Burn Injuries
Because skin burns can change everything.
From car crashes to workplace negligence, many situations can lead to a devastating burn injury. When your skin burns, the tissue is damaged by radiation, steam, heat, chemicals, electricity or the sun. The result can be painful, disfiguring and have a lengthy recovery time.
Causes
The circumstances of how your burn injury occurred will affect your case and what factors are considered in your compensation. There are many causes of burn injuries including:
- Car crash
- Fires
- Explosions
- Flammable materials
- Household products
- Household electricity defects
- Chemical burns from industrial accidents
- Electrical burns from workplace accidents
- Faulty wiring
Effects
Medical treatment for burn victims can last a long time, even resulting in a permanent scarring and disability that affects the victim for life. Families of burn victims also experience the emotional trauma associated with long term care giving. Burn treatment may include:
- Skin grafts, IV fluids, antibiotics and repeated surgeries to rebuild the skin
- Pain management
- Therapy to regain function
- Long term nursing care
- Counseling for the victim and caregivers to address emotional needs and recovery
Burn Degrees
There are four main levels of burns, indicating how deep and serious the burn damage is.
- First degree burns — The least serious burn, damaging the outer layer of the skin only, causing redness and some pain.
- Second degree burns — Damages the outer layer of the skin as well as the dermis, the first layer underneath the outer skin, causing blistering.
- Third degree burns — Severe burns that destroy the outer layer of the skin, the dermis and damages the muscle underneath, causing scarring.
- Fourth degree burns — Life-threatening burns that destroy all tissue, muscle and perhaps some of the bone.