Cement Burn

New York Cement Burn Lawyers Who Aggressively Fight for Injury Victims

Cement burn is a common construction industry condition, yet cement burn victims often put up with the pain, skin blisters, bleeding, skin discoloration, deadened skin cells, even gangrene on the legs, knees, ankles, feet, arms and hands, due to the third-degree burns cement can cause. As longtime workers compensation injury attorneys, we know that anyone who handles cement day to day can suffer the chemical burn of cement exposure, from construction workers laying concrete foundations, to bricklayers mixing cement into mortar, to plasterers putting up walls in a new building, to cement mixers themselves. Cement burn injury occurs because cement, particularly Portland cement, contains a caustic alkaline binding compound that can cause severe skin damage with minor exposure. Pain on contact often does not occur, so construction site laborers might not even know they've been injured by cement. Eye burn also can occur, as alkaline cement vapors can become airborne and irritate workers' eyes.

A Closer Look at How Cement Burns Can Negatively Impact a Worker

The combination of chemical components in concrete can cause it to act as an acid, eating away at the outer layers of the skin, or epidermis, resulting in blistering, which sometimes weeps and has blood oozing from them. Healthcare workers in hospital burn units see cement burns frequently, though often cement burn victims don't come in until their skin has eroded into deeper subcutaneous layers. Construction workers may get cement in their boots, kneel in wet cement, or have it inside gloves on their hands, but keep working in order to get the job done before the cement dries. The risk is that cement will begin to kill skin cells as well, which can lead to gangrene, a devastating skin condition that can result in the amputation of fingers, toes, even limbs.

New York Cement Burn Lawyers Who Pursue the Compensation Clients Need

The chemical mix that causes cement burn can vary from one cement truck batch to another, but its most dangerous ingredients are sodium and potassium oxides which, in combination with water, form alkali hydroxides that cause skin and limb damage. These hydroxides (referred to as caustic soda, caustic potash or lye) attack any animal or vegetable matter with which they come into contact.

If you suffered cement burn, don't hesitate-contact the New York Law Offices of Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano, LLP today so we can pursue justice on your behalf. We have dedicated over 80 years to helping injured workers in New York get the justice they deserve. Call us at (800) 692-3717 or contact us online for a free evaluation today.