You may sustain burn injuries in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, including but not limited to a vehicular accident, a premises liability incident, electrocution, a defective product accident, a building fire, medical malpractice case, and a gas explosion. Burns range in severity based on the type of burn and causation. Burns fall into four different categories:
- First-degree burns, which are mild burns that affect the first layer of the skin. First-degree burns are the most common type of burn; they can be treated easily with topical or over-the-counter medicine.
- Second-degree burns, which are burns that affect the underlying layers of tissue below your skin. These burns can cause swelling, redness, blistering, and extreme pain; the blisters are often full of blood or fluid, and medical treatment is needed to treat the damaged skin and inflammation.
- Third-degree burns, which are burns that affect every layer of skin as well as surrounding/underlying tissue, sweat glands, hair follicles, bones, and/or nerve endings. These burns require specialized medical treatment, and your skin can be altered in appearance (i.e. appearing black, white, red, or leathery).
- Fourth-degree burns, which are the most severe type of urns. These burns affect muscle, bone, and organs, and because of the damage, you may require amputation as well as specialized medical treatment.
Depending on the degree of the burn as well as how much of your body’s surface is burned, burn injuries can result in temporary or permanent disabilities, continued rehabilitation, or death. Below, we will discuss the common types of burn injuries sustained in personal injury-related accidents.
Thermal Burns
Thermal burns are caused by contact with fire, steam, hot liquids, and/or hot surfaces. People may sustain these injuries during a house fire, grilling accident, fireplace mishap, or an accident that involves excessive heat. These burns can cause damage to the skin or cause deeper damage (to tissue, muscle, or bones) depending on the severity of the heat.
Chemical Burns
These burns are very common as you can sustain these injuries from acids, cleaning products, and/or chemical components that are harmful to the skin. You can also suffer chemical burns if you are involved in a vehicular accident if the vehicle is transporting chemicals or certain hazardous materials.
Electrical Burns
When someone comes into contact with electricity, they can suffer burns if the wiring is faulty or exposed. These burns typically cause damage below the skin, specifically to a person’s deep tissue and organs.
Radiation Burns
You can suffer from radiation burns after being exposed to radiation, which most often occurs in the medical field. Healthcare technicians, employees, or other visitors may be around radioactive equipment during cancer treatment or the completion of the job.
Hot Liquid Burns
Water that is 125 degrees Fahrenheit (or greater) can burn a person in at little as two minutes; the hotter the water is, the quicker and more severe the burns may be. At 130 degrees Fahrenheit, a person can suffer full-thickness burns in 30 seconds. People often suffer hot liquid burns when cooking or after drinking liquids at a home or business; children are at the greatest risk of suffering from hot liquid burns from hot tap water. These burns can also be suffered during the completion of someone’s job in the following industries.
- Food services
- Laundry
- Agriculture
- Manufacturing
- Healthcare
Suffering from a Catastrophic Injury? Contact Our Firm Today!
Burn injuries are considered catastrophic injuries if they lead to a substantial or permanent change in your ability to live and/or extensive medical care. Whether you’ve suffered from burn injuries in a vehicular accident, premises liability incident, or another negligence-based accident, The Dickinson Law Firm is here to help you. You can be compensated for your medical expenses, lost wages, property damages, pain and suffering, and other economic and noneconomic damages.
Backed by over 40 years of collective experience, the team at The Dickinson Law Firm is equipped to help you fight for your right to fair compensation. Contact us online or via phone (770) 924-8155 to schedule a case consultation today.