Attorney Billy Walker Talks Gas Can Fires And Burns

Atlanta, Georgia -- Atlanta legal nurse consultant Liz Buddenhagen listened to Billy Walker, product liability attorney with Walker Morgan, talk about gas can fires and burns. Walker presented at the 8th Annual Burn Symposium by the J.M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia. The symposium was held at Chateau Elan on March 2, 2015.

About Fires, Gas Can Fires and Burns:

Walker said he has represented over two hundred burn victims over the last 15 to 20 years. He gave a brief history of fire and said “almost all burns are preventable unless caused by an Act of God, such as a lightning strike.”

Speaking of various products associate with fires, Walker gave case studies of electric deep fryer scalding generally due to a defective or a too long electric cord, power line electrocution and gas cans. Long cord deep fryers are still on the market. Power line electrocutions happen regularly. These occur when power line is still partly energized when down and the line should have been dead.

Plastic gas can fires happen due to lack of a “flame arrester.” A flame arrester is a device that stops fuel combustion by extinguishing the flame. These cost less than 10 cents per arrester to make but plastic gas can manufacturers do not put them in their gas cans according to Walker.

In a prior burn symposium Dr. Fred Mullins, Medical Director of the Burn Center, said that we have a much higher than average rate of plastic gas can fires in the south noted Buddenhagen.

The current solution in preventing gas can fires is to only buy or own a metal safety gas can with a flame arrester and throw out the plastic gas cans until and if manufacturers start placing flame arresters in the plastic gas cans according to Walker.

More Fire Case Studies Presented:
·        Sandblaster fires that can be ignited by static electric.
·        Operating Room fires that can be caused by electrocautery use in an oxygen rich environment.
·        Pecan tree fires due to power lines being too close to the trees.
·        Industrial Fires.
·        Home fires. Most sofas are not flame retardant, the exception being Bassett Furniture who has changed their sofas to flame retardant.

Atlanta Legal Nurse Consultant:

Liz Buddenhagen has regularly attended the Burn Symposiums by J. M. Still Burn Center. “The burn symposiums and the Augusta burn center are top notch, world class,” said Buddenhagen. The Atlanta legal nurse provides assistance on medical issues of legal cases to Atlanta attorneys.  For more information view www.Legal-Nurse-Consultant-LNC.com, email Liz@BuddehagenLNC.com or call 770-725-2997. 

Contact Information

Liz Buddenhagen

Principal

Buddenhagen & Associates

(1) (770) 725-2997

Liz@BuddenhagenLNC.com