Chicago Cement and Concrete Burn Injury Attorney

Thankfully, cement burns are a relatively rare occurrence. However, most instances of these injuries are severe cases in which a person or worker will suffer a permanent injury.

In many cases, people simply do not know of the dangers, or they have not been properly trained to handle them.

You may have a potential lawsuit if you have had direct contact with wet concrete. The attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can help you file a concrete burn injury lawsuit to recover your damages.

Wet Cement Can Cause Severe Burns

One study showed that all victims of cement burns suffered injuries on their upper or lower extremities. Most of these accident victims required one or more surgical procedures to treat their injuries.

On average, a cement burn victim was hospitalized for three weeks. Some hospitalizations can be longer.

How Cement Burns the Human Skin

Portland cement has a very high acidic content. The cement, when wet and uncured, reaches caustic pH levels of 12 or higher [1]. The pH level of the skin is between four and seven. The skin cannot come into contact with something that has an acid level this high without suffering some type of chemical burn.

The high acidic content comes from a corrosive alkali called calcium hydroxide. There is already lime substance present in the cement mixture. When water is added to it, the calcium hydroxide is liberated, raising the acidic level.

Personal Injury from Wet Cement

Concrete burns come from the fact that concrete on the skin will draw in moisture as it begins to harden. The moisture will come from the skin itself. The combination of the concrete and moisture from the skin will cause it to harden within a short period of time.

Shortly, the skin will begin to blister and swell. Depending on the severity of the injury, a person can suffer first, second or third-degree burns from skin contact with wet concrete.

Avoiding Chemical Burns on Human Skin

People need the proper training to work with concrete. However, most of the people who have suffered injuries are workers who have either not been given proper instructions or warnings about the dangers of the chemicals in the concrete.

When it comes to concrete burns, prevention is the key. Here are the safety steps that people should take to avoid a cement burn:

• Always use personal protective equipment when working with wet cement
• You must use the proper type of safety equipment to prevent injury. For example, not every type of glove would be sufficient to keep your skin from coming into contact with the concrete. The acidic content of the concrete could eat right through certain types of gloves.
• Takes frequent breaks when working with the cement to inspect your skin for any residue
• If your skin has directly been exposed to the concrete, quickly wash it with a pH-neutral cleanser
• See your doctor immediately if you notice anything wrong with your skin

Cement Burn Victims Can File a Lawsuit

There have been numerous instances in which accident victims who suffered severe concrete burns have successfully filed lawsuits.

In one case, a Columbus, Ohio man was awarded $3.6 million [2] after he suffered third-degree burns after standing in wet cement for hours without protective clothing. He claimed that the concrete manufacturer did not warn him of the need for safety measures for contact with wet concrete.

In another case, an injured Vermont man settled a lawsuit [3] for cement burns for $450,000. Again, the allegation was that the cement manufacturer failed to give adequate warning about the dangers of direct contact with the skin.

Damages for Wet Concrete Injuries

If you have suffered a cement burn, and someone else was to blame for your injuries, you would be entitled to full financial compensation once you are able to prove your case.

Here are the damages and costs that you may be entitled to in a concrete burns case:

• Medical expenses to treat your injuries
• Lost wages for the time that you missed from work
• Pain and suffering for the experience that you have endured
• Permanent scarring and disfigurement from your exposure to the wet concrete

You could suffer considerable damages from concrete burns [4]. A common type of treatment is a skin graft, which can be a painful procedure. Much of your damages would consist of pain and suffering, due to the physical discomfort from concrete burns.

The Insurance Company Will Make Your Life Difficult

The cement manufacturer likely has an insurance policy for product liability cases. The insurance company will determine the legal risk and whether they should try to reach a settlement agreement with you or fight your case in court.

Insurance companies don’t care that you were exposed to dangerous chemicals or that you were not made aware of the risks. Their bottom line is their foremost concern.

You need an attorney to help you recover the full amount when you have suffered cement burns that were caused by negligence.

Contact an Attorney to File a Concrete Burn Injury Lawsuit

If you have suffered severe burns from wet concrete, you may be eligible for significant financial compensation. You could either file a workers’ compensation claim (if there is no third party who has committed negligence, or you can file a lawsuit for your injuries.

Based in Chicago, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers are dedicated to helping concrete burn victims across Illinois and take select cases nationwide. With a deep understanding of these accidents and the serious consequences they come with, we will examine the circumstances surrounding your case to make sure you receive maximum compensation.

Call (888) 424-5757 or fill out our online form to schedule your free consultation with a construction accident lawyer in Chicago.

Specific Cases We Handle

• Construction Site Fall Lawyer
• Crane Accident Lawyer
• Defective Product Wrongful Death Lawyer
• Excavation Accident Lawyer
• Government Entity Construction Accident Lawyer

Resources: [1] Poison Control, [2] The Columbus Dispatch, [3] VTDigger, [4] PubMed

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.