Understanding the Long-Term Effects of a Burn Injury

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Understanding the Long-Term Effects of a Burn Injury

Author: Jay Howard

Burns are among the worst injuries a person can suffer. Studies from Research America found that the United States sees over $1.5 billion spent per year on burn-related medical costs and the average cost of a burn-related trip to the hospital costs $24,000. Such costs underlie just how bad burns can be, not only in the short term but throughout the burn victim’s life.

Whether it be through painful rehabilitation or cosmetic surgery to replace burned skin, suffering a burn injury means that you are in for a long, difficult recovery. In these trying times, you need an experienced, compassionate burn injury attorney to see to your legal needs. Tabbaa Law is among the best burn injury lawyer in Georgia, helping clients throughout the state get their lives back on track after suffering these debilitating injuries.

How Are Burn Injuries Assessed?

Any understanding of burn injuries should begin with how they are assessed. When trying to determine just how severe a burn injury is, clinicians will typically evaluate the following factors: 

  • Type of burn
  • Degree of the burn
  • Percentage of the skin that is burned
  • Your age
  • Where on your body the burn is
  • Whether you inhaled toxic gasses or smoke
  • Whether there were other traumatic injuries, such as broken bones
  • Complicating health issues, like diabetes or heart problems

Once a burn injury is properly assessed, a treatment plan can be implemented. More than likely, the plan will consist of medications, surgery, wound dressings, and therapy. For severe burns, you may have to seek treatment at a specialized burn center. Overall, the treatment plan will seek pain management, remove dead skin, and reduce scarring as much as possible.

What are the Long-Term Effects of a Burn Injury?

If you suffer a burn injury, not only will you have immediate medical needs, but there will potentially be long-term effects. Worse yet, there is a huge variety of both mental and physical effects, including:

  • Clinical depression 
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Chronic anxiety
  • Embarrassment and negative body image
  • Low self-esteem 
  • Decrease in quality of life
  • Sleep and eating disorders
  • Substance abuse
  • Social isolation

The long-term emotional and psychological damage that occurs with a burn injury is usually debilitating, lasting the remainder of your life. Additionally, you will likely deal with long-term physical effects, such as:

  • Infections 
  • Pain
  • Sensitivity to heat
  • Nerve and muscle damage 
  • Skin cancer

Obviously, these effects mean you will need not just a medical treatment plan, but a financial one as well. Costs will quickly add up, so seeking compensation for your burn injury will be another challenge for you to face.

Potential Damages In a Burn Injury Claim

If you have suffered a burn injury due to negligence, you have the right to sue under Georgia law. The resulting personal injury claim can be brought against the at-fault party for any of the following damages:

  • Cost medical and personal care, both current and ongoing.
  • Loss of income and enjoyment of life 
  • Costs related to permanent disfigurement, scarring, disabilities, and impairments
  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish from the injury and treatment
  • Costs related to psychological injuries, including inconvenience, embarrassment, depression, and anxiety.
  • Costs related to counseling and ongoing therapy to help cope with the long-term effects of severe burn injuries 

In order to bring a successful claim for these damages, you will have to prove negligence on the part of the at-fault party. This is usually done by proving that their negligence was the direct cause of your burn injury.

Let An Experienced Georgia Burn Injury Attorney Fight For You

Attempting to place a value on the long-term physical, emotional, and psychological effects of a serious burn injury can be challenging. Fortunately, Tabbaa Law has spent years building a network of medical experts, financial professionals, and other specialists to determine a proper accounting of the damages from your burn injury. Sami Tabbaa and his team won’t rest until they uncover the full extent of your damages that resulted from a burn injury.  If you would like to schedule a free initial consultation with his office, call (770) 370-7881 or fill out our contact form.

Personal Injury