INJURED? LET US HELP YOU
Long-Term Impact of Burn Injuries
In a recent five-year period, approximately 486,000 burn injuries were treated in emergency rooms across the U.S. In 2016 alone, there were 3,390 civilian deaths from fires, including 355 from vehicle fires. Of those that live, the injuries left behind include scarring, disfigurement, and a host of other complications, both physical and emotional.
Common complications and long-term effects include:
- Disruption to virtually all components vital for maintaining normal function of the skin
- Infection
- Cell and tissue damage
- Loss of touch and sensation
- Trouble maintaining a normal body temperature
- Changes in skin pigmentation
- Surgery
- Skin transplantation
Many say that the emotional effects sometimes outweigh the physical complications, such as trauma and PTSD. Whether you can see the effects or not, you may be entitled to compensation to cover the costs associated with these lifelong complications.
Severity of Burn Injuries: What You Are Owed
At The Hayden Law Firm, we have seen victims suffering burns that range from mild to severe. We treat everyone with the respect they deserve and listen to their story, no matter where their injury falls on the scale.
The four degrees of burn injuries include:
- First-Degree Burn – A minor burn that only affects surface-level skin, for example, a sunburn.
- Second-Degree Burn – A moderate burn that impacts both the upper and lower layers of the skin, also known as the dermis. They are more serious, extremely painful, cause permanent scars, and will require treatment.
- Third-Degree Burn – A serious burn, also known as full-thickness burn, that affects all layers of the skin and causes tissue damage. They are accompanied by loss of sensation, limited mobility, and will usually require intensive treatment and potential skin grafting.
- Fourth-Degree Burn – A severe and rare burn that affects all layers of skin, nerves, and muscles. Most fourth-degree burns lead to death or permanent disfigurement.
Most second to fourth degree burns require ongoing skin grafting and intensive medical treatment to effectively heal. Chronic medical conditions are expensive to treat and can take a serious physical and emotional toll on the victims. Fire and burn injuries have a very high price tag, totaling more than $7.5 billion each year at the hospital.
Burn injuries can result in piled up medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering for which you deserve compensation. Your settlement may be impacted based on what degree of burn you suffered but, regardless of the severity of your burn, you should seek justice. Do not hesitate to reach out to a burn injury lawyer in St. Louis, MO, to see if you have a personal injury claim.
Types of Burn Injury Cases We Handle
According to the National Fire Protection Association, a fire injury occurs every 35 minutes, but fire is not the only type of burn we see. We handle cases of all types with all degrees of burns.
The most common types of burn injuries include:
- Heat burn – Occurs when there has been direct contact with fire, steam, hot liquids, or other hot objects. Depending on the temperature and duration of the thermal burn, all layers of the skin, nerve endings, blood vessels, glands, muscle and even bone can be damaged. For example, a car accident may have resulted in leaking chemicals and fuel catching on fire, leaving anyone inside or around the vehicle to suffer from heat burns.
- Electrical burn – Occurs when there has been contact with live electricity. Unlike other types of burn injuries, an electrical current moving through the human body can result in more severe damage under the skin which cannot be easily seen, including organ damage. For example, a wire that was exposed on a business’ property should have been taken care of by the owner. If they failed to do so and someone received an electrical burn from making contact with the wire, they may be entitled to file a premises liability claim.
- Chemical burn – Occurs when there has been contact with a strong acid or base that kills cells in the body. Chemical burns are commonly a result of misuse of industrial chemicals or household products. For example, someone who bought a beauty product with the reasonable expectation that it was safe to use may have used the product and suffered a chemical burn. Due to the product defect, they may be entitled to file a product liabilty claim.
- Radiation burn – Occurs when there has been contact with ionizing radiation that damages cells in the body. Radiation burns are common in the workplace or they may be the result of exposure to radiation because of cancer treatment or other medical and even personal uses. For example, someone may have used a tanning bed and suffered a radiation burn due to the negligence of the business. Therefore, they may be entitled to compensation from the business entity.
- Friction burn – Occurs when there has been contact with a hard or abrasive surface. Friction burns are common in auto accidents of all kinds. For example, a motorcyclist may have been thrown off their bike during a motorcycle accident and suffered “road rash” from contact with the pavement.
Whether it was in a truck accident, construction zone accident, distracted driving accident, or any other type of common accident, your injuries are valid. If you have suffered one of these types of burns, get in touch with a burn injury attorney in St. Louis, MO.
