You get into a car accident and the vehicle catches on fire. A loved one suffers burn injuries before you can get them out of the car.
As bystanders quickly call 911 to get proper medical assistance, you need to know what to do right now to give them as much help as possible. Below are a few tips that can help:
- Remove any clothing that is burned or smoldering, as it could still burn the skin below, even if it appears that the fire is out.
- In some cases, clothing may stick to the person’s damaged skin. This can make it very painful to remove and could make their injuries worse. Just cut around those areas and remove as much of the clothing as you can.
- Remember that burned areas tend to swell up, and they can do it quickly. Take off watches, belts, necklaces and anything else the person is wearing that may be a problem when the swelling begins.
- If you have access to cold water, put it on a piece of cloth and hold it on the burned area.
- Attempt to clean the area and then cover it to keep it clean until help arrives.
- If you have mild painkillers, like acetaminophen, you can give it to the person to make the pain more manageable. When the emergency crews arrive, though, make sure you tell them about the medicine.
These tips can help, but the real key is extensive medical care in a hospital. This is expensive, so make sure you know how to seek compensation from the driver who caused the crash.
