Understanding Severe Burn Injuries: Causes, Treatment, and Legal Support

Did Someone’s Negligence Cause Your Burns?

There are various degrees of burn injuries. When we think of burn injuries in our every day lives, we likely think about scalding our palms on a hot cooking utensil, or recovering a burn to the arm when the curling iron gets too close to the skin. We don’t tend to think about the more horrifying outcomes. In the severe cases, burn injuries are often extremely painful and damaging.

They more often than not require substantial medical treatment, with prolonged hospitalization times. At times, they can leave behind disfiguring scars that require extensive surgery to remove. All of this is not only physically painful and emotionally devastating, but can also be financially crippling.

Degrees of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries are categorized into four degrees:

• First-Degree Burns: Mild burns that cause redness and minor discomfort.
• Second-Degree Burns: Deeper burns resulting in blisters, swelling, and significant pain.
• Third-Degree Burns: Severe burns that damage all layers of the skin and may impact underlying tissues.
• Fourth-Degree Burns: The most critical, involving damage to muscles, tendons, and bones.

Some of the more common causes for such burn injuries are: hot liquids, flammable liquids, building fires, steam, excessive inhalation of smoke, etc. The injured party may recover for their injuries if they can substantiate that another person’s negligence was the cause of the accident that resulted in the burn injuries.

Examples of Negligence in Burn Injury Cases

For example: receiving a chemical burn on a worksite or a laboratory because a co-worker was being careless and splashing the chemical around; being caught in a fire because someone threw a cigarette away without properly putting it out; being unaware that your phone was on fire due to defective smoke detectors; etc.

Steps to Take After a Burn Injury!

To protect your rights and ensure proper recovery:

• Seek Immediate Medical Care: Burns require expert evaluation and treatment.
• Document the Incident: Collect photos, witness statements, and medical records to support your case.
• Contact a Legal Expert: A burn injury attorney can guide you through the legal process and help you recover necessary compensation.

FAQs