A class action lawsuit has been launched against the makers of certain gas fireplaces.
Last month a Vancouver toddler accidentally touched the glass on a fireplace resulting in second-degree burns.
His story is not isolated.
In fact, just today, fireplace manufacturers in the states announced they will provide protective screens as standard equipment with new gas fireplaces starting in 2015.
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There have been more then 2,000 burn cases in the last 10 years.
This latest case in Vancouver has prompted a local lawyer, whose own daughter suffered similar burns, to launch the first Canadian class action lawsuit.
“We had a number of visits to the hospital to get Annie tended to and looked after, and to heal her, and thankfully she is healed now,” said Mike Wagner, who launched the lawsuit.
“But in the course of talking to the staff and the nurses at the hospital, the question came up ‘well you’re a lawyer can’t you do something about this?’, and asking ‘what do you mean by that?’ and ‘why do you ask?’ it became obvious that this is a pattern, it’s not a random or isolated event.”
“It’s happening on a regular basis and it’s always kids who are too young to really realize what they’re doing. Toddlers crawling, to sort of, two, three years old,” he added.
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