When you reach for your coffee at Starbucks, you probably never notice the small warning sign on the cup which tells you that the contents of the cup are hot. But you probably remember a time that you took a big gulp of your mocha and felt the scalding liquid sear your throat and tongue. Normally, this painful experience leaves victims with a raw tongue for a few days and then everything is back to normal, but there are times that hot foods or drinks can do worse damage.

Lots of restaurants and coffee shops allow their customers to handle hot liquids. In fact, some tea cafes may even serve you a hot kettle of tea which you can pour yourself. While this can be a quaint idea for a restaurant, people may lose the grip on the kettle and spill the boiling water all over them. According to KidsHealth, hot water burns are the most common burn injuries experienced by children. They try to hold heavy pots of water and may spill the liquid on themselves. In most cases, these hot water accidents happen in the home. Yet if you or a child were burnt by hot water at a restaurant or at a friend's house, you may be able to sue for personal injury. This is especially true if a waiter or waitress spilled the scalding beverage onto you.

When you are doused with hot water, you can incur one of three different types of burns. Sometimes you may get a first-degree burn. In these cases, the wound only affects the outer skin and causes redness, pain, and a little bit of swelling. This is not normally very serious and the burn will recover quickly. A second-degree burn can be a mild concern. Normally these are pink or red burns that swell and may form fluid-filled blisters. They are normally painful. If you have a third-degree burn, then you may be eligible to file a lawsuit. These are incredibly painful and dangerous burns. A third-degree burn affects the tissues under the skin and may even damage other parts of the body. Normally, these come with serious repercussions, such as scars that will last forever. You may even need a skin graft in order to heal the wound.

If you were burnt with hot water, assess the damage. If the burn is more than 3 inches in diameter, then call a doctor. If the burn is on the face, scalp, joints, or hands then you should call 9-1-1 immediately. Also, you will need emergency medical attention if the hot water burnt part of the throat and the victim is having difficulty breathing. You will want to remove the burn victims' clothing immediately, and then run room-temperature water over the area quickly. Keep the water running for 15-30 minutes, and then hold a cold, clean compress on the burn for 3 to 5 minutes. Eventually, you will want to apply an aloe gel or an anesthetic cream to the burn to help it heal. You doctor may prescribe a pain medication for you if the wound is especially painful. In cases where you were sent to the hospital, you may be there for a while receiving skin grafts and reconstruction for burnt areas.

While hot water and food can certainly inflict damage on your skin, it can also do horrible things to you if you swallow. Sometimes people will take a drink of a scorching beverage before they realize that it is hot. This can create incredible damage to the throat, and spark epiglottitis. If you swallow something hot and it severely damages your mouth or throat, you should seek compensation. Restaurants should always warn you if an item is hot, and tell you not to drink or eat it until it cools. Whenever you are suing for personal injury, it is helpful to hire an accomplished lawyer to fight for you. You will also need to provide doctors records and notes to show why your suffering is worth the amount of money you desire.