If you have been injured in a serious accident and suffered severe burns, call The Thomson Law Firm for a FREE consultation today. 1-540-777-4900.
If you’ve read my other blogs, you know that I usually don’t start with that sentence. And the only reason I started today’s blog with that sentence is because I know that burn injury cases are very different cases and in a class all their own. If you have suffered a severe burn, your pain and suffering is unmatched by anything you’ve ever endured before. You need to focus on physical and emotional healing, but at this point even that may seem unobtainable.
Burn injuries are caused by a variety of circumstances including car accidents, dangerous product accidents, industrial accidents, burns caused by spills of hot liquids or chemicals.
We’ve all heard of first, second, and third degree burns. First degree burns are classified as those burns that cause reddened skin with no blisters. These burns can be uncomfortable but are almost always treated at home. They are usually caused by the sun or by very brief contact with a hot object.
Second degree burns have reddened shin with blisters. A patient with second degree burns should be seen by a doctor. These burns will typically leave scars and may require skin grafting or other cosmetic procedures to optimize healing and minimize scarring.
Third degree burns will cause an overall thickening of the skin and the skin will often turn white.
Another lesser known degree of burns is called the fourth degree burn. A fourth degree burn is classified as any burn that has penetrated the skin and damaged the bones and tendons beneath the surface of the skin. This kind of burn always requires medical treatment and often requires extended hospital stays and specialized treatment for the patient in qualified burn centers like the one at Charlottesville’s UVA.
In addition to degrees of burns which are classified by how deeply the burn has penetrated the skin, there are also different types of burns.
A thermal burn is caused by contact with flames, steam, hot liquids and other types of intense heat. These burns are further classified into four subgroups known as flash burns, flame burns, scald burns, and contact burns. These are the kinds of burns that victims acquire in the event of a car accident, a dangerous and defective product malfunction, premises liabilty involving kitchen and restaurant accidents and workplace accidents.
A chemical burn is caused by contact with very strong acids or alkali sustances. In the household, accidents involving chemical burns are often caused by household cleaners. In many cases, the packaging on the dangerous chemical solution was not labeled properly and put in the consumer in danger.
An electrical burn is caused by electrical current. These burns usually occur on worksites of with downed power lines.
Radiological burns are caused by exposure to alpha, beta or gamma radiation. Misuse of x-rays or radiation machines may caused these types of burns, but most often radiation burns occur when people are exposed to the sun for too long and suffer sunburn.
If you or someone you love has been burned in any of the circumstances listed in this post, call The Thomson Law Firm today for a free consultation. An intake specialist is waiting to take your call and will be able to find the answers to any questions you may have. As always the call is free, (540) 777-4900.
