Burns can be catastrophic injuries to suffer. They cause significant pain and could result in lasting health issues, such as nerve damage, organ injuries, and disfigurement. If you have sustained this type of wound in an accident that another party’s negligent or wrongful conduct caused, it’s vital to know what your legal options are.
But how severe are burns, and how much impact can they have on your life? Learn more about the types of burns you can experience, why they’re so dangerous, and what legal options you can pursue.
Types of Burns
There are a few types of burns. Thermal burns are the most common type and occur as a result of exposure to external heat sources that raise your skin’s temperature. They lead to cell death and even charring. You can receive a thermal burn by coming into direct contact with hot liquids, hot objects, steam, flames, or hot gases.
You can also experience chemical burns if you come into contact with corrosive substances. Acids, detergents, alkalies, and solvents can all cause serious harm to the skin and the rest of your tissues. The amount of contact you have with the substance and its strength will impact the severity of the injury.
Electrical burns occur when contact is made with an electrical current. They can be the result of exposure to direct or alternating currents. Even being struck by lightning would result in an electrical burn.
Finally, radiation burns occur after excessive radiation exposure. Medical treatments that require the use of radiation can also cause these burns.
Burn Stages
Burns are classified in stages, depending on how severely or deeply they penetrate your skin.
First-Degree Burns
First-degree burns are the mildest. They affect the top layer of skin, leaving it red, dry, and sore. The skin doesn’t blister at this stage. First-degree burns typically don’t leave you with lasting damage. Mild sunburns are a common example of first-degree burns.
Second-Degree Burns
Second-degree burns cause damage to both the top layer of skin (epidermis) and the dermis, which is the layer immediately beneath the epidermis. The site of the injury will be red, swollen, and painful. You may have blisters, and the area can appear moist and almost waxy.
Third-Degree Burns
Third-degree burns are called full-thickness burns because they involve all layers of your skin and sometimes even the fat beneath it. These injuries may not begin hurting immediately because of the nerve damage that you’ve suffered in the area. Instead, you can notice charred and leathery skin. Swelling will be present, too. Third-degree burns require medical assistance.
Fourth-Degree Burns
Fourth-degree burns are rarer than those of the other degrees. They are the most severe because they destroy all layers of skin and continue damaging muscles, tendons, ligaments, and even bones. These are life-threatening injuries that require immediate medical care.
Common Causes of Burns
Burns can occur for numerous reasons. Here are some common causes we see in our practice:
Defective Products
Household items that overheat can lead to burns if you touch them, or they could result in electrical burns if they have not been wired correctly. Product liability laws allow you to hold the manufacturers responsible for any injuries their defective products cause.
Premises Liability Accidents
The burn could also occur as part of a premises liability issue. If your landlord knew that the boiler wasn’t working correctly, for example, and failed to repair or replace it, you could hold them liable for the injuries you suffer. The same is the case if you suffer an electrical burn because of an exposed wire in a store or any other property.
Car, Bicycle, and Motorcycle Wrecks
Traffic crashes can also cause burns. In a collision, there could be all manner of overheated auto parts that you could come in contact with. Fuel fires are also a danger. If you’re in an accident with a commercial truck, you could also be exposed to flammable or corrosive liquids.
If the airbag deploys, it’s possible to suffer chemical burns because the airbag relies on chemicals to rapidly expand. Any leak can result in injuries.
Contact Our Tifton Personal Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If you suffered a burn injury, one of the options you have to recover losses is to file a personal injury claim. These claims require demonstrating that another party is responsible for your losses. Because it is not always easy to prove that a product malfunctioned or that another person was responsible for a car accident, you need assistance from attorneys.
At The King Firm Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers, our team can guide you through the various challenges that these claims can pose. Contact our Tifton personal injury lawyers at (229) 386-1376 to schedule a free case assessment with one of our attorneys.
