Over nearly the last 3 decades, burn injury lawyers at Sokoloff & Weinstein, P.A. have dealt with cases in which people have sustained burns from hot liquids such as scalding coffee/tea being spilled upon them. We even see chemical products like hair dye or even a device, like a portable neck and back massager, cause burns to victims. We even saw a fire in the operating room on a case which cost a client their hair! Burns involve demonstrative disfigurement and are often extremely painful and the healing process uncomfortable and lengthy. It is crucial in burn cases to obtain digital photos of the affected areas prior to healing.
Compensation For Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are difficult and expensive to treat. Third-degree burns can take years to treat and usually have a marked effect on a victim’s quality of life. You can easily accumulate hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills. If you have suffered such an injury as a result of another party’s negligence, you have every right to be compensated for these costs. You will need an experienced burn injury attorney to protect your rights.
Types of Burn Injuries
One classification sytem discusses four burn types, each of which is treated differently and incurs different costs. That classification sytem is: :
- Thermal burns: Caused by fire, steam, hot liquids, or extreme heat from any source.
- Light burns: Caused by sunlight and UV rays
- Chemical burns: Caused by acids or other corrosive substances
- Radiation burns: Caused by nuclear radiation
In addition to these four types of burns, the injuries are also most often classed into three different degrees of severity. They are as follows:
- First degree: Only the top layer of the skin is damaged, resulting in redness and minor inflammation. They usually heal within a week.
- Second degree: In these injuries, the damage goes beyond the top layer of skin. The skin is extremely red and forms blisters. These should be properly bandaged and can take weeks to heal.
- Third degree: Damage extends through all layers of skin and can even affect organs and bones. These wounds are often characterized by a dry, black, charred appearance. They can cause permanent nerve damage and even death.
If you are interested in finding out more, feel free to review one of our burn victim cases here: Worker’s Compensation for Burn Injuries