Attorney
A 13-year-old Maryland girl suffered burn injuries to her eyes and arms after someone placed a firecracker in her birthday cake earlier this month. As reported by imperfectparent.com, the girl’s mom and dad also suffered burn injuries in the apparent practical joke gone wrong.
Someone “inadvertently” placed the firecracker in the cake, according to the Maryland State Deputy Chief Fire Marshal. No one noticed the firecracker among the other birthday candles. The fire marshal said there was a low-level explosion in the family dining room. The explosion ignited a small fire inside the home. The family extinguished the fire before fire crews arrived.
The fire marshal is investigating the incident. He also warned of the hazards of fireworks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that there were over 10,000 people treated in emergency rooms in 2005 for firework injuries. Approximately 60 percent of firework injuries occur in the month before and after July Fourth.
The type of firecracker involved in the above incident is responsible for the most injuries, according to the CDC. The majority of injuries occur to the hands, eyes, face, and ears.
Fireworks are illegal in Maryland unless they are part of a public display for which the state fire marshal grants a permit. For more information contact our office today.
Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis LLP
Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia Injury Attorneys
Approved by attorney Justin Beall