Flammable Clothing Injury Lawyer in Pennsylvania
Every time you go shopping for clothing, bedding, and other household furnishings, what are your criteria? Color, size, style, function? You probably don’t consider how dangerous the fabric could be and what might happen if it caught on fire. When clothing and bedding material catches on fire, it can quickly spread and cause serious burns. Some man-made materials like rayon can melt to a person’s skin, causing severe burns, permanent disfigurement, and horrific scarring. Other factors like weave, texture, weight, textile construction, and blend of fabrics can affect how flammable the fabric is and how quickly the fabric burns. The majority of serious burn injuries are caused by clothing and fabric igniting, often when someone is reaching over a stove, range, or candle. In the blink of an eye, fire can spread over someone’s whole body, catastrophically injuring them, and changing the course of their life.
To combat an epidemic of death caused by highly flammable clothing, the Flammable Fabric Act (FFA) was passed in 1953. The Act sets out standards for the flammability of wearable apparel, indoor furnishings, and mattresses, and regulates the manufacturing, selling, and importing of highly flammable fabrics. Under the FFA, manufacturers, retailers, importers, and distributors must also adhere to certain flammability standards for paper, plastic, foam, and other materials which may be used for interior furnishings and wearing apparel.
Serious burns caused by flammable clothing and bedding can be devastating to both the victim and the victim’s family and loved ones. Injuries and burns occur most often to the face, neck, and hands, and are most prevalent among young children and the elderly. Burn victims often require long-term medical treatment, multiple surgical procedures, and rehabilitation at a substantial financial cost. Individuals who have suffered severe burns almost always require numerous surgical procedures over the course of several years. Victims may lose their ability to work and provide an income for their family, adding to the already enormous physical, emotional, and financial burden they are likely facing. Deformities and disfigurement caused by serious burns can also lead to psychological and self-esteem issues.
While there are standards and regulations in place regarding fabrics, mattresses, and furnishing, this does not mean the fabrics must not flammable, and every year, products are recalled for violating the FFA’s standards. Standards in sleepwear were loosened in 1996, and an increase in clothing burns among young children wearing loose sleep garments has been observed. Despite efforts by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is in charge of regulating the standards of the FFA, catastrophic injuries resulting from flammable clothing and fabrics still remain a danger.
If you or someone you love has been catastrophically burned or injured, or wrongfully killed due to highly flammable clothing or bedding, the experienced flammable fabric and experienced Pennsylvania product liability lawyers of Reiff & Bily may be able to help get you financial compensation to help you with medical bills, rehabilitation costs, and lost wages. With over three decades of experience, and a proven track record of winning hundreds of million dollars of compensation on behalf of catastrophically injured or wrongfully killed victims and their families, you can be sure we will fight hard for you, and make sure careless, and negligent fabric manufacturers are held responsible for the devastation they caused. Contact one of the expert product liability attorneys of Reiff & Bily for a no-obligation, confidential consultation.
