Syracuse, New York, Hot Liquid and Scald Injuries

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Recognized as a Super Lawyer and an American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys 10 Best Attorneys, Has Spent His Entire Career Standing Up for The Victims of Negligence. If You Have Been Injured in a Syracuse-area Hot Liquid or Scald Accident That Was Not Your Fault, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You File a Personal Injury Lawsuit Against the Person or Company Responsible for Your Accident.

Nobody goes into a restaurant or café and expects to leave in an ambulance.

Hot beverages are inherently dangerous; customers placing an order to-go, or sitting down for a work meeting, have a right to expect that any product they receive is safe for consumption. However, accidents happen. Cost-cutting restaurants occasionally overheat drinks to extreme temperatures. Servers can slip, trip, and fall, potentially spilling hot liquids like soup or coffee in the process.

Every year, more than half a million Americans are forced to seek care after sustaining a scald or other liquid-related burn. Most of these cases are minor; however, this is not always the case. At certain temperatures, liquids can destroy skin and tissue. Recovery could involve surgery or skin grafts, among other expensive and outright painful procedures. Costs can accumulate quickly and unexpectedly, leaving even the best-prepared families struggling to make ends meet.

You should not have to pay the price for somebody else’s negligence.

Since our founding in 2005, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has fought to protect the rights of scald and hot liquid burn victims. A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, we know what it takes to build a compelling, evidence-based case for compensation. We have helped our clients, both in Syracuse and throughout Onondaga County and its surroundings, secure more than $250 million in damages. We could help you, too. Call Jed Dietrich, Esq., today at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a personal injury lawyer near Syracuse and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Hot Liquids, Scalds, and Burns

Hot liquids and even steam can cause extreme damage to the skin and its underlying tissue. Most hot liquid-related injuries are categorized as scalds.

Some of the most common causes of non-residential hot liquid-related burns include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Restaurant accidents and spills;
2. Improper workplace safety practices;
3. Workplace accidents that affect employees and contractors;
4. Automobile accidents, particularly high-impact collisions that damage coolant reservoirs and other liquid-storage tanks; and
5. Semi-truck crashes and cargo spills, especially those involving toxic waste and other hazardous materials.

Scalds have many potential causes and can affect victims’ lives in many different ways.

A serious burn is a serious injury, and recovery can be as painful and complicated to treat. Unfortunately, even when you know that an accident was not your fault, businesses are often very reluctant to cede liability. Settlements set a precedent, which could pave the way for other claims. Instead of negotiating in good faith, a defendant may do everything in their power to say your injuries are your own doing, despite your evidence and eyewitness accounts.

You should not have to risk your rights pushing back against a restaurant or a liability insurance company that cares more about the next quarterly report than your well-being. If you think that you could have a case, do not let your doubts or the defendant’s excuses stop you from exploring your options. Send the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. a message online today to speak to a hot liquid injury lawyer near Syracuse and find out how much your case could be worth.

A Case Study in Liability: What Accident Victims Can Learn From the Notorious McDonald’s “Hot Coffee” Lawsuit

Companies do not always do right by accident victims. While you can expect a restaurant to put up some resistance, you may not be prepared for all the obstacles they could put in your path. Defense lawyers and multibillion-dollar insurers would not just push back on your evidence if you are anything like Stella Liebeck; they could try to play down the severity of your injuries, claiming that you are looking to score an easy payday rather than secure the resources you need to protect your own health and well-being.

You might not know who Stella Liebeck was, but there is a good chance you are already familiar with her legacy. Liebeck, a 79-year-old woman, purchased a hot coffee from the drive-through window of an Albuquerque, New Mexico, McDonald’s. Her car did not have cup holders, so she placed her drink between her knees and tried to pry off the lid with her own hands. The entire cup spilled on her lap. As a result, Liebeck sustained extensive injuries, including third-degree burns, that required a skin graft and surgery. During treatment, she lost more than 20 pounds; not all of her injuries healed, with some turning into disfiguring, irremovable scars.

Liebeck did not want a big payday: she asked McDonald’s for $20,000, which she planned to cover her existing and anticipated medical expenses; McDonald’s responded by offering $800. She ended up having to hire a lawyer, who found that the Albuquerque McDonald’s that sold Liebeck her coffee had heated it to unusually high temperatures.

During Liebeck’s lifetime, she was ridiculed by the news media. Before her case went to trial, it was described as “the poster child of excessive lawsuits.” Upon hearing the actual evidence, the jury disagreed; Liebeck was awarded millions of dollars in compensatory and punitive damages, eventually reaching a confidential, out-of-court settlement with the restaurant.

Liebeck’s case created an unusual stigma about litigating scald-related claims. She has long since been vindicated, and her lawsuit is now used as an example of how far some businesses are willing to go to save even a fraction of their massive annual earnings.

Here is how lawyers and consumer advocates describe the case today:

“Based on the facts, Corporate America’s and much of the media’s trivial portrayal of the case is deceptive and disgraceful. They have painted a misleading picture of a “legal horror story” when in fact, the case demonstrates a legal system that punishes corporations for wrongdoing and protects consumers who may be victims of their wrongdoing.”

If you are on the fence about filing a hot liquid lawsuit, take a lesson from Liebeck: if you know that your accident was not your fault, do not let a big company’s excuses come between you, the compensation you need, and the justice you deserve.

How The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Beat The Odds and Win Big

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades fighting and winning cases like yours.

We are a personal injury law firm, which means our main priority is, and has always been, advocating for the rights of accident victims. Our experienced and award-winning team of attorneys could help you build a case strong enough to withstand even the best-prepared defense.

Although every case differs in its details, we take fact-finding, investigation, and preparation seriously, as it is our job. In a typical hot liquid lawsuit, our team will work to:

1. Understand the exact causes of your accident;
2. Identify who should be held liable. Oftentimes, it is not a server or ordinary worker, but a business that cuts corners and takes unacceptable risks;
3. Assess your economic damages, non-economic damages, and evaluate your eligibility for a third category of compensation, punitive damages. Our calculations account for the money you need now, and the money you will need as you continue with your recovery;
4. Shield you from pressure tactics and bad-faith negotiation strategies, keeping you safe during high-risk negotiations and depositions; and
5. Fight for a settlement that works best for you, not for us, and not for the defendant. Most of our cases are resolved long before they go to trial, but Jed Dietrich, Esq., is a recognized Super Lawyer and American Institute of Trial Lawyers Litigator of the Year; he would not back down from a fight when we know you are in the right.

Please contact the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. now, whether by sending us a message online or calling us toll-free at 1-866-529-5334, to schedule your free consultation and find out what we could do to help you.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Syracuse, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!

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