Recovering Compensation for a Burn Injury

There are a number of different injuries that accident victims can sustain. Generally, the type and  severity of these injuries usually depends on the kind of accident in question. Broken bones, strains, and sprains, for example, are a common consequence of slip and fall accidents, while head trauma and whiplash, on the other hand, are more likely to occur in car accidents. Of the many types of injuries that a person can suffer in an accident, however, burns are some of the most devastating, often resulting in disability, disfigurement, and excruciating pain. Burns have a number of causes, but can often be linked to the use of defective consumer products, building fires, workplace accidents, and vehicle collisions.

Treating severe burns can be extremely expensive, as injured parties are often forced to spend months in the hospital, obtain nursing assistance, and attend physical therapy. Fortunately, those who are injured in accidents through no fault of their own could be entitled to damages compensating them for their injury-related losses, so if you were recently injured in an accident, it is important to contact an experienced Charlottesville personal injury lawyer about seeking compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Burn Injuries

Burn injuries are the result of damage sustained by the body’s tissues from coming into contact with excessive heat, chemicals, radiation, sunlight, or electricity. Burns have a number of different causes, but most occur when a person is scalded by hot liquids or steams or is involved in a collision in which flammable liquids and gases are present. Burn injuries are typically divided into the following categories based on their severity:

• First degree burns, which only damage the outer layer of a person’s skin;
• Second degree burns, which damage multiple layers of skin;
• Third degree burns, which destroy not only the deepest layers of skin, but also the tissues underneath;
• Fourth degree burns, which have all of the symptoms of a third degree burn, but also involve extensive injuries to the fat layer below the skin;
• Fifth degree burns, which extend into a person’s muscles; and
• Sixth degree burns, which burn all the way through to the bone.

Depending on their severity, burns can cause swelling, blistering, scarring, disfigurement, shock, and even death. Because burns damage the skin’s protective barrier, they are also prone to infections. How burn injuries are treated depends in large part on the cause of the burn, how much of the body the injury covers, and the depth of the damage. For severe burns, treatment could require hospitalization and skin grafts, which can be ruinously expensive for patients.

Common Types of Burn Injuries

There are actually a number of different types of burn injuries, all of which have different causes. For instance, thermal burns, which are one of the most common kinds of burns, occur when the skin comes into contact with an extremely hot object. Thermal burns are often sustained in accidents with defective electrical consumer products and in car accidents. Chemical burns, on the other hand, are much more likely to take place in the workplace, as they occur when a person comes into contact with dangerous chemicals, including acids and detergents. Chemical burns tend to have particularly devastating consequences, as they often cause damage to the bones and muscles. Other common types of burn injuries include:

• Friction burns, which are essentially a combination of heat burns and abrasions and typically occur in cyclist, pedestrian, and motorcycle accidents when a victim’s skin comes into contact with the road;
• Cold burns, which occur when a person’s skin encounters frozen temperatures, such as dry ice;
• Radiation burns, which can occur during medical procedures, in workplaces where employees are exposed to prolonged radiation, and by too much exposure to the sun; and
• Electrical burns, which are caused by coming into contact with a source of electricity, including everything from a household current to lightning and can result in devastating internal injuries, as well as physical burns.

When these burns can be linked to another person’s negligence, an injured party could be entitled to damages compensating him or her for:

• Past and future medical bills;
• Lost wages;
• Loss of future income;
• Property damage;
• Emotional distress;
• Pain and suffering; and
• Scarring and disfigurement.

Please contact our Charlottesville legal team today to learn more about recovering damages after your own burn injury.

An Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer in Virginia

If you or a loved one were recently injured in an accident through no fault of your own, please contact experienced Charlottesville personal injury attorney Herbert E. Maxey, Jr. at 434-969-4873 today to learn more about your legal options.