A severe burn injury has long-lasting, painful physical and psychological consequences. In addition to causing the skin severe trauma, burn injuries can also cause fever, tissue damage, and infection. They can also cause nerve injuries, making mobility and day-to-day functioning difficult.
While the pain of a burn injury may go away, the internal and external scarring can last forever. At Dell & Dean, PLLC, we have the experience necessary to hold negligent parties accountable for the injuries they’ve caused. If you’ve suffered a burn injury because of another party’s negligence, we are prepared to help you understand your legal rights and pursue the full compensation you need and deserve.
Types of Burn Injuries
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people in the United States seek medical attention for burn injuries. They are categorized into three degrees based on their severity. First-degree burns include minor burns that cause pinkness or redness on the outer layer of the skin.
Second-degree burns cause blisters and redness within the skin’s first and second layers, causing additional damage. Third-degree burns are the most severe types of burns. They damage all three skin layers and the underlying tissue. There are many causes of burn injuries, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Hazardous chemicals
- Scalding liquids
- Faulty electrical wire
- Poorly designed and dangerous products
- Explosions
- Poorly designed and poorly manufactured products
- House fires
- Burns from steam
- Gas explosion
- Heating appliances
- Workplace fires or explosions
Burn Injuries Caused By Motor Vehicle Accidents
Mechanical or electrical defects can cause a vehicle to catch on fire. In other cases, a car accident can create sparks. The sparks can ignite a vehicle’s fuel and cause it to burst into flames or cause an explosion. If you suffered burn injuries due to a car accident that wasn’t your fault, you may have a right to pursue compensation from the at-fault driver and any other at-fault parties.
Burn Injuries in the Workplace
Many burn-related injuries happen at work. Workers with certain injuries are at a higher risk of being injured on the job than others. Construction workers are at a higher risk of being exposed to electrical, friction, or chemical burns. Similarly, plant workers may experience chemical burns from alkaline or acidic materials. Finally, food service workers are likelier to suffer thermal burns from hot surfaces or cooking flames.
Burn Injuries Caused by a Defective Product
Sometimes, errors in product design or manufacturing can make products extremely dangerous. Kitchen appliances like toasters and microwaves can catch fire unexpectedly. Electronic devices that use lithium-ion batteries, such as tablets, headphones, and laptops, can heat up excessively, causing thermal burns. In extreme cases, they can explode. Dangerous heaters can also catch fire and cause devastating house fires.
Complications from Burn Injuries
Electrical burns can be more serious than many people realize. Even when a person’s skin doesn’t appear to be damaged badly, electrical burns can damage a person’s organs. Infections are among the most serious complications of burn injuries. When a person’s skin is broken, bacteria can enter the wound and cause swelling, oozing, and redness.
When an infection enters the bloodstream, the patient can experience sepsis, a serious infection resulting in organ damage or amputation. When an active fire directly causes burns, smoke inhalation poses another risk. Smoke can damage the lungs and airways and cause lifelong damage, such as shortness of breath.
Who Can Be Held Liable for My Burn Injury?
Victims of burn injuries can hold the party or parties who negligently or intentionally caused their burn injuries to occur liable for their damages. When you work with Dell & Dean, PLLC, we will carefully investigate the causes of the injury. We will gather all available evidence and work with experts to determine which party or parties are liable for causing your injuries. Multiple parties may be at fault for causing a victim a burn injury:
- A person who negligently maintained a controlled fire
- A person who used chemicals dangerously, causing a fire
- The negligent manufacturer of a product that causes an explosion or fire
- A negligent driver who caused a car accident resulting in a fire
- A negligent property owner who failed to repair faulty, exposed wiring
Treatments Available for Burn Injuries
The process of recovering from a burn injury is excruciating. They can cause blistering, swelling, scarring, and, in severe cases, shock and death. Second and third-degree burns can damage a person’s skin layer enough to damage the skin’s protective barrier. Various treatments are used to treat injuries and depend on the cause, severity, and volume. More serious burns may require the patient to undergo intensive skin graft surgeries to replace the skin.
Compensation Available For a Burn Injury
Treating a severe burn injury can be a painful, complicated, and lengthy process. You can collect compensation for your current and future medical expenses, which can be expensive. Victims may need to undergo lengthy rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy, home health care, and multiple skin grafting operations. The medical treatment for a severe burn can require victims to take significant time off work.
Victims can pursue compensation for their time off of work. When burn victims are longer able to return to work due to their ongoing symptoms and pain levels, they can pursue compensation for their disability and loss of earning potential. Finally, victims are entitled to compensation for their pain and suffering, including their disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and other Emotional distress caused by the burn injury.
Contact Our Long Island Burn Injury Attorneys Today
After suffering a traumatic burn injury due to another person’s negligence, you may feel overwhelmed when thinking about your next steps. The physical recovery can be exhausting and long, and pursuing a personal injury claim may seem impossible.
The compassionate attorneys at Dell & Dean, PLLC will provide you with the trusted legal counsel to pursue the compensation you deserve. We will handle every aspect of your case while you focus on your recovery. Don’t hesitate to contact Dell & Dean, PLLC to schedule a complimentary case evaluation.
