New York – New Jersey Hot Water Heater Injuries

A terrible danger lurking in every residential building is the potential for unregulated or super-heated water to reach a tenant’s apartment. Broken thermostats and/or mixing valves can allow water in excess of 120° F to be pumped through the hot water system at all times or, even more dangerously, occur unexpectedly. While overly hot water may not seem to be dangerous because it can be tempered with cold water or immediately shut off, that is not the case at all if a person is showering when the water suddenly turns excessively hot or when a young child accidentally falls into scalding water in a bathtub that is filling up. Children have also been severely burned doing innocent things such as filling up a water gun or trying to wash up. Scalding injuries are extremely serious as they often result in horrible permanent scarring and, in some cases, death.

Only an attorney with specific experience with such cases should be consulted when a scalding injury occurs. In these cases, time is of the essence since the condition should be documented, observed and recorded if at all possible. Witnesses and prior complaints are vital as are maintenance records. Preserving defective pieces of equipment such as thermostats and mixing valves is a critical factor in successfully prosecuting this type of case.

Highly qualified engineering and safety experts must also be called in as soon as possible to examine the building and any defective equipment. Having successfully handled this type of specialized case, our firm offers those injured by excessively hot water the kind of immediate and comprehensive representation required.

If you have been harmed by excessively hot water, please contact us for a free consultation. We’re available at our New York and New Jersey offices to answer your questions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.