Burn Injuries
Burn injuries, particularly severe burns, can permanently alter your life. They can produce permanent scarring, disfigurement, and disabilities. Moreover, the circumstances that create them can be so traumatic that the victim can suffer long-term mental and emotional trauma.
Burn injuries are some of the most devastating injuries you can suffer. Fortunately, in many cases, you can seek injury compensation to help you cover the costs and losses you incur as a result of your injuries.
Causes of Burn Injuries
Burns happen when heat, chemicals, or radiation physically damage your skin and underlying tissues. Burn injuries can happen in many ways and under many circumstances, including the following:
Thermal Burns
Thermal burns occur when something hot touches the skin. Hot objects, liquids, or gases can cause thermal burns. For example, you might suffer a thermal burn when your motorcycle falls onto you after a motorcycle accident, and your leg touches the exhaust pipe.
Combustion Burns
Combustion burns occur when your flesh catches fire. The flames can burn hair and skin, charring the tissues. A house fire could result in combustion burns if your clothing catches on fire.
Radiation Burns
Electromagnetic radiation causes radiation burns. Sunburn is a form of radiation burn. Medical malpractice resulting from mishandling radiation sources used in X-ray machines and radiotherapy can produce radiation burns.
Electric Burns
Electric current generates intense heat when it passes from a conductor into the body, resulting in burns. The current can also damage the nerves controlling the muscles and organs. For example, an electric shock can cause a heart arrhythmia even if the current entered the body when the victim’s hand touched a live wire.
Chemical Burns
Chemical burns happen when caustic liquids or vapors contact the skin, eyes, or respiratory system.
These burns often occur in workplace accidents involving the following substances:
- Oxidizers, like bleach
- Acids, such as hydrochloric acid
- Alkali substances, like lye
Workers who suffer burn injuries in on-the-job accidents may be eligible to seek workers’ compensation for their burn treatments and partial income replacement.
Burn Injury Severity Ratings
Regardless of the cause of a burn, the symptoms, prognosis, and treatment depend on its severity. To understand burn severity ratings, you must understand the skin’s structure.
The epidermis is the outermost layer. It protects the body from foreign substances and microorganisms. It also reduces water loss from the body.
The dermis sits below the epidermis. It holds the hair follicles, sweat glands, and oil glands. It also protects the body from radiation and converts sunlight to vitamin D.
The lowest level, called the hypodermis, contains connective tissues to hold the skin to the underlying muscles. Nerves and blood vessels originate in the hypodermis and run into the dermis. The hypodermis also includes a layer of fat that insulates the body.
Burns fall into the following three degrees depending on the depth of the burn:
First-Degree Burn
A first-degree burn only affects the epidermis. These burns are superficial and often involve pain and redness. As a result, these burns often heal without any scars or long-term effects.
Second-Degree Burn
Second-degree burns affect the epidermis and part of the dermis. They are also called “partial thickness” burns because they reach partially into the dermis. Symptoms of these burns include pain, redness, and swelling. These burns can produce blisters. Fluid can also seep from second-degree burns.
Third-Degree Burn
Third-degree burns affect the epidermis and all of the dermis. They may even reach into the hypodermis. These burns are so severe that they destroy the nerve endings. Rather than redness, the skin may appear gray or charred.
Long-Term Effects of Burn Injuries
Once the skin is compromised, it cannot protect the body from microorganisms, foreign substances, radiation, and water loss. As a result, burn injuries can have the following long-term effects on the victim’s health:
Scars
Scars are a common outcome of third-degree burns. They can also result from deep second-degree burns. Scars occur when replacement skin cells are not as pliable and elastic as the original skin cells. As a result, the burned area is raised, discolored, and tough.
Scars are a common outcome of skin grafts. This treatment is used to protect the body while it heals from severe burns.
Infection
Without the skin’s protection, microorganisms can enter the body, producing infections. Infections occur when bacteria or viruses enter the body and trigger the immune system. The body increases its temperature and triggers inflammation in the infected area, producing localized fever and swelling.
Dehydration
The skin prevents water from escaping the body. Without this protection, the victim can experience dehydration.
Contact Chandler Volta Personal Injury Lawyers to Learn About Compensation for Your Burn Injuries
Severe burns can cause lasting physical, emotional, and financial harm. Contact Chandler Volta Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation at (704) 980-9999. Our team can review your case, identify the responsible parties, and fight to recover the full compensation you deserve.