A Florida Panhandle man lost a piece of his tongue and a few of his front teeth after the electronic cigarette he was smoking Monday night exploded.
The fire chief for the North Bay Fire Department near Niceville equated the incident to a bottle rocket igniting in the man’s mouth.
The man was using electronic cigarettes in an effort to quit smoking.
Authorities have yet to identify what model cigarette the man was smoking.
The man is being treated for his injuries at a Mobile, Alabama burn unit.
While cigarette explosions are uncommon to hear of, burn injuries are not. In fact, deaths resulting in fires and burns are the third leading cause of fatal home injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Information collected by the CDC shows that firefighters responded to 384,000 home fires across the United States in 2010, resulting in the deaths of 2,640 people and leaving another 13,350 injured. Likewise, the American Burn Association’s 2011 Fact Sheet estimates nearly 450,000 Americans receive medical care for burns each year. The majority of these burn deaths and injuries are a result of residential fires, but a vast number of injuries and deaths can be linked to car accidents, explosions, motorcycle collisions, industrial accidents and workplace malfunctions.
Burn victims require special medical treatment in order to make a full recovery, which can be costly. If your or a loved one has suffered the devastating aftermath of a burn injury caused by someone else’s negligence, you should speak with a Florida Burn Injury Attorney at Whittel & Melton as soon as possible. Accidents that result in serious burn injuries or even wrongful death are often the result of another party’s inattention or negligence. Our personal injury lawyers can help you recover the costs associated with burn therapy and other medical bills, lost wages and other damages.
No matter how small or catastrophic the injury, the Florida Burn Injury Attorneys at Whittel & Melton can help. Our lawyers are dedicated to fighting for the rights of burn victims and making sure the responsible parties are held accountable. We understand that traumatic injuries like burns are the most painful and difficult injuries to recover from. We can negotiate with insurance companies and any other responsible parties to obtain a full and fair settlement for your claim.
If your or a loved one has suffered from any type of burn injury through someone else’s negligence in Florida, contact the Florida Burn Injury Attorneys at Whittel & Melton online or call us statewide and toll-free at 1-866-608-5LAW (5529).