Legal News
Three-Year-Old Recovers from Chinese lantern Burn Injuries (3 January 2012)
Date: 03/01/2012
A three-year-old from Wrexham who was nearly blinded by a fire lantern has recovered from his injuries after doctors feared that his injuries might have caused blindness. Youngster Cael Jones was left unable to open his eye after hot molten wax fell onto his face after a fire lantern was released into the sky. Cael’s skin turned black upon receiving the injuries and began to peel off. His eyes were left blistered shut, with doctors unable to determine whether he had been left blinded by the accident. However, Cael’s eyesight was unaffected by his incident and one year on, the majority of his burns have healed.
Emma Foulkes, Cael’s mother, described the healing of Cael’s injuries as a “miracle”, adding that his injuries made him look like he was wearing a mask. She described his progress as “amazing” but told of how he had been left with some visible signs of scarring. Ms. Foulkes has warned people to refrain from using Chinese lanterns for fear that another child may suffer from similar injuries.
North Wales Assembly Member, Antoinette Sandbach, has requested that the use of Chinese lanterns be restricted. Ms. Sandbach claimed that while she did not wish to be seen as a killjoy, the release of Chinese lanterns put other people, animals and property at risk of harm.
Duncan Lewis’ personal injury solicitors can provide advice to parents whose children have been burned by Chinese lanterns. The team can assess a client’s case to determine whether they are eligible to submit a compensation claim for injuries sustained.