BBQ Explosion Injures Four Men

A family barbecue in Hialeah Gardens in honor of the Independence Day Celebration on July 4th ended with four men rushed to the hospital after an outdoor barbecue that they were using exploded.

According to police, the explosion was caused by a leaking gas tank on the custom-made brick oven and grill at Hialeah resident, Luis Fabian Chirino’s home in the 9800 block of Northwest 135th Street.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue reports that rescuers airlifted Chirino and three other men to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital at about 4 p.m. The explosion also caused a small fire on the patio where it happened.

Chirino, 68 and William Hernandez, 31, had second-degree burns across their bodies, and Juan Chirino, 53, and Guillermo Valdes, 46 were burned from the waist down, said Hialeah Gardens Police spokesman Carlos Fojo.

Luis Chirino was hospitalized in critical condition, but none of the men’s injuries were life-threatening, Fojo said.

Barbecuing and Grilling out is an important part of summertime fun. No one ever thinks that something could go wrong doing something as simple as cooking out. Barbecue grills and other outdoor cooking appliances, if they malfunction, can cause serious accidents. Injuries suffered from an exploding barbecue or propane tanks can cause serious burn injuries. These injuries often require long term, medical care, continued therapy and rehabilitation as well as permanent scarring and disfigurement. Recovery times can stretch for weeks, or even months. Even with plastic and corrective surgeries, things still may never be the same.

Victims who have suffered serious burns or injury should be able to hold those responsible for their accident responsible. Companies who manufacture and sell defective barbecues, grills or propane tanks have definite liabilities that come when consumers use their products.

Burn injuries the most common of all barbecue grill injuries. In medicine, burn injuries are categorized in a series of degrees from first degree burns to sixth degree burns.

First Degree Burns: First degree burns are common and are considered superficial. 1st degree burns are categorized as those having the least amount of damage to the skin and are usually marked by redness without blisters. These types of burns are not considered dangerous. Sunburn is a common example.
Second Degree Burns: A second degree burn is a little more serious. With a second degree burn, there is generally not only redness but blistering of the skin. These clear, sometimes fluid filled burns are very painful, but usually do not leave any permanent scarring. Second degree burns generally require some sort of medical attention.
Third Degree Burns: A third degree burn is a burn that does penetrate through the skin causing serious damage. The flesh is usually burned away and into the muscle tissue. Sometimes there can be permanent nerve damage and extensive scarring with a third degree burn injury. A third degree burn, without exception, requires immediate medical attention and these types of burns can be life threatening. Third degree burns can happen in cases of electrocution, ignition of clothing, or prolonged exposure to intense heat or fire. These types of injuries often require cosmetic surgery to correct them. Even with cosmetic surgery, often the skin forms a heavy keloid or raised scar at the location of the injury.
Fourth Degree Burns: A fourth degree burn is categorized as those types of burn injuries which penetrate beneath the layers of the skin into the muscle tissue itself. These types of burns can often cause permanent muscle damage. Fourth degree burns always must have immediate and extensive medical attention along with prolonged hospital stays so that the burn victim can be monitored on a constant bases. Fourth degree burns are often life threatening, and must be treated immediately to avoid death. Even with prompt and intensive medical attention, fourth degree burns do result in the death of the victim.
Fifth and Sixth Degree Burns: Fifth degree burns are those types of injuries that penetrate to the bone and are almost always fatal. The same is true of sixth degree burns, however, in the case of a sixth degree burn, the injuries are not only fatal, and they often cause the remains of the victim to be unidentifiable.

Because burns will often require specialized, sometimes very extensive medical care, the recovery time goes beyond that of other accident injuries. Sometimes that treatment can last months, years or requires constant care after the accident, depending on the severity and degree of the burn injury. There are few things in the world more painful than a burn injury. Those seeking settlement in accidents involving burns, especially those which are greater than a second degree, need to consider the future cost of the injuries as well as compensation for pain and suffering of the victims.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product such as a barbecue grill or propane tank explosion, give our offices a call. Before you agree to sign any statement or insurance settlement, you need a legal professional who can tell you what your case is really worth and fight for your rights for just compensation. We will act as a point of contact between you and the insurance companies and other interested parties so that you can focus on recovery. A consultation with one of our attorneys is free.