Every year in the United States, the CDC estimates that approximately 1.1 million people suffer from burn injuries that require medical attention. Out of the 1.1 million people, 50,000 need to be hospitalized, and about 20,000 suffer major burns that cover approximately twenty-five percent of their bodies’ surface area.
Even small burn injuries can be excruciatingly painful, and severe burn injuries could take several months to heal completely. If you have suffered a burn injury in an accident, you need to consider speaking with a Gwinnett County burn injury lawyer. At Tabbaa Law, our attorney can help you understand your legal options by providing you with expert legal counsel. Additionally, our lawyer can help you pursue a fair settlement so that you can alleviate the financial pressures you are facing after your burn injury.
The Different Types of Burn Injuries
The severity of your injury will depend on the type of burn you received. Some burns can be superficial, while others can leave you scarred, disfigured, or with a lifelong disability. The following are the different burn degrees that can be incurred during an accident:
First-Degree Burns
With a first-degree burn, long-term damage to your skin is very rare. Most likely, you will only experience red and painful skin and sometimes blisters. Typically, first-degree burns only affect the outer layer of your skin, and a good example of this type of burn is a sunburn.
Second-Degree Burns
When you experience a second-degree burn, the outer layer of your skin is burned, and the dermis is also burned. Often with a second-degree burn, your injury will appear red and could look wet or shiny. This burn injury can lead to blisters, and it is often painful to the touch.
Third-Degree Burns
Unlike first and second-degree burns, third-degree burns can be incredibly severe. These burns are often called full-thickness burns because they affect two layers of skin. Additionally, a third-degree burn can appear black, yellow, brown, or white. Third-degree burns usually do not hurt until they heal because the nerves are damaged.
Fourth-Degree Burns
A fourth-degree burn is possibly the worst burn injury you can sustain during an accident. This burn injury can be life-threatening if left unattended. With a fourth-degree burn, all layers of the skin are destroyed, and the burn often reaches muscles, bones, nerves, and tendons.
The Leading Causes of Burn Injuries
Although open flames are one of the leading causes of burn injuries, there are many other types of burns you could experience during an accident. The following are the leading causes of burn injuries:
- Electrical burns: Usually, people suffer from an electrical burn if they come into contact with an electrical current. Sometimes, this type of burn can prove to be fatal.
- Radiation burns: Not many people realize that sunburn is a type of radiation burn. The radiation burns that cause the most damage to a person’s body are received during an X-Ray or when undergoing radiation therapy for diseases like cancer.
- Chemical burns: Chemical burns can be incredibly severe because they often occur when a toxic or acidic chemical touches the skin. Sometimes, this can happen during a car or trucking accident. Other times, it can be caused by cleaning chemicals.
- Thermal burns: Most times, a thermal burn will occur from your skin coming into contact with steam, very hot metals, and scalding liquids. Many people suffer from thermal burns while at work or at home.
- Friction burns: Commonly, friction burns occur during a pedestrian accident, a car or trucking accident, or a motorcycle accident. A friction burn is both an abrasion and a burn, and it occurs when your skin meets a hard object and rubs it.
How Gwinnett County Burn Injury Claims Are Handled
A burn injury lawyer can determine if you have a valid claim by evaluating the various aspects of your accident. Your attorney could do any of the following steps to help you pursue a fair settlement:
- Your lawyer can speak with industry experts, such as accident investigators, safety inspectors, and electricians, to determine the cause of your accident. Determining the cause of your burn accident will help your attorney establish who is liable to you.
- Your lawyer will obtain and secure any evidence and information relating to the accident that caused your burn injuries. This can include police reports, medical records, accident scene photographs, and CCTV footage.
- Once your attorney has obtained your medical records, they can review them alongside your physicians to try and determine how much compensation you could be entitled to receive. They will also take into account your past and future medical care costs.
If you have been burned in an accident, you should not hesitate to contact a skilled lawyer to assist you. An attorney may be able to help you obtain compensation for your injuries.
Get in Touch with a Gwinnett County Burn Injury Lawyer at Tabbaa Law
At Tabbaa Law, we understand that it can take an indeterminate amount of time for a burn injury to heal completely, which is why we want to help you fight for the compensation you deserve. We want to be your legal resource during this challenging time in your life, and we offer free case reviews.
If you wish to speak with our attorney, you can contact us here or call (770) 370-7881.