Burn Injuries

Burn injuries occur as the result of car accidents, explosions, house fires, gas leaks, electrical accidents and other dangerous and deadly incidents.  Serious burns are very difficult to handle medically and are some of the most painful and frightening of medical conditions.  The recovery is often long-term and may include multiple reconstructive surgeries that are done over the years to improve the condition and look of the scar tissue from the burn.  The degree of burn will determine how deep the scarring to the skin.  The three levels of burns are:

Types of Burn Injuries

First Degree Burns:  This is the lowest level of burn and only affects the epidermis, or outer layer of skin, such as from sunburn.  A first degree burn usually is resolves without much problem, as the skin regenerates.  The skin could become less elastic over time if continuously burned.  Some sunburns are so severe that they are Second Degree Burns.

Second Degree Burns:  These are burns that include blistering and pain and involves deeper layers of skin.  The pain is related to the nerves affected by the burn.  These burns can cause scarring and severe pain, but are less serious than third degree burns.

Third Degree Burns:  These are the burns that reach through either all the thickness of the skin, or very deeply, and in very serious cases all the way to the bone.   These are the most dangerous and painful of burn injuries and cause a variety of terrible physical symptoms as well as disfiguring scars.  Lack of motion in the body part, lack of sensation and severe and hardened scar tissue is not uncommon in third degree burns.

When an individual has been the victim of an accident at work or through the negligence of another individual or corporation (such as in equipment failures), a claim must be made to cover the extensive costs that will be incurred in such an injury.  When the burn has disfigured the victim or caused them to be unable to their hands or limbs, these claims can be extremely high.  The cost for the medical care alone will be astronomical; rehabilitation and further surgeries are almost always part of a serious burn injury.  Attorneys who specialize in burn injuries can be of great assistance to burn victims, and can help them avoid the pitfalls that can occur without legal representation.  It is of utmost concern that the victim receives the best available medical care and most current treatments, as well as compensation for their pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, and loss of income.  An attorney manages the rights of the victim and makes sure that they are not taken advantage of by insurance companies.