four categories:
First-degree burns: These burn injuries only affect the outer layer of your skin. One example of a first-degree burn is a mild sunburn. A victim is not likely to suffer long-term damage from this type of injury.
Second-degree burns: In these cases, the outer layer of the skin as well the layer underneath, known as the dermis, is damaged. Your skin will appear bright red, swollen and might look shiny and wet. A deep partial thickness burn injury may leave a scar or cause a permanent change in the color of your skin.
Third-degree burns: This is also known as a full-thickness burn and destroys two full layers of the skin. The skin may appear black, brown, white or yellow. These injuries also damage nerve endings.
Fourth-degree burns: These are the most severe burn injuries and are potentially life threatening. They destroy not just all layers of the skin, but also bones, muscles and tendons.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
A victim who has been injured due to someone else’s negligence (carelessness) or wrongdoing can file a personal injury lawsuit against the individual and/or entity responsible and seek compensation for medical expenses, lost income and benefits, hospitalization, cost of rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, long-term care, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families that have lost loved ones can file a wrongful death lawsuit against the negligent (careless) parties and seek compensation as well.
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence (carelessness), 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.
For nearly 50 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. 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
Source: https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-man-survives-sidewalk-fireball-explosion-queens-20210727-7wjwd2vf4ba53htiivgyado7de-story.html