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Fire Death and Smoke Inhalation
Claims
Smoke
inhalation is the number one cause of death related to fatal
fires. An estimated 50%-80% of fire deaths are the
result of smoke inhalation injuries rather than
serious burns.
This is significant as it is estimated that in the United States, each year
over 30,000 people are killed or seriously injured by fire
and smoke inhalation. h.
If you have been seriously injured or
lost a loved one from smoke inhalation, Texas smoke
inhalation Lawyer Jason Coomer provides
free online evaluations of fire death claims and smoke
inhalation claims. Feel free to submit
an inquiry through our contact form or
send
an e-mail for a Free Online Evaluation of your
potential fire smoke inhalation claim by an Austin Texas fire and smoke
inhalation Attorney.
Smoke Inhalation Can Cause Serious Injuries
and Death
Smoke inhalation from an accidental fire can cause difficulty
breathing, carbon monoxide poisoning, and other toxic
effects that can result in serious injuries or even death.
Smoke inhalation occurs when a person breathes in smoke or
the products of combustion during a fire. The fire not
only uses the surrounding oxygen in the air taking the
oxygen that humans need to breathe, but through burning or
combustion (the rapid breakdown of a substance by heat)
creates smoke which is a mixture of heated particles and
gases that are created by burning.
It is impossible to predict the exact
composition of smoke produced by a
residential fire or
industrial fire as every accident fire is different.
The products being burned, the temperature of the fire, and
the amount of oxygen available to the fire all make a
difference in the type of smoke produced. This is especially
true when furniture, appliances, and other items made up of
plastic or other chemicals is burned. The resulting
smoke can be filled with irritants or toxins and result in
serious respiratory problems or even death.
Smoke inhalation can damage the body by
simple asphyxiation (lack of oxygen), chemical irritation,
chemical asphyxiation, or a combination of these.
Combustion can use up the oxygen near the fire and lead to
death when there is no oxygen for a person to breathe.
Smoke itself can also contain products that do not cause
direct harm to a person, but they take up the space that is
needed for oxygen. Carbon dioxide acts in this way.
Combustion can also result in the
formation of chemicals that cause direct injury when they
contact the skin and mucous membranes. These substances
disrupt the normal lining of the respiratory tract. This
disruption can potentially cause swelling, airway collapse,
and respiratory distress. Examples of chemical irritants
found in smoke include sulfur dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen
chloride, and chlorine.
A fire also can produce compounds that do
damage by interfering with the body's oxygen use at a
cellular level. Carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, and
hydrogen sulfide are all examples of chemicals produced in
fires that interfere with the use of oxygen by the cell
during the production of energy. If either the delivery of
oxygen or the use of oxygen is inhibited, cells will die.
Symptoms and Treatment of Smoke Inhalation
Smoke inhalation can cause health
problems that result in coughing, shortness of breath,
hoarseness, headaches, changes in mental status, changes in
skin coloration, and passing out.
The first step in treating a person
suffering from smoke inhalation is to remove the person from
the smoke-filled environment to a location with clean air.
The second step is to start CPR and make sure that they are
getting oxygen. Oxygen may be applied with a nose
tube, mask, or through a tube down the throat. If the
patient has signs and symptoms of upper airway problems
(hoarseness), they will most likely be intubated. The doctor
places a tube down the throat to keep the airway from
closing due to swelling.
If the patient has respiratory distress or mental status
changes, they may also be intubated to let the staff help
with breathing, to suction off mucus, and keep the patient
from choking on secretions. If the smoke inhalation is
bad enough, a bronchoscopy may have to be done to directly
look at the degree of damage done to the airways and to
allow for suctioning of secretions and debris.
If the patient has carbon monoxide poisoning, the use of a
hyperbaric chamber for hyberaric oxygenation may be
considered. This treatment use compressed oxygen to
help the person's blood gases return to normal. A
complete blood count may also be done to determine if there
are enough red blood cells to carry oxygen, enough white
blood cells to fight infection, and enough platelets to
ensure clotting can occur. Carboxyhemoglobin and
methemoglobin levels are also typically measured in all
smoke inhalation victims with respiratory distress, altered
mental status, low blood pressure, seizures, fainting, and
blood pH changes.
Texas Fire and Smoke Inhalation Lawyers
This Austin Texas smoke inhalation lawyer
represents fire and smoke inhalation clients
throughout Texas. He also works with other smoke
inhalation and fire lawyers throughout Texas and the United
States including Houston Smoke Inhalation Lawyers, Dallas
Smoke Inhalation Lawyers, and San Antonio Smoke Inhalation
Lawyers.
The Law Offices of Jason S. Coomer, P.L.L.C. helps
individuals seriously injured by fire and smoke inhalation and
the families of those killed by smoke inhalation. If you
or a member of your family has suffered severe smoke
inhalation as a result of a fire
Texas fire and smoke inhalation lawyer, Jason Coomer, may be able to assist you
with a fire and smoke inhalation claim.
If you need a Texas fire and smoke inhalation lawyer to represent you
with a fire or smoke inhalation claim,
contact
Texas Smoke Inhalation lawyer Jason Coomer.
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